Ton up Halifax Bombers

[hammo]

Having read a photographic history of the 35 ton up Lancasters book by Norman Franks which was very informative, I got to wondering how many Halifax`s made the 100 mission or more feat.
I have found the obvious one at the Yorkshire Air Museum being the Friday the 13th MkIII Halifax which I believe made an incredible 128
missions not out. If anyone has any pointers were I may find out more I would be grateful.

[David Thompson]

From the 578 Squadron website ;

"It is perhaps no coincidence that given the comparatively short life of the Squadron, three out of the four Halifax bombers known to have completed at least 100 operations, served with 578 . Their serial numbers and identity letters LV937 X & R which completed its century after being returned to 51 Squadron at Snaith, LW587 V & A and MZ527 W & D. The latter two completed one hundred operations on the same night raid to Kamen on 3/4 March 1945."

It read's as though there were four aircraft that completed 100 ops or more , so just the fourth one to identify ?

[plmc135]

The fourth one has already been mentioned being LV907 NP-F of 158 Sqn, the re-production of which is at Elvington. She was on the raid on the night of 10/11 April 1944 to Tergnier marshalling yards when the Halifax in which my uncle was the navigator, LK826 NP-Y, was tragically shot down killing all on board.

Paul

[David Thompson]

Doh , too obvious for me Paul !

There is a very strong 158 Squadron Association with several memorials remembering them ; http://www.158squadron.co.uk/
and likewise for 578 Squadron ' Based at Burn' ; http://www.578squadron.org.uk/home.html .

[plmc135]

I have been up to Lissett on several occasions to visit the remains of the airfield from which 158 Sqn flew. The newest memorial depicting a Halifax crew is truly brilliant and when approached from the right direction extremely life like; the sculptor also made several miniature copies of it of which I have one. I was also a member of the 158 Squadron Association but I believe that with none of the members now being "spring chickens" their activity has now wound down.

It was very moving yesterday to be at the Bomber Command memorial in Green Park for the national two minutes silence, there were a good selection of people there sharing their memories. It is just a shame that whenever the words "heavy bomber" are mentioned people always think of the Lancaster and not the Halifax. it is very unbecoming.

Paul

[C24]

Hello,
The name "Halifax"grabbed my attention, so here is a word or two.
If you have time on your way along the A1/M62, look out for the village of Pollington which is the site of RAF SNAITH. (Airfields were named after the nearest railway station).
There is not much left of the original buildings but the villagers have spent years of work and the results of their efforts is shown in the Memorial garden.
Twice a year a service is held in the church and a ceremony in the Garden. #51 Sqdn & #150 Sqdn were based there during WW2.
Always in attendance is a Colour Party from #51 Sqdn. The Squadron flew Halifaxes and suffered some 640 casualties, 250 for #150 Sqdn.
There are many plaques showing the names of crews from all over the world. We will remember them.

[Firefighter]

Very interesting article about Ton up Halifax bombers, but RAF stations named after the nearest railway station! RAF Benson should have been named RAF Wallingford then, there seems to be many theories for the naming of RAF stations one being geographical.

[C24]

RAF North Luffenham is at Edith Weston.

RAF Cottesmore & RAF Wittering should have been called 'RAF Stamford' as should have Woolfox Lodge,Spanhoe, etc.

[NAM Updater]

Naming airfields here are a few examples local to me that illustrate the difficulty in electing a single reason for their naming!

Various theories do exist, including deliberate misinformation to confuse the enemy e.g. RAF Swinderby located on Thurlby Moor; and just as a contradiction RAF Norton Disney, which is located closer to Swinderby and Collingham than Norton Disney.

RAF Winthorpe itself contradicts the railway theory as it should by that rule have been RAF Newark-on-Trent; sadly no railway station at Winthorpe. In reality Winthorpe ought to have been RAF Coddington – as most of the accommodation was in that local parish. I believe that there might be mention of this in the new RAF Winthorpe book.

In the specific case of Winthorpe I have seen aircrew log book entries for RAF Winthorpe and RAF Coddington; upon questioning the aircrew concerned they indicated that they preferred to use the name of the village with the best public house.

This public house theory also follows for RAF Bottesford, which I have seen with log book entries for: RAF Normanton, RAF Long Bennington and RAF Bottesford!

[C24]

The story of the naming of the airfield at Pollington was told to me years ago by a local. I have checked with the person who was with me at the time, local chap long gone, sadly.
Apparently, the Ministry were concerned about using Pollington because of the possible confusion with Pocklington, so Snaith was chosen because it was bigger than the other surrounding villages closer to the airfield and it had a railway station.
All very unimportant, really. Probably incorrect too!

[NAM Updater]

Earlier this year I undertook some work on an airfield trail in your neck of the woods (pardon the pun) and some of the sites raise some more interesting naming questions!

Perhaps RAF North Witham (now Twyford Wood) might have been better named as RAF Colseterworth or RAF Swayfield.

RAF South Witham (now Morkery Wood) might have been better named as RAF Castle Bytham or RAF Stockern (after the Hall); here the railway connections are interesting:

“To start with ordnance deliveries and dispatches were made by road, but having carefully selected the Morkery Wood site the railheads at South Witham and Castle Bytham allowed the increased use of the railway network to proceed. Additional capacity was built in to the site by adding special sidings at South Witham; gradual annexation of other local areas for storage, including on local country lanes and verges.”

I found South Witham fascinating: “….glimpses of the site’s previous role can be clearly seen as you walk through the forest. As you enter the car park at the northern end of the site the base of entrance guard hut is still located alongside the South Witham to Castle Bytham road. The northern car park covers the location of one of the ‘Iris’ huts and remains of the foundations can be seen around this area.”

As for RAF Wittering, my understanding was that it originated as Stamford airfield and its satellite, RAF Collyweston started out as Easton aerodrome – to be honest I would have preferred RAF Collyweston to prevail, and in the late 1970s it had a better public house.

Sorry for the thread drift everyone!

[C24]

Good day NAM,

Amazing what people get up to, thanks for these gems. To maintain priorities; the pub at Collyweston has changed hands again but reverted to it's old name of The Collyweston Slater. Good B&B and food.

I haven't visited any of the site's mentioned for years but can still picture them from your notes. Now that Cottesmore is inactive, a wander a bit towards the northeast might be fun. There used to be quite a few books in the local Library about airfields, might keep me occupied!
It must have been a fairly haphazard task building and co-ordinating all the sites.
thanks again
Charlie

[David Thompson]

Yet more thread drift , there is a similar discussion on the Airfield Information Exchange forum about the naming of airfields although no one as yet has given the definative answer as to the Air Ministry naming policy , if indeed there was one ? ;
http://www.airfieldinformationexchange. ... +airfields

[NAM Updater]

It must have been a fairly haphazard task building and co-ordinating all the sites.
thanks again
Charlie

Hello Charlie,

Judging by the concerted efforts to secure multiple pockets of land for RAF Winthorpe, over a time period of many months I suspect that it was a highly co-ordinated acquisition programme.

If you’re interested in the trail featuring North and South Witham PM me an email address and I’ll send you a PDF file of the booklet.

{Thanks for the Collyweston update - bizarrely we used to call in there on the way back from the International Air Tattoo at Greenham Common!}

[C24]

Dave, Thanks for the link.
NAM, I appreciate your offer, PM to follow.

When researching names, it might be useful to go back in time to the origins of airfields created during WW One. As they were mostly, if not all, were grass fields and would have disappeared due to ploughing if not converted to concrete during WW2. The names may have migrated to WW2 fields. Perhaps some WW2 fields were grass but upgraded using steel mesh and are no longer visible.
The approach to RAF Marham 22/24 overflies a RNAS field. Memorial plaque located opposite the T-junction.
There is a gliding club, Buckminster, operating from old concrete runways some distance from the village at what was RAF Saltby [WW2].
Buckminster had a grass field during WW One; no sign now, although along the road, Gunby/Sewstern, there is a set of buildings reportedly on the site used then.
RAF Collyweston [WW One] merged with Wittering and I have come across RAF stations South Witham and Stamford. [Diversion END!]

Ton up Halifaxes? You could try 51squadron.com for someone with better knowledge than me.