550 Squadron Photos

F/O Blackler DFC and Crew

F/O Blackler crew:

The picture below shows F/O Blackler and crew at North Killingholme. They completed their tour on 5th March 1945.

Click image F/O Blackler crew:
L-to-R: F/O Blackler, Sgt Nicholls, F/Sgt Bold, Sgt Ross, F/Sgt Mozley, Sgt Nicholson, Sgt McCutcheon
Photo kindly made available by Mark Simpson
Click image F/O Blacker in PA995
Photo taken from the book "Lancaster at War, Book 1", Ian Reid

The picture below shows some of the Blackler crew boarding "The Vulture Strikes" (PA995) on her 100th sortie (and the last op of their tour) on 5th March 1945. Sadly "The Vulture Strikes" was lost (with another crew) on its 101st op. Thanks to Daniel Byron for making the photo available.

Click image Annotation "March 1945 (550 Sqdn) Entering "V" for its 100th Op and our last (36th)"
L-to-R: John Nicholson, Jack Bold, Mervyn McCutcheon
Click image Annotation on rear of photo (giving above identification)

F/Sgt Mozley

Many thanks to Ann Spowart (daughter of F/Sgt Mozley) for making the following photographs, and a copy of Sgt Mozley's log book, available for use on the web-site. F/Sgt Mozley was the W/Op with the crew but was also qualified as an air-gunner as can be seen in one of the photographs (and the log book).

Click image Click image
Click image F/Sgt Mozley log book showing flights with 550 Sqdn and training in Ansons, Wellingtons, Halifaxes and Lancasters with F/O Blackler (and others).
Also qualification as both an air-gunner and a wireless operator