There follows below lists of the senior officers who served in commanding roles with 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 has been augmented by new and additional information gathered since that time.
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.
Definitions of the abbreviations used are available: here.
| Rank | Initials (First Name) |
Last Name | Decorations | Service | Flight | Applicable Dates (and other information) |
Web Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W/Cdr | J J |
Bennett | DFC | RAF | - | Commanding officer: 25 Nov 43 - 17 May 44. First Commanding Officer of 550 Squadron. Added Bar to DFC after leaving 550 Sqdn. |
/pages/550-sqdn-memorial-stone.php |
| W/Cdr | P E C C (Patrick Edward Geoffrey ) |
Connolly | RAF | - | Commanding officer: 18 May 44 - 15 Jul 44 (Missing) |
http://www.cwgc.org/CWGCImgs/Bussy_la_Cote_churchyard_04.jpg |
|
| W/Cdr | A F M (Alan Francis Moir) |
Sisley | DFC | RAF | - | Commanding officer: 16 Jul 44 - 31 Aug 44 (Missing) Australian from Sydney, joined the RAF in the mid-thirties |
- |
| W/Cdr | B (Bryan) |
Bell | RAF | - | Commanding officer: 18 Sep 44 - 22 Feb 45 (Missing). Moved to No.1 Group Aircrew pool w.e.f. 21/12/43. First President of Northumbria Branch of the Aircrew Association. Died 1985. |
/pages/550-sqdn-photos.php#WingCommanderBryanBell |
|
| W/Cdr | J C |
McWatters | DFC | RAF | - | Commanding officer: 25 Feb 45 - 02 Oct 45 Class A release w.e.f 03.10.45 |
/original-site-archive/histmemoirsb17seacrash.htm |
| W/Cdr | G F |
Rodney | AFC DFC |
RAF | - | Commanding officer: 03 Oct 45 - 31 Oct 45 | - |
TOTAL: 6
| Rank | Initials (First Name) |
Last Name | Decorations | Service | Flight | Applicable Dates (and other information) |
Web Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S/L | B (Bryan) |
Bell | RAF | A | Flight Commander A Flight: 25 Nov 43 - 24 Dec 43. Later W/Cmdr and Commanding Officer 550 Sqdn: see details under W/Cmdr Bell, Commanding Officer. Transferred to Sqdn from No. Group Aircrew Pool w.e.f. 24/12/43. |
- | |
| S/L | R S |
Alexander | RAF | A | Flight Commander A Flight: 25 Dec 43 - 18 Jan 44 | - | |
| S/L | P A (Peter) |
Nicholas | DFC | RAF | A | Flight Commander A Flight: 19 Jan 44 - 19 Jul 44. Posted to 550 Sqdn from 1662 Con. Unit w.e.f 12/01/44. Post-war (1993) became the 2nd President of the Squadron Association |
/php-library/mysql-utils/reports/rpt_squadron_newsletters.php#Issue4 /php-library/mysql-utils/reports/rpt_squadron_newsletters.php#Issue5 |
| S/L | K |
McAleavey | DFC | RAF | A | Flight Commander A Flight: 20 Jul 44 - 28 Aug 44 (Missing) | - |
| S/L | T D |
Misselbrook | RAF | A | Flight Commander A Flight: 02 Sep 44 - Nov 44 | - | |
| S/L | R M |
Newitt | DFC* | RCAF | A | Flight Commander A Flight: 07 Nov 44 - 23 Apr 45. Posted from 1662 CU w.e.f 3/11/44 |
/documents/public/Lancasters-Crews/FlLtMNewitt/index.php |
TOTAL: 6
| Rank | Initials (First Name) |
Last Name | Decorations | Service | Flight | Applicable Dates (and other information) |
Web Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S/L | G T |
Graham | AFC DFC |
RAAF | B | Flight Commander B Flight: 25 Nov 43 - 27 May 44 |
/original-site-archive/lib/image050.jpg |
| S/L | G S (Gavin Strang) |
Smith | DFC | RAF | B | Flight Commander B Flight: 29 May 44 - 16 Jun 44 (Missing) Posted to 550 Sqdn from No. 1 LFS Hemswell on 27.5.44 |
/documents/public/Lancasters-Crews/SqdnLeaderGSSmith/index.php |
| S/L | B J |
Redmond | DFC* | RAF | B | Flight Commander B Flight: Jul 44 - 03 Jan 45 Posted to 550 Sqdn from No. 1 LFS Hemswell on 7.6.44 |
/documents/public/Lancasters-Crews/SqdnLeaderBJRedmond/index.php |
| S/L | E L (Edgar Lewis) |
Pickles | DFC* | RAAF | B | Flight Commander B Flight: 04 Jan 45- May 45 Posted from No. 1656 Con Unit w.e.f. 4.12.44 |
http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.asp?ServiceID=R&VeteranID=1060238#summary1 /documents/public/Lancasters-Crews/SqdnLeaderEdgarPickles/index.php http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/37324/supplements/5235 |
TOTAL: 4
| Rank | Initials (First Name) |
Last Name | Decorations | Service | Flight | Applicable Dates (and other information) |
Web Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S/L | A P |
Gainsford | DFC | RNZAF | C | Flight Commander C Flight: 09 Sep 44 - 07 Nov 44 | - |
| S/L | W F (William) |
Caldow | AFC DFM DSO |
RAF | C | Flight Commander C Flight: 08 Nov 44 - 20 Mar 45 |
/pages/bomber-command-books.php#TonUpLancs /documents/public/Lancasters-Crews/EE139-ThePhantomOfTheRuhr/FlLtJCassidy/index.php http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/36480/supplements/1838 http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/37324/supplements/5235 |
| S/L | J C (Peter) |
Sarll | DFC | RAF | C | Flight Commander C Flight: 21 Mar 45 |
/documents/public/Lancasters-Crews/SqdnLeaderJCSarll/index.php |
TOTAL: 3
| Rank | Initials (First Name) |
Last Name | Decorations | Service | Flight | Applicable Dates (and other information) |
Web Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F/L | K M |
McAleavey | DFC | RAF | - | Senior Navigation Officer: 25 Nov 43 - 19 Jul 44 | - |
| F/L | L H |
Avery | RAF | - | Senior Navigation Officer: 30 Jul 44 | - |
TOTAL: 2
| Rank | Initials (First Name) |
Last Name | Decorations | Service | Flight | Applicable Dates (and other information) |
Web Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F/L | A D (Alexander Donovan) |
McConnell | DFC | RNZAF | - | Senior Bombing Officer: 25 Nov 43 - 16 Jun 44 (Missing) | - |
| F/L | E N |
Fisher | RAF | - | Senior Bombing Officer: 20 Jun 44 - 10 Jul 44 | - | |
| F/L | G W |
Peek | RAF | - | Senior Bombing Officer: 11 Jul 44 | - |
TOTAL: 3
| Rank | Initials (First Name) |
Last Name | Decorations | Service | Flight | Applicable Dates (and other information) |
Web Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F/L | A R |
Tippett | RAF | - | Senior Signals Officer: 20 Dec 43 - 5 Jul 44 | - | |
| F/L | K |
Davidson | RAF | - | Senior Signals Officer: 06 Jul 44 - 16 Mar 45 | - |
TOTAL: 2
| Rank | Initials (First Name) |
Last Name | Decorations | Service | Flight | Applicable Dates (and other information) |
Web Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F/L | W H (William Hugh) |
Waycott | DFM | RAF | - | Senior Gunnery Officer: 25 Nov 43 - 10 Apr 44 (Missing) Was F/O prior to SGO |
- |
| F/L | D H |
Murphy | RAF | - | Senior Gunnery Officer: 09 Jun 44 - 8 Jul 44 | - | |
| F/L | K W L (Kenneth William Lipscomb) |
Fuller | DFC | RAF | - | Senior Gunnery Officer: 09 Jul 44 - 14 Jul 44 (Killed) |
http://www.cwgc.org/CWGCImgs/Bussy_la_Cote_churchyard_04.jpg |
| F/L | D H |
Clark | RAF | - | Senior Gunnery Officer: 20 Jul 44 - Oct 45 | - |
TOTAL: 4
| Rank | Initials (First Name) |
Last Name | Decorations | Service | Flight | Applicable Dates (and other information) |
Web Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F/L | P J (Philip James) |
Cornwall | DFM | RAAF | - | P/O Cornwall (Aus.41850) posted to 550 Sqdn from 1667 Con.Unit w.e.f. 16/12/43 to fill the Establishment Post of Flight Engineer Leader and granted rank of acting F/Lt. Senior Flight Engineer: Dec 43 - 28 May 44. NB: gov.au veterans web-site lists service number as 14850, rather than the 41850 in the Sqdn ORB, and is thus assumed the correct number. See links for details. |
http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.asp?ServiceID=R&VeteranID=1044202 http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran_certificate.asp?VeteranID=1044202 http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/NameSearch/Interface/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=5373744 http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/NameSearch/Interface/NameSearchResultForm.aspx?MR=20 |
| F/L | C J |
Adair | RAF | - | Senior Flight Engineer: 09 Jun 44 13 Dec 1944 | - |
TOTAL: 2
| Rank | Initials (First Name) |
Last Name | Decorations | Service | Flight | Applicable Dates (and other information) |
Web Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P/O | R E |
Barnes | RAF | - | Senior Adjutant: 25 Nov 43 - 13 Dec 43 | - | |
| F/L | A K |
Bellows | RAF | - | Senior Adjutant: 14 Dec 43 - Jan 44 | - | |
| F/L | C W |
Waitt | MM | RAF | - | Squadron Adjutant: Jan 44 - 26 May 45 | - |
| F/L | - |
Holtam | RAF | - | Squadron Adjutant: 26 May 45 - Oct 45 | - |
TOTAL: 4
GRAND TOTAL Senior Officers: 36
The details were last updated: 10 May 2012
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