550 Squadron Photos
F/O J C Hutcheson DFC and Crew
The F/O Hutcheson crew completed a full operational tour with 550 Squadron. They are known for taking EE139 the "Phantom of the Ruhr", on her 100th sortie.
The crew:
- F/O J C Hutcheson DFC (P)
- Sgt S Wright (F/Eng)
- Sgt D F Smith (Nav)
- F/Sgt J K Francis RAAF (A/B)
- W/O W Y Smith RAAF (W/Op)
- Sgt E C Hodgson (MU/AG)
- Sgt A F Tosh (R/AG)
Crew Photos
 |
F/O Hutcheson crew (missing: F/Eng Stan Wright)
Photo courtesy of Craig Hutcheson (son of pilot Joe Hutcheson) |
 |
Crew signatures (on rear of above photo), all but the pilot have signed
Photo courtesy of Craig Hutcheson |
 |
F/O J C Hutcheson
Photo courtesy of Craig Hutcheson |
 |
Crew with The Phantom of The Ruhr Before 100th Operation
L-To-R: Sgt S Wright (F/Eng), Sgt A F Tosh (A/G), F/Sgt J K Francis (B/A), F/O J C Hutcheson (Pilot), Sgt D F Smith (Nav), Sgt E C Hodgson (R/AG), W/O Y W Smith (W/Op) (Tentative identification based on the signatures and known photo of Stan Wright) Photo courtesy of Craig Hutcheson |
 |
F/O Hutcheson Crew with Ground Crew in front of The Phantom of The Ruhr
Back row, L-To-R: TBC, TBC, Sgt Wright (F/Eng), TBC, TBC, F/O Hutcheson (Pilot), TBC Front row: Ground crew (Tentative identification based on the other photos) Photo courtesy of Craig Hutcheson |
 |
Crew under the Lancaster - S Wright (F/Eng) standing at left
Photo kindly made available by Sean Wright (son of F/Eng Wright) Left-To-Right (Back): Sgt. S Wright (F/Eng), F/O J C Hutcheson (P), Sgt D F Smith (Nav) Left-To-Right (Front): W/O W Y Smith (W/Op), Sgt E C Hodgson (MU/AG), Sgt A F Tosh (R/AG) Missing is F/Sgt J K Francis (A/B) Thanks to Mark Simpson for analysis, noting: "The identification of the gunners is rather speculative and could be reversed, but the others are believed to be fairly definite" |
 |
Stan Wright (F/Eng) top left sitting near the cockpit
Identification by Sean Wright |
 |
Stan Wright (F/Eng)
Picture kindly made available by Sean Wright |
 |
Letter from the King on award of AFM
Picture kindly made available by Sean Wright |
 |
Sgt A F Tosh, R/AG |
Log Book
 |
Page from the log book of Stan Wright (F/Eng)
Shows the 100th OP of BQ-B (The Phantom of the Ruhr) dated 5.9.44 Picture kindly made available by Sean Wright |
Ton-Up Lancs
 |
Page from the book "Ton-Up Lancs" by Norman Franks (A Photographic Record of the Thirty-five RAF Lancasters That Each Completed One Hundred Sorties Norman L.R. Franks, ISBM 978-1904943099, Publisher: Grub Street (July 2005))
Three 550 Sqdn aircraft feature in the book, and one of these was BQ-B (The Phantom of the Ruhr) This page shows the Hutcheson crew |
Request For Information
F/Eng Stan Wright's son is seeking information about the crew, and in particular if names can be put to faces in the photos. If you can provide any information then do please email it in to the site and it can be passed on (contacts and email addresses under Contact link below).