550 Squadron Photos

F/Lt Steele DFC and Crew

F/Lt Frank ("Stainless") Steele DFC and crew completed a full operational tour with 550 Squadron.

The usual crew, all posted to 550 Sqdn from No. 1 LFS 3rd June 1944, was:

However, there were other crewmen that flew some ops with this pilot:

The crew completed their tour and left the squadron in October 1944.

Click image Fl/Lt F.S. Steele (RCAF) and crew. Fl/Lt Gardiner (Armaments Officer)
Click image F/Lt Steele with Lancaster and crew
Thanks to John Steele (son of F/Lt Steele) for making the photo available
F/Lt Steele once described that during a down period, one of the lads painted the picture on the side of the plane - Kitty was apparently his girlfriend

Thanks to Rod Walters (son of Sgt Walters) for making available the following photographs from his father's records.

Click image F/Lt Steele with Lancaster and crew (Kitty's Reply)
Back row, 3rd from left Sgt Walters (without any headgear)
Click image Just off to Bomb Stettin, NW Germany
Centre Sgt Walters (holding a flask)
Click image F/O J J W Dawson crew (F/O J J W Dawson)
Click image F/O J J W Dawson crew (reverse)
Click image BQ-J
Click image BQ-J, Crew Names on reverse

Log Books

Thanks to John Steele (son of F/Lt Steele) for making available the following page from his father's log book.

Click image

Thanks to Rod Walters (son of Sgt Walters (F/Eng)) for making available the following pages from his father's log book.

Click image Click image

F/Lt Steele DFC

F/L Steele's DFC was gazetted in the supplement to the London Gazette, see: London Gazette 12 January 1945.

Thanks to John Steele (son of F/Lt Steele) for making the following (post-war) photos and documents available.

Click image
Frank Steele Signing
Click image
Frank Steele climbing into CF-100
Click image
Frank Steele, by this time S/Ldr Steele, clocks up 10000Hours
DocumentDescription
Reunion 2012 Welcome Pack Frank Steele and CF-100
Reunion 2012 Welcome Pack Frank ("Stainless") Steele died in Ottawa in 2012, aged 93.
See this obituary which appeared in the OTTAWA CITIZEN May 22 2012.
The following item appeared later in the Ottawa Citizen