Squadron Operations: Summary Information

Overview

There follows below a list of the all of the operations flown by 550 Squadron and the aircraft involved on each. 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 has been augmented by new information gathered since that time (squadron operations logs, individual aircrew log books, and other sources).

This information is not yet complete: it has been build from the a number of sources (documentary and people) and compilation of complete lists is an ongoing task that is expected to take quite some time to complete. 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.

Operation Summary: The column headers should be fairly self-explanatory. The term "aborted" as used here covers a number of possibilities:

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: Fontenay (08 Aug 1944 - 08 Aug 1944)

Operation Summary
Target Out Back Aborted
(Y / N)		 Comments
Fontenay 08 Aug 1944 08 Aug 1944 N The seventeen aircraft took off in the evening to carry our an attack on enemy troop concentrations at FONTENAY in the Caen sector. Haze at the target limited visibility, markers, aided by the ground forces, were generally good, but in the latter stages were obscured by smoke dust and haze. The Master Bomber accordingly felt compelled to order sorties who had not yet bombed to take their bombs home again, five very disappointed crews of this Squadron did this, but the remainder had bombed. Flak was negligable and as no photographs were taken on this trip it was left to P.R.U. to confirm the concentation was amongst the best of the night.
Aircraft Deployed Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number Returned
or FTR		 Comments Crew Details
DV200 Returned Abandoned.

[Ed. Station CO G/Cpt McIntyre pilot]		 G/C R V McIntyre (P)
P/O R Hopman (P)
Sgt A R Gow (F/Eng)
F/Sgt J K Sharpe (Nav)
F/Sgt G R Martin (A/B)
F/Sgt F G Ferguson (W/Op)
F/Sgt R E Sloan (MU/AG)
F/Sgt R E McKenzie (R/AG)

Operation/Target: Duigny (10 Aug 1944 - 10 Aug 1944)

Operation Summary
Target Out Back Aborted
(Y / N)		 Comments
Duigny 10 Aug 1944 10 Aug 1944 N Twenty aircraft were offered, accepted and briefed for operations again an oil storage depot at DUIGNY. The target was reached and bombed in clear weather, which was heavily defended by accurate predicted Flak, which scarred several of our aircraft and caused two slight casualties F/O Dubois "H" was hit in the neck by shrapnel and in spite of severe pain and loss of blood safely brought the aircraft back to base. F/S Francis (A/B of "V") also sustained a slight wound in his leg whilst over the target. F/O Shaw "F" when outward bound lost the use of one of his engines and reached the target about 9,000 ft below the bomber stream. He successfully bombed his target and was escorted home by five Spitfires. "F" attracted the attention of numberous Flak batteries but reached base safely. Photographs were once again of excellent quality.
Aircraft Deployed Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number Returned
or FTR		 Comments Crew Details
DV200 Returned Primary 15,000 ft at 12.03 hrs

[Ed: F/O Caswell (F/Lt Rose crew) recorded in his log book 39 flak holes in their aircraft, and starboard inner feathered.]		 F/L N L Rose (P)
Sgt K L Willis (F/Eng)
F/O R C Foote (Nav)
F/O E G Caswell (A/B)
Sgt G W Page (W/Op)
F/O J S Tointon (MU/AG)
Sgt G S Spragg (R/AG)

Operation/Target: Le Coulot (15 Aug 1944 - 15 Aug 1944)

Operation Summary
Target Out Back Aborted
(Y / N)		 Comments
Le Coulot 15 Aug 1944 15 Aug 1944 N Eighteen aircraft and crews were again offered for operations, seventeen finally taking off to attack a Luftwaffe night fighter base ay LE COULOT near Louvain in Belgium which is the most distant daylight target so far tackled. Good weather prevailed and all the aircraft identified the spot without difficulty and gave it its desserts. The runways were pleatered and the and the technical and administrative buildings got their share of a very successful prang. Flak was dispirited in most stages of the attack but the only fighters seen were those of our own cover. Good photographs were once again obtained.
Aircraft Deployed Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number Returned
or FTR		 Comments Crew Details
DV200 Returned Primary 15,000 feet at 12.07 hours

Operation/Target: Stettin (29 Aug 1944 - 30 Aug 1944)

Operation Summary
Target Out Back Aborted
(Y / N)		 Comments
Stettin 29 Aug 1944 30 Aug 1944 N Sixteen aircraft with crews were accepted briefed and took off at 21.00hrs to attack STETTIN. One aircraft "C" W/O Ansell and crew are missing from the Operation.
Aircraft Deployed Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number Returned
or FTR		 Comments Crew Details
DV200 Returned Primary 18,500 ft at 02.04hrs

Operation/Target: Agenville (31 Aug 1944 - 01 Sep 1944)

Operation Summary
Target Out Back Aborted
(Y / N)		 Comments
Agenville 31 Aug 1944 01 Sep 1944 N Twelve aircraft were detailed for a daylight operation at 13.05hrs, a flying bomb sight at AGENVILLE. To add to confusion there was quite a lot of heavy and accurate flak though no other opposition. This attack was considered a great success by the crews that took part. One aircraft "V" with W/Cdr AFM Sisley and P/O Siddall and crew is missing from this Operation.
Aircraft Deployed Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number Returned
or FTR		 Comments Crew Details
DV200 Returned Primary 9,500 ft at 15.25hrs

Operation/Target: Gilze-Rijen (03 Sep 1944 - 03 Sep 1944)

Operation Summary
Target Out Back Aborted
(Y / N)		 Comments
Gilze-Rijen 03 Sep 1944 03 Sep 1944 N Thirteen aircraft and crews were detailed for a daylight operation on the aerodrome of GILZEREGEN. They all took off successfully, though "A" piloted by F/O R.Purvis aborted with the ASI unserviceable. Take off time was at 15.50hrs. It started to rain at Base just before take off and the weather was generally bad. The height to fly at was 12000 ft but there cloud at this height which consisted mainly of 10/10th strata cumulus. Some crews flew above this cloud and others below as there was pretty severe icing in it. Over the target itself the cloud broke to 4/10ths str. cum. with tops about 6000 ft. There was very little opposition of any sort, no fighter and slight flak. The PFF dropped their markers "bang on" and the bombing was well concentrated. From the bombing photographs the aerodrome and runways seem very hard hit. On the return journey aircraft ran into cloud about 60 miles from the English coast which cleared for about 100 miles and the closed in again. Most of the crews seem to have flown back from Nottingham at about 1000 ft to avoid low cloud. The weather back at Base was very bad indeed with rain and bad visibility combined with low cloud. "J" piloted by P/O McCarthy came back with the starboard inner engine feathered; this was was to save the engine which was running very badly. All aircraft landed back at Base safely.
Station Summary
OPERATIONS
Two days of preparation bore fruit with the despatch of 13 aircraft (part of a Group force of 30) to raid the GILZE-RIJEN airfield in Holland. 1 aircraft abandoned its mission due to technical trouble. The remainded returned to base claiming to have attacked the primary target. Before they took off at about 1600 hours news had been received that there would be no further targets for today and tonight.
GENERAL
A United Voluntary Service for the National Day of Prayer was held in the Station Church, Padre Croft of R.A.F. Station Elsham Wolds taking the service. It was well attended by Station Personnal, considering there was an operaitonal take off at the same time.
Aircraft Deployed Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number Returned
or FTR		 Comments Crew Details
DV200 Returned Primary 12,000 feet at 17.29 1/2 hrs. P/O H S Vaughan (P)
Sgt R W Metcalfe (F/Eng)
P/O L C Davies (Nav)
F/Sgt D Porter (A/B)
Sgt T Elliott (W/Op)
Sgt W J Watson (MU/AG)
Sgt L D Purser (R/AG)

Operation/Target: Le Havre (05 Sep 1944 - 06 Sep 1944)

Operation Summary
Target Out Back Aborted
(Y / N)		 Comments
Le Havre 05 Sep 1944 06 Sep 1944 N 16 Aircraft and crews were detailed and briefed to attack the enemy who are still holding out at Le Havre. In addition one aircraft with crew who were also briefed stood by as the Base Reserve but was not called upon. The operation was spread over several hours in two attacks in all 300 aircraft took part. Although the weather forecast had been reported as "sticky", it was better than anticipated. Very careful preparations for bombing this small area of approximately 1000yards square had been made; luckily there was no cloud over the target and the master bomber had ordered the main force to orbit once to obtain a good view of the target area, a very concentrated attack took place.
Station Summary
OPERATIONS
Sixteen aircraft of No. 550 Squadron took part in a daylight attack on the German garrison holding out in LE HAVRE. All claim to have bombed the primary target and returned safely to base.
GENERAL
A team consisting of 2 Officers and 8 O.R's competed for Headquarters No. 1 Group Rifle Competition. Score 684 points out of a possible 850.
Aircraft Deployed Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number Returned
or FTR		 Comments Crew Details
DV200 Returned Primary 12,000 feet at 18.40 hrs.

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 7
MAX Aircraft deployed
in single operation		 1
(Fontenay, 08 Aug 1944)

These details were last updated: 13 April 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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