550 Squadron Photos
F/O K Bowen-Bravery CdG DFC and Crew
D-Day
"At 24 minutes past eleven on the night of June 5, 1944 Lancaster LL811, J-Jig of 550 Squadron, from North Killingholme, dropped its load of 14 thousand pound bombs on a gun battery overlooking the Normandy coast. It was the opening salvo of Operation Overlord, the greatest amphibious operation in military history."
So opens Chapter 16, "A Long Hot Summer" of 1 Group: Swift to Attack (Patrick Otter, Pen & Sword, 2012).
LL811, J-Jig, known as Bad Penny II, was flown by the F/O Bowen-Bravery crew, and is credited with opening the D-Day attack, commemorated in the picture below.
The Bowen-Bravery D-Day crew (Bowen-Bravery, Thompson, Thomas, Fyffe, Cleghorn, Bodill, Thompson) were awarded Croix de Guerre (CdG) by the French Government in recognition of their aircraft leading the opening attacks on D-Day. The citation hangs beside the 550 Squadron Memorial Window in St Denys' Church, North Killingholme.
F/O Bowen-Bravery Crew
The F/O Bowen-Bravery crew transferred in to 550 Sqdn from 1667 Con. Unit w.e.f. 18/12/43:
- F/O K Bowen-Bravery (P)
- Sgt D G Davies (F/Eng)
- P/O G E Thomas (Nav)
- F/Sgt J P Fyffe (A/B)
- Sgt P E E F Keeley (W/Op)
- Sgt R R Thompson (MU/AG)
- Sgt A Bodill (R/AG)
Sgt Davies (F/Eng) was killed when ED730 (pilot Sgt H F J Woods) was involved in a mid-air collision with 100 Sqdn Lancaster (ND327) outbound 23/24 December 1943.
The following air-crew also flew with F/O Bowen-Bravery in place of their counterparts above:
- Sgt L G Thompson (F/Eng) (replacing Sgt Davies)
- Sgt A Cleghorn (W/Op)
- Sgt R Blackburn (MU/AG)
The photograph below shows the crew line-up as it was when the crew originally joined 550 Sqdn with Sgt Davies:
On completion of their tour Bowen-Bravery, Thomas, Fyfe and Thompson transferred out from 550 Squadron on 9th July 1944 (to various destinations). Sgt. Cleghorn transferred out on 27th July 1944.
F/O Bowen-Bravery D-Day Crew
The F/O Bowen-Bravery crew flying on the D-Day op 05/06 June 1944 was:
- F/O K Bowen-Bravery (P)
- Sgt L G Thompson (F/Eng)
- P/O G E Thomas (Nav)
- F/Sgt J P Fyffe (A/B)
- Sgt A Cleghorn (W/Op)
- Sgt R R Thompson (MU/AG)
- Sgt A Bodill (R/AG)
Information about the flight and the target available here.
F/O Bowen-Bravery
F/O Bowen-Bravery was awarded DFC in September 1944.
F/O Kenyon Bowen-Bravery (on leave in London - his new wife Mary took the picture)
Picture kindly made available by the Jane Bravery Schwartz |
F/O Kenyon Bowen-Bravery with Bad Penny at North Killingholme
Picture kindly made available by the Katy Bravery |
F/O Kenyon Bowen-Bravery in India with a Dakota behind him (with 31 Squadron)
Picture kindly made available by the Katy Bravery |
Daily Telegraph: 2 Oct 2013: Air Force Obituaries: S/Ldr Kenyon Bowen-Bravery
P/O G E Thomas
Gwyn Edward "Ward" Thomas