Squadron Personnel: Summary Information

Overview

There follows below lists of the officers and men who served in 550 Squadron. 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 have been augmented by new and additional information gathered since that time.

This information is not yet complete: it has been build from the Roll of Honour, Decorations and Senior Officer lists, and then by working through other available records. 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.

Serviceman Details: The column headers should be fairly self-explanatory. The final column (Web links) contains, where given, links to other items on this web-site or indeed to external sources where further information or photographs, etc can be found.

Aircraft: When a link to a particular aircraft is given, this only indicates aircraft it is known the crewman was associated with (such as when flight logs are available or the aircraft has failed to return from an operation). It does not exclude the fact that the crewman may well have flown on other aircraft too, that is either just not documented in the currently available records or simply not known to the author. The aircraft links will take you to the operations listed for that aircraft.

Note that the vast bulk of the information available about squadron servicemen presented below concerns air-crew; almost no information is available about the men, and women, of the technical and other ground crews who played their part in making the squadron an effective fighting unit. This is a shame, given the key role they played in keeping the aircraft in the air and the men flying them able to do their job. So if you have ground-crew information do please send it in so that it too can be included in the squadron record.

Definitions of the abbreviations used are available: here.


Serviceman Details Aircraft
Rank Initials
(First Name)
Last Name Decorations Service Service No. Role Flight Other Information Links FTR? Date Service Number
F/O G H R F
(George Henry Richard)
Harris RAF 136362 Nav - Posted to 550 Sqdn (w.e.f. 25/11/43) on squadron start-up from 100 Sqdn "C" Flight
/documents/public/Lancasters-Crews/FlLtPJMPrangley/index.php
KIA 26/27 Nov. 1943 LM379
F/L J
(Jack)
Harris DFC RAF 104460 P - Wing Cmdr (Retr.), Secretary 550 Squadron and North Killingholme Association.
Posted from No. 1 LFS w.e.f. 30/08/44
Did a tour of 37 ops.
First live ops flight as 2nd pilot with F/O Thygesen crew (10 Sept 1944, JB532)
DFC gazetted, issue 37088 18 May 1945
Post-war remained in the RAF. Promoted to Squadron Leader 1st Jan. 1950
Promoted to Wing Commander 1st Jan. 1958
As Wing Commander Harris appointed OBE in the Birthday Honours list 1960 (published Supplement To The London Gazette, 11th June 1960)
Celebrated 100th birthday at the RAF Club Picadilly 21st September 2020
/documents/public/Lancasters-Crews/FlLtJHarris/index.php
http://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37088/supplement/2624
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/38803/supplements/53
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/41266/supplements/7593
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/42051/supplements/3981
/images/PhantomofTheRuhr/BBMF20070427/index.php
/pages/550-sqdn-reunion-2004-60th-anniversary.php
/pages/550-sqdn-reunion-2005.php
/pages/550-sqdn-reunion-2009.php
/pages/550-sqdn-reunion-2010.php
/pages/550-sqdn-reunion-2011.php
/pages/550-sqdn-reunion-2012.php
/pages/550-sqdn-reunion-2013.php
/pages/550-sqdn-reunion-2014.php
/pages/550-sqdn-reunion-2015.php
/pages/550-sqdn-reunion-2016.php
/pages/550-sqdn-reunion-2017.php
/pages/550-sqdn-reunion-2018.php
/pages/550-sqdn-reunion-2019.php
tps://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/16650
tps://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/16652
https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/moving-portraits-local-war-veterans-2240702
http://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37088/supplement/2624
- - LM182
LM273
NF932
NG120
NG165
NG250
PA995
PB514
PB532
PB843
PD221
F/O J
(John)
Harris DFC RAF 177913 P - First live ops flight as 2nd pilot with F/O Hussey crew (10 Sept 1944, PA991))
DFC gazetted (to Acting F/Lt Harris 177913), issue 37088 18 May 1945
Posted from 550 Sqdn to 1687 B.D.T. Flt w.e.f. 16.2.45
After the war had ended F/O Harris was killed in a flying accident in a Spitfire on the 11th January 1946. He is buried in Anfield (Liverpool) Cemetary (service no. on CWGC 177913)
/documents/public/Lancasters-Crews/FOJHarris/index.php
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2411711/HARRIS,%20JOHN
- - ED905
LL748
LL811
NF998
NG251
PA991_a
PB532
PD320
Sgt M R F
(Manning Robert Frederick)
Harris RAF 2221167 F/Eng - - /documents/public/Lancasters-Crews/FlLtAWThomas/index.php
KIA 19/20 Oct 1944 NG192
F/O R A
Harris RAF 161673 P - Posted to 550 Sqdn from 1667 CU w.e.f 14.6.1945
Posted from 550 Sqdn to R.A.F. Snaith w.e.f. 27.10.45
- - - -
F/O R D
(Robert Douglas)
Harris RCAF J.37989 P - Posted to 550 Sqdn from No. 71 Base w.e.f. 8-1-45
First live op as 2nd Pilot to W/O Smith, ME301 16 Jan 1945
/documents/public/Lancasters-Crews/FORDHarris/index.php
http://www.airmuseum.ca/mag/0503.html
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52832661-the-harris-crew
https://www.theharriscrew.com
KIA 7/8 Mar. 1945 LM273
ME301
ME428
NF998
PA995
PB843
Sgt R J
(Reg (Bob))
Harris RAF 1578595 A/B - Posted to 550 Sqdn from 75 Base w.e.f 08/04/45 /documents/public/Lancasters-Crews/FSgtJHVance/index.php
/pages/550-sqdn-photos-group#PilotBrigade
- - NG120
PA268/E2
PB707
P/O R M
Harris RNZAF NZ.4212665 P - Posted to 550 Sqdn from 1662 CU w.e.f. 31.3.45
Posted from 550 Sqdn to No. 207 Sqdn w.e.f. 8.8.1945
/documents/public/Lancasters-Crews/FORMHarris/index.php
- - PB707
Sgt R W
(Roy Walter ("Ginger"))
Harris RAF 576841 Nav - Posted to 550 Sqdn from No. 1 L.F.S. Hemswell on 2.6.44
R N and R W Harris appears in the ORB and is "N" probably a typo
Died March 2019, Arizona
/documents/public/Lancasters-Crews/FlLtDAShaw/index.php
http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/airfields/northkillingholme.html#Bruce
/images/PhantomofTheRuhr/BBMF20070427/index.php
/pages/550-sqdn-reunion-2011.php
- - ED905
LL748
Sgt R W
Harris RAF Nav - - - - - ED905
F/O T M
Harris RAF - - Meteorological Office - - - -

The details were last updated: 06 March 2024


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