550 Squadron and RAF North Killingholme Association

Squadron Operations: Summary Information

Overview

There follows below a list of the all of the operations flown by 550 Squadron and the aircraft involved on each. The information used to build this page was taken in the first instance from the lists provided on the original Squadron Association web-site, but has been augmented by new information gathered since that time (squadron operations logs, individual aircrew log books, and other sources).

This information is not yet complete: it has been build from the a number of sources (documentary and people) and compilation of complete lists is an ongoing task that is expected to take quite some time to complete. So please don't shout just yet if you spot an omission - work continues to build a more complete, and accurate, list.
Do however shout if you spot an error! Please email any corrections or information to the contact details in the link at the bottom of the page.

Operation Summary: The column headers should be fairly self-explanatory. The term "aborted" as used here covers a number of possibilities:

the operation was cancelled before crews were briefed
the crews have been briefed as to the target, and in some cases the planes may even have been bombed up and the crews on-board at their stations awaiting take-off, before the op has been stood-down
finally a number of cases where the op was already under way and the planes en-route but for whatever reason the operation was aborted (e.g. the master bomber orders the attack cancelled due to weather conditions at target adversely affecting targeting).

Aircraft Deployed: When a link to a particular aircraft is given, this indicates aircraft known to have taken part in this raid (in the records currently available to the web-site author). A record of whether the aircraft returned or failed to return (FTR) is also logged.

Servicemen Deployed: Names of the crew in the operation.

Station Summary: This section is the information from the RAF North Killingholme Station Record Book for the operational date (if available).

Definitions of the abbreviations used are available: here.

Manageable Lists

The amount of data in the database is growing and this is resulting in the "all operations/targets" list getting rapidly bigger and thus slower to generate. There are options to display shorter, more quickly generated, reports if you want to home in on something specific. For example, there are options to generate reports on operations to a single target, or by single aircraft (to all targets) or by single aircraft to a single target. There is, on the database-reports summary page, a short user guide (PDF format) on how to do this.

Operation/Target: Calais (02 Jun 1944 - 03 Jun 1944)

Operation Summary
Target	Out	Back	Aborted (Y / N)	Comments
Calais	02 Jun 1944	03 Jun 1944	N	16 aircraft offered for operations, but only 14 accepted, to attack defended areas on a coastal battery at CALAIS.

Aircraft Deployed			Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number	Returned or FTR	Comments	Crew Details
LL134	Returned	Mission abandoned over target due to inability to pinpoint. TIs not sighted. Brought bombs back.

Operation/Target: Wimereaux (03 Jun 1944 - 04 Jun 1944)

Operation Summary
Target	Out	Back	Aborted (Y / N)	Comments
Wimereaux	03 Jun 1944	04 Jun 1944	N	16 aircraft offered for operations and 14 accepted. Crews briefed to attack railborne coastal battery in the vicinity of the peace-time resort of Wimereaux near Boulogne. All the Squadron aircraft successfully took off in the usual style and claimed to have bombed their objective. The Squadron's striking force had to contend with thick cloud over most of the route, but found the target practicially clear at their bombing heights. P.F.F markers were prompt, and, as far as can be ascertained from the bombing photographs were accurate to within a hundred yards of the bombing point. P/O Holdsworth "B" sighted a twin engined aircraft while bombing, and shortly afterwards the mid upper gunner had a crack at a F.W. 190 which appeared to be acting as a decoy for a M.E. 110 which was attended to by the Rear Gunner. Neither of the enemy aircraft returned the Lancaster's fire, and the Pilot observed stikes on the F.W. 190, which is claimed as probably damaged.

Aircraft Deployed			Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number	Returned or FTR	Comments	Crew Details
LL134	Returned	Primary 10,000 ft at 01.18 hrs	S/L P A Nicholas (P) F/O S C Beeson (P) Sgt J E Legg (F/Eng) P/O W Dinney (Nav) Sgt F C Wilkinson (A/B) Sgt W H Ansell (MU/AG) Sgt N S Smart (R/AG) F/Sgt C J Fuller (W/Op)

Operation/Target: Pas de Calais (02 Jul 1944 - 02 Jul 1944)

Operation Summary
Target	Out	Back	Aborted (Y / N)	Comments
Pas de Calais	02 Jul 1944	02 Jul 1944	N	The nineteen aircraft and crew offered were accepted for operations. All took off successfully shortly before miday without incident as usual. Eighteen returned at 15.45 hours. "D" (P/O Hussey) returned earlier through engine failure and was sent out to jettison part off the bomb load before landing. The target was the Flying Bomb Site in the Pas de Calais and the weather over the target was good. Most crews brought back enthusiastic reports. Markers were well placed and most of the crews were able to map read their positions to good purposes. The evidence of our own cameras makes it reasonable to suppose that the operation was highly successful. No Luftwaffe opposition was experienced the defence being confined to light flak. W/Cdr Connolly returned from six days leave and S/L Nicolas proceed on leave on completion of his second tour of operations. The Squadron was given a definite stand down until the evening of 3rd July which was much appreciated by the boys, who needless to say took full advantage.

Aircraft Deployed			Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number	Returned or FTR	Comments	Crew Details
LL134	Returned	Primary 13,000 ft at 14.17 1/2 hours.

Summary Statistics

Based on the data in the lists displayed above, and keeping in mind that data is still being updated and thus not yet complete, the following statistics are generated:

Aircraft Deployment Statistics

Aircraft deployments	3
MAX Aircraft deployed in single operation	1 (Calais, 02 Jun 1944)

These details were last updated: 13 April 2024

Note

this list is still being built and will take some time to complete
what is currently displayed is believed accurate but much more is still to be added

This note describes the options currently available to produce a smaller, more manageable list and also describes planned future enhancements to the reporting facility.

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