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:

• the operation was cancelled before crews were briefed
• the crews have been briefed as to the target, and in some cases the planes may even have been bombed up and the crews on-board at their stations awaiting take-off, before the op has been stood-down
• finally a number of cases where the op was already under way and the planes en-route but for whatever reason the operation was aborted (e.g. the master bomber orders the attack cancelled due to weather conditions at target adversely affecting targeting).

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: Pauillac (05 Aug 1944 - 05 Aug 1944)

Operation Summary
Target	Out	Back	Aborted (Y / N)	Comments
Pauillac	05 Aug 1944	05 Aug 1944	N	Fourteen aircraft and crews were required, provided and briefed to attack oil depots at PAUILLAC a few miles south of the previous days attack. All of the aircraft took off successfully with most of the crews in their shirt sleeves. Formation flying which has been practiced by the Squadron stood them in good stead and all the aircraft kept togther as far as the target, with S/L Redmond's section all the way home as well. The weather at the target was cloudy but the markers were accurately placed and all our aircraft planted their bombs on and around the aiming point. A huge fire was soon started and gradually enveloped the whole target with a particularly large explosion occurring at 19.10 hours. Excellent photographs were obtained by our crews and P.R.U. whol following close on their heels reported that severe damage was done in the attack. The route and target was trouble free from Flak and fighters while our fighter cover was comfortingly noticeable. All our aircraft returned safely though owing to fog conditions at base all landed at Sandtoft, with the exception of "H" which landed at Skellingthorpe.

Aircraft Deployed			Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number	Returned or FTR	Comments	Crew Details
LL228	Returned	Primary 9,000 ft at 19.09 hrs

Operation/Target: Stettin (17 Aug 1944 - 17 Aug 1944)

Operation Summary
Target	Out	Back	Aborted (Y / N)	Comments
Stettin	17 Aug 1944	17 Aug 1944	N	The fourteen aircraft and crews which had been accepted and briefed to attack targets at STETTIN which was the first time this month the Squadron went to Germany by night. Weather at the target had been 10/10 cloud in layers up to 17,000 feet prior to the attack commencing. But several crews report clear patches just before reaching the city. There were two main fire areas which were seen by our crews when several miles on the homeward journey.

Aircraft Deployed			Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number	Returned or FTR	Comments	Crew Details
LL228	Returned	Primary 19,000 feet at 01.05 hours

Operation/Target: Frankfurt (12 Sep 1944 - 12 Sep 1944)

Operation Summary
Target	Out	Back	Aborted (Y / N)	Comments
Frankfurt	12 Sep 1944	12 Sep 1944	N	19 aircraft and crews were detailed to attack the FRANKFURT. 15 aircraft bombed the primary target, 3 returned early. F/O Hussey "Gee" unserviceable, F/O Abrams Air Speed Indicator unserviceable, F/O Rose compressor unserviceable. The weather conditions were good. On approach to the target area the extensive Mannhein - Mainz Frankfurt searchlight belt was seen to be in full swing and several aircraft were coned and subjected to intense FLAK. P/O Ansell in the veteran aircraft "B" was one of these, for just after bombing he received the full attention of a searchlight cone and intense flak and after having successfully emerged through this with minor damage was attacked three times by a fighter ME109. Fire was exchanged and further damage sustained. The bombing attack, from reports, appears to have been a complete success. The marking was both punctual, concentrated and clearly seen. Fires were burning well and soon merged into one mass of flames and smoke like a boiling cauldron and could be seen a 100 miles distance on the homeward journey. FLAK in the target area was described moderate in a loose barrage, the homeward journey was quiet and uneventfull. All aircraft and crews returned safely. P/O Purvis, DFC and his crew completed their first operational tour. PRU were over FRANKFURT quicker than ever after the raid and they report as follows: "The whole area around the main marshalling yard on the west side of the city is covered with smoke from numerous fires. A large area NW of the marshalling yard is seen to be almost completely gutted. A considerable quantity of rolling stock is burning in the yard. The area between the M/Y and the lines leading west from the main railway station is now almost completed devastated". Another excellent prang.

Station Summary

OPERATIONS After some respite from German targets, 550 was once again detailed, as part of a force of 185 from Command, to attack FRANKFURT tonight. Shortly after 1800 hours 19 of our aircraft took off. 15 claim to have attacked the primary. 1 attacked a German last-resort target and 3 returned early, having abandoned their mission because of technical troubles. Apart from one aircraft which landed at CARNABY because of a U/S compressor all our sorties returned safely to base. ORGANISATION F/Lt Lord, Base Gas and Fire Officer visited Gas and Fire Section and found everything satisfactory. GENERAL The 3rd, 13 Base Junion N.C.O's Discip. & Admin Course commened at this Station.

Aircraft Deployed			Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number	Returned or FTR	Comments	Crew Details
LL228	Returned	Primary 17,000 ft at 22.54hrs

Operation/Target: Bigge Kerke (17 Sep 1944 - 18 Sep 1944)

Operation Summary
Target	Out	Back	Aborted (Y / N)	Comments
Bigge Kerke	17 Sep 1944	18 Sep 1944	N	10 aircraft and crews, briefed to attack a gunsite at BIGGE-KERKE near Flushing in daylight as part of a small forcce destined to play an opening part in yet another invasion of the fast crumbling Fortress of Europe. Unknown to our crews, they had been preceded by only a few hours by an Air Armada of well-nigh 2000 sorties flying and escorting glider and paratroops of the First Allied Airborne Army into the heart of Holland. The flak gunners at BIGGE-KERJE, who had spent the last four years endeavouring to hinder the passage of Bomber Command to and from Germany, were themselves truly blasted - we hope. All aircraft engaged in this raid returned safely. The following message of congratulations has been received from the Air Ministry:- "I am commanded by the Air Council to convey to you their warm appreciation of the part played by your Command in defeating the enemys flying bomb attacks on this country. The continuous bombing of the experimental stations, production plants, launching sites, storage depots and communications which has been carried out by you Command not only imposed on the enemy a prolonged and unwelcome delay in the launching of his campaign but effectively limited the scale of effort which he was able to make. This notable achievement has added one more to the long list of successful operations carried out by Bomber Command".

Aircraft Deployed			Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number	Returned or FTR	Comments	Crew Details
LL228	Returned	Primary 11,000 ft at 18.17hrs

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	4
MAX Aircraft deployed in single operation	1 (Pauillac, 05 Aug 1944)

These details were last updated: 22 April 2024

Note

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