550 Squadron

F/Lt C M Irving and Crew

F/Lt Irving and crew were posted to 550 Squadron from No. 71 Base w.e.f. 9-1-45

Pictured below the F/Lt Irving crew:

Click image F/Lt C M Irving and crew
L-to-R: F/Lt Irving, F/O White, F/O Heather, P/O Bontoft, F/Sgt Vine, Sgt O'Leary, Sgt Chew

This crew carried out ten ops between 02/02/1945 and 01/03/1945 before being posted on to No. 582 Sqdn w.e.f. 3-3-45.

F/Lt Irving actually carried out two flights as the "second dickey" pilot (first as 2nd pilot to F/Lt Summons (NG287, 22/01/45) and the then with F/O Grundy (LM273, 01/02/1945)). The first was an "abortive" and so presumably F/Lt Irving was required to go again, prior to being allowed to take his own crew out on their first operation.

Additionally the crew (minus F/Lt Irving) flew an op on 14/02/1945 to Chemnitz (bring their total to eleven ops) with F/O J E Franklyn RAAF as the pilot. There is no information in the record as to why F/Lt Irving was not flying on this occasion.