Photographs

This is a collection of archive photographs of the squadron crews and aircraft. Most of these were scanned by Bob Stone, and sent to me via Phil Rigby. Thankyou to everyone that has contributed to this page.

Originally, the majority of the crew photographs below were taken by the RAF photographic division at North Killingholme, who had a profitable sideline in using the RAF equipment to produce crew photographs (at about 25p each, I am told).

If anybody has any photographs to add to this page, please email me.

550 Squadron May 1944
F/O M.L.DUBOIS DFC (RCAF) AND CREW
FL/LT F.S. STEELE (RCAF) AND CREW. FL/LT GARDINER (Armaments Officer)
F/LT “JOCK” D.A. SHAW DFC & BAR AND CREW . On left FL/LT STONE, on right S/LDR REDMOND
Before take-off for 100th trip of LLL “PRESS ON REGARDLESS” Lancaster ED 905
F/O L.B. CAMERON DFC, AND CREW with PEGGY BURNSIDE and S/LDR REDMOND on right
S/LDR P.A.NICHOLAS DFC, AND CREW
F/O J.G.BRYSON AND CREW
Killed in action - 1/2 January 1944
FL/LT HOPMAN AND CREW
HOPMAN - SHARPE - STOCKS - KENNY - FERGUSON - SLOAN - McKEVEN
FL/LT N.L.ROSE DFC, AND CREW
FL/LT STONE Croix de Guerre AND CREW

Sgt Halliday (RACF)
Sgt Sayers (RCAF)
 W/O D.E. Norgrove W/Op A/G
 Fl/Lt Stone 
Sgt Wartnaby 
Sgt White 
Sgt Wright
F/O HARRY MANLEY AND CREW
F/O MacDONALD – F/O BROWN – F/O MANLEY- F/O GEORGE – W/O HILL –F/O WOOD – F/O HUGHES
The aircraft is Lancaster LL811 “Bad Penny ll”
FL/LT F.T. PYKE DFC, AND CREW
F/O R.PURVIS DFC, AND CREW
F/O GEOFF SCREEN DFC, AND CREW
OFFICERS' MESS OCTOBER 1945
SQ/LD PETER SARLL DFC, AND CREW
SQ/LD PETER SARLL DFC, AND CREW
P/O N.S.ROGERS DFC AND CREW
LANCASTER ED905 “PRESS ON REGARDLESS” TAKING OFF ON IT’S 100TH OPERATIONAL FLIGHT. PILOT FL/LT JOCK SHAW DFC and Bar
FL/LT JOCK SHAW IN COCKPIT OF LANCASTER ED905 - FOX/PRESS ON REGARDLESS BEFORE TAKING OFF ON ITS 100TH OPERATIONAL FLIGHT
FL/LT R. THOMAS DFC AND CREW
LANCASTER Mk lll , EE139 - BQ B - “Phantom of the Ruhr" - 121 OPERATIONAL FLIGHTS
F/O C.G.K.EDLUND DFC AND CREW
F/O J.A.BEALE DFC AND CREW
550 SQUADRON, NORTH KILLINGHOLME. THE ANTE ROOM, OFFICERS MESS
FL/LT P.J.M.PRANGLEY AND CREW

THIS WAS THE FIRST CREW FROM 55O SQUADRON TO BE LOST ON OPERATIONS, ON THE RAID ON BERLIN, 26/27TH NOVEMBER 1943.
S/LDR G.D.GRAHAM DFC (RAAF) AND SOME OF HIS CREW
F/SGT ARTHUR JEFFERIES WITH SIX OF HIS CREW.
L to R - Sgt J Whitley* Sgt S Keirle F/O W Bull F/Sgt A Jefferies* Sgt G Upton Sgt H Simpson*
The three crew members marked with an asterisk were killed in action 30/31 March 1944 on the Nuremburg Raid
W/O TAPSELL AND CREW
LANCASTER DV305 – BQ O CRASH LANDED AT WOODBRIDGE 31st JANUARY 1944
AFTER BEING ATTACKED BY A NIGHT FIGHTER
F/O V.A .THYGESSEN DFC (RCAF) AND CREW WITH S/O BURNSIDE (left side) AND S/O YOUNG (right side) and S/LDR REDMOND near centre.
FL/LT SHAW DFC AND CREW BEFORE TAKING OFF IN “PRESS ON REGARDLESS” ON ITS 100th OPERATIONAL FLIGHT.
EXTREME RIGHT – S/LDR REDMOND & P/O MURRAY EXTREME LEFT – F/LT STONE’
F/O DAWSON AND CREW
F/O L J T McCARTHY AND CREW
ALL KILLED ON OPERATIONS - 6/7 NOVEMBER 1944
W/O G.H.TOWN AND CREW -- LANCASTER “PHANTOM OF THE RUHR”
NAVIGATORS – 550 SQDN. – SEPT.1945
FL/LT A W BROWNE DFC (RCAF) AND CREW
S/LDR H JOHNSTONE AND CREW
FL/LT JOCK SHAW DFC & BAR AND CREW
F/O H. A. SHENKER DFC (RCAF) AND CREW
BOMB AIMERS - 550 SQUADRON - NORTH KILLINGHOLME - MAY 1945
FL/LT JIM LORD DFC AND CREW
COMMISSIONED BOMB AIMERS - 550 SQUADRON - DECEMBER 1944
550 SQDN. CHRISTMAS CARD 1944, SHOWING BQ-B “PHANTOM OF THE RUHR" WHICH COMPLETED 121 OPERATIONAL FLIGHTS.
C.O. FLIGHT COMMANDERS AND LEADERS MAY 1945
F/Lt Avery (Nav)- F/Lt Clark (Gunners)- F/Lt Vickers (Sigs) – F/Lt Adair – F/Lt Puck (Bomb Aimers)
lS/Ldr Gosling S/Ldr Sarill W/C McWatters F/Lt Waitt F/Lt Hulso
B Flight C Flight C.O. Adjutant A Flight
S/LDR B.J.REDMOND DFC AND CREW AND GROUNDCREW
“TARGET” MAP IN OPERATIONS BRIEFING ROOM
FL/LT R.P.STONE IN COCKPIT OF LANCASTER - BL811 – BQ/J – “BAD PENNY II”
SGT FRANK WRIGHT (Tail Gunner) SGT LEONARD WARTNABY (Mid Upper Gunner)
In crew of Fl.Lt STONE. NOTE “INVASION STRIPES” OM TAILPLANE
P/O Dawson and crew?
CREW MASCOT “GEORGE BEAR”, DSO, DFC, AFC, CROIX de GUERRE, AMERICAN AIR FORCE MEDAL,CANADIAN OPERATIONAL MEDAL, AND BRITISH CAMPAIGN MEDALS, WHO FLEW 32 OPERATIONS WITH 550 SQUADRON
- picture, Bob Stone
LANCASTER LL811, “BAD PENNY ll”,OF 550 SQUADRON ,WAS THE FIRST ALLIED AIRCRAFT TO CROSS THE FRENCH COAST ON “D” DAY BOMBING THE COASTAL BATTERIES. THIS PICTURE APPEARED IN SEVERAL MAGAZINES AT THAT TIME. THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT ACKNOWLEDGED THIS FACT WHEN IN THE LATE 1990’S THEY AWARDED A COLLECTIVE CROIX DE GUERRE TO THE CREW, CAPTAINED BY F/O K.BOWEN-BRAVERY
 F/0 ROBERTS AND CREW
S/LDR PICKLES AND CREW
FL/LT JACK HARRIS DFC AND CREW
F/O BOB STEVENSON AND CREW
F/0 BOWEN-BRAVERY DFC AND CREW
L/R
Back Row: Sgt. Fysse, Sgt Thompson, F/Sgt Keeley,
Front Row: Sgt Bodill, F/Sgt Thomas, F/O Bowen-Bravery, Sgt Davies (KIA 2/12/43)
F/O W DANIELS AND CREW
BRIEFING IN PROGRESS
NORTH KILLINGHOLME 1944
S/Ldr BRECKELL (Sqdn Navigation Officer), P/O Alan Murray (Intelligence Operations) S/Ldr Phil Corn DFM (Sqdn F/Eng Leader)

P/O S H HAYTER & CREW. ( with Station Adjutant, Fl/Lt Waitt – second from right in front row)
Hayter crashed on 4/10/1944 when training his flight engineer to fly the aircraft. Hayter was sole survivor
550 Sqdn. “V VICTOR” - 100th Operation , March 1945
F/O J BEALE DFC in cockpit of “THE YOKEL”
F/O R D HARRIS (RCAF) AND CREW
Went missing on 8th operation, 7/8 March 1945 All POWs
“Q” Queenie bogged down off the perimeter track before take off at 19.30 hours on 7th July , 1944
for raid on Caen
TROUBLE WITH THE MERLIN ENGINE
Sgt. Hopman’s crew have trouble starting up
AMMUNITION FEED TO THE REAR TURRET
DAVID SUMMONS AIRCRAFT AT MANSTON HAVING MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING
AFTER A MID AIR COLLISION OVER GERMANY - read full story
INTELLIGENCE LIBRARY, 550 SQDN. NORTH KILLINGHOLME
550 SQUADRON
FAREWELL PARTY, OFFICERS' MESS, NORTH KILLINGHOLME, OCTOBER 1944
“Yes, there were girls there as well”
SECTION OFFICER ROSEMARY BRITTON
INTELLIGENCE/OPS STAFF
REAR TURRET
Aerial Photograph - Bordeaux - 12/8/44
Aerial Photograph - Domburg - 29/10/44
Aerial Photograph - Cologne - 28/10/44
Sgt Wilfred Barratt - Air Gunner
Alan Carter and crew of 'Felix the Cat'
The Joe Aucion Crew
Back Row - left to right
1. Walt Klementoski R/G Preston, Ontario
2. Jim Hamilton Mu/G Guelph, Ontario
3. Bill Jamieson Pilot Vancouver, British Columbia
4. Earl Butcher Nav. Birtle, Manitoba
Front Row
1. Joe Aucoin W/Op Cheticamp, Nova Scotia
2. ?
The Joe Aucion Crew
Back Row
1. Bill Jamieson
2. ?
3. ?
4. Walt Klementoski
Front Row
1. Joe Aucoin
2. ?
3. Jim Hamilton
The wedding of Pilot Officer Sgt Ernest Hall

Far left - Pilot Officer Shervington
 Centre: Sgt Ernest Hall  his wife Doris

T.M.J. Shervington was the pilot of ME556,and Ernie was the radio op on their last flight together.
Alfred Horace Clothier on Lancaster RF135
F/L McConnell DFC, Squadron Bombing Officer
Ray Reardon writes...
My father, Cpl Stan Reardon (1871823) trained as an RAF Flight Mechanic and was in the Fire Section at North Killingholme 1944-45.  He was made Acting Sergeant in 1945. In December 1945 he went to Alipore in India (and subsequently to a place with a name that sounded something like "Chickoolia").
 

I also attach a photograph of the the North Killingholme Fire Section team in 1944 in front of the Fire Station. My Dad, Stan (pictured above), often used to drive the Crash Tender. They had to stand-by as the planes returned and sometimes had to pull badly injured crew from the planes ... often in dangerous circumstances.

Follow this link for more from Ray Reardon
Richard Johnson writes...

Crew of ND425 BQ-C presumably in front of that aircraft.

From left to right Sgt Jock McGhie - engineer; Sgt Wilf Barratt - Mid upper gunner; F/Sgt Charlie G Foster RNZAF, pilot; F/S Johnnie C Garratt - 2nd navigator; F/Sgt Robert Johnson - bomb aimer/navigator; Sgt Ronnie G Johns - rear gunner; Sgt Eric W Wash - wireless operator.
All were lost on 30/31 March 1944 on the Nuremburg raid.

 
From left to right are Sgt Eric W Wash - wireless operator and F/Sgt Robert Johnson - bomb aimer/navigator.  The others I am not certain of. - Richard Johnson
Andrew Thompson sends a photo of his father, Warrant Officer Eric Thompson and his crew. Eric Thompson is second from right (under propeller)
Jill Holder writes

This photo shows my dad (Rafe Eley) and his crew in April 1945.

Those pictured are:
F/S Renshaw (navigator) - Dave
F/S Eley (bombardier) - Rafe
Sgt Levy (mu gunner)- Jack
F/S Thomas (engineer) - Tom
F/S Langford (pilot) - Sam
Sgt Arnold (WOP) - Harry
(front and back of photograph)
The crew of RA502
L-R:
F/O Aubrey Lohry (pilot)
F/S Eddie Westhorpe (navigator)
F/S Bill Anderson (bomb aimer)
F/S Vic Cassapi (engineer)
F/S Norman Tinsley (WOP)
F/S Andy James
F/S Alan Jarnell

Please see 'memories' page for more information.
Ron Vietheer sends a photo of the crew of F/O Rhude, of which Mr Vietheer was a member. Those pictured are

F/O Rhude (Canadian)
Sgt FitzGerald
F/O Grollnoller
P/O Duncan
Sgt Blyth
W/O Vietheer (Australian)
Sgt Falliur

If anyone has any photographs, or further details to accompany these, please email me.