550 Squadron Photos

S/Ldr W F Caldow DSO DFM AFC and Crew

S/Ldr Caldow and crew were posted to 550 Squadron from No. L.F.S. w.e.f. 13.11.44:

S/Ldr W F Caldow was Flight Commander "C" Flight: 08 Nov 44 - 20 Mar 45.

For most, if not all, of the crew this was their second operational tour with Bomber Command.

The Caldow crew carried out their first operation to Wanne Eikel on 18 November 1944. Their second operation to the Aschaffenburg marshalling yards was on 21st November 1944 and this was the last operational flight (121st) of EE139 The Phantom of the Ruhr. The crew completed their tour of operations with a raid to Nuremberg on 16 March 1945, coming home on three engines. Shortly afterwards the crew was dispersed to different destinations.

They were already a highly decorated crew when they arrived at North Killingholme. By the time they had left on completion of their tour S/Ldr Caldow had added DSO, F/Lt Cassidy a Bar to DFC and F/O George a DFC to DFM. Overall the most highly decorated crew in 550 Squadron.

The lower picture shows the Caldow crew, North Killinghome March 1945

Caldow Crew (1990s reunion but with Reg Sloggett (B/A) absent)
L-to-R: Charles Squires, Jim Cassidy, Willie Caldow, Derrick Gear, Jack Marston, Steve George
Picture taken in the 1990s (possibly 1992) at the house of Derrick Gear
Picture made available by James Cassidy (Nav) and by the son-in-law of Charles (Sam) Squires

For more about the crew see also the F/Lt Cassidy page.