550 Squadron and RAF North Killingholme Association

Squadron Operations: Summary Information

Overview

Listed below is the information available for operations to this target flown by 550 Squadron.

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: Crisbecq (05 Jun 1944 - 06 Jun 1944)

Operation Summary
Target	Out	Back	Aborted (Y / N)	Comments
Crisbecq	05 Jun 1944	06 Jun 1944	N	The crews of the 18 aircraft which had been accepted for operations were briefed to attack a coastal battery commanding a strategic position on the Cherburg peninsula at CRISBECQ. All aircraft took off promptly and without incident. Although some cloud was encountered across England on the outward journey enough was seen to realise that the whole of southern England was on the move. Whilst flying across the Channel a vast armada, of ships was seen making their way towards France. At the target 10/10th cloud was encountered but the glow from the markers was seen quite distinctly beneath. All crews agreed that the bomb flashes, as far as could be judged were well centred around the marker. The Flak around the target was negligable and very few incidents were reported by our crews who all returned safely after participating in the opening phase of the invasion of Europe. The A.O.C No. 1 Group has received a message from the A.O.C in C in which he states that a recent return showed 100% servicability of all first line aircraft throughout Bomber Command. This extraordinary degree of serviceability not only reflects the utmost credit upon the devoted efforts of all maintainance personnel during the intensive operations but is, and will be a major contribution towards winning the War. The Squadron personnel can justly, and with pride claim that they have and will continue to contribute towards the destruction of the Hun. Since recording the above S.H.A.E.F. have issued a communique to the effect that surprisingly little resistance was offered by coastal defences which is very gratifying to the boys of the Squadron. The Squadron striking force of eigtheen aircraft who beat the spearhead by a matter of hours know now, like all the world that the spear was driven straight and true, leaving 550 Squadron to create more chaos behind the Hun's lines.

Aircraft Deployed			Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number	Returned or FTR	Comments	Crew Details
LL747	Returned	Primary 8,500 ft at 23.25 1/2 hrs.	S/L G S Smith (P) F/Sgt R Townsend (W/Op) F/O R Kay (F/Eng) F/O J J Berg (Nav) F/O L Pulfrey (A/B) F/L St. J Tizard (MU/AG) F/O J Heath (R/AG) F/O G H Packham (P)

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	1
MAX Aircraft deployed in single operation	1 (Crisbecq, 05 Jun 1944)

These details were last updated: 24 November 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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