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 https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/1799487 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: 21 November 2024
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