550 Squadron Photos

F/O Cameron DFC and Crew

F/O Cameron and crew were posted to 550 Sqdn from No. 1 LFS w.e.f. 13/07/44:

Click image Left-to-right:
F/O Cameron, P/O Rigby, Sgt Sutherland, Sgt D Eldridge, F/Sgt White, Sgt Piertney, Sgt Popple
Dated 11/11/1944
Picture courtesy of Mark Simpson

The remainder of the photographs on this page were kindly provided by Jim Cameron, son of F/O Les Cameron pilot of LM273. The photos came to Jim from Phil Rigby (Joe Rigby was F/O Cameron's Navigator). The original source may have been F/Lt Bob Stone, who provided many of the photographs that were available on the original web-site.

The photographs below show F/O Les Cameron DFC (Pilot), and other air and ground crew with LM273.

Click image Left-to-right:
Sgt F Piertney (Rear Gunner), Sgt Frank Popple (Mid-Upper Gunner)
Sgt Dave Eldridge (Flight Engineer), F/O Les Cameron (Pilot)
Sgt George Sutherland (B/Aimer), P/O Joe Rigby (Navigator)
Sgt Joe White (W/Op)
In the background LM273
Picture courtesy of Jim Cameron
Click image Doorway: F/L Avery (Navigation Leader), F/L Bill Peek (Bombing Leader)
Back Row: Sgt Dave Eldridge, Sgt Frank Popple, F/Lt Jock Shaw
F/O Peggy Burnside (intel.), F/O Les Cameron, Sgt Joe White
Sgt George Sutherland, P/O Joe Rigby, Sgt F Piertney, S/Ldr B J Redmond
Front Row: LM273 ground crew technical team (names unknown)
Picture courtesy of Jim Cameron

LM273/BQ-O went on a total 43 operations before finally failing to return. Of these 29 were made by the Cameron Crew.

The ORB shows the Cameron crew taking off on 33 operations (in addition to those in LM273 one in ME583, one in ED905 and two in PD221), with F/O Cameron taking part in a total of 34 operations.

Click image BQ-O at dispersal, original source Phil Rigby
Probable date: Sept 1944
Picture courtesy of Jim Cameron
Click image BQ-O showing combat damage
To find out how this damage occured click here
Picture courtesy of Jim Cameron

See also the LM273/BQ-O web-page.

Operational Tour List

Click image Full list of ops flown by Les Cameron and crew (August - December 1944)