Avro Lancaster III of No.619 Squadron
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Aircraft - Locations - Group and Duty - Books
No.619 Squadron was a heavy bomber squadron that formed part of Bomber Command's main force from 1943 until the end of the Second World War. The squadron was formed on 18 April 1943 around a nucleus of three experienced crews from No.97 Squadron. The first of 240 operations came on 11 June 1943.
On the night of 16/17th September 1943 the squadron provided four aircraft for a raid on the Anthéor Viaduct, on the coastal railway from France into Italy (operating alongside eight aircraft from No.617 Squadron). Viaducts were a difficult target at this stage of the war and no direct hits were achieved.
On 3/4th December 1943 the squadron took part in a large scale raid on Leipzig. This was notable because they were carrying the American broadcaster Ed Murrow in one of their aircraft. Murrow and his aircraft survived the raid.
On 3/4th March 1945, while taking part in a raid on the Dortmund-Ems Canal, one of the gunners on a 619 Squadron claimed to have shot down a passing V-1 Flying Bomb, a rare achievement for a heavy bomber.
During its two years of operations No.619 Squadron took part in 223 bombing raids and 17 minelaying missions, flying 3,010 sorties for a loss of 77 aircraft in combat and 12 in crashes.
The squadron was disbanded on 18 July 1945.
Aircraft
April 1943-July 1945: Avro Lancaster I and III
Location
April 1943-January 1944: Woodhall Spa
January-April 1944: Coningsby
April-September 1944: Dunholme Lodge
September 1944-June 1945: Strubby
June-July 1945: Skellingthorpe
Squadron Codes: PG
Duty
April 1943 onwards: Bomber Command
Part of
18 April 1943 onwards: No.5 Group; Bomber Command
Bomber Offensive, Sir Arthur Harris.
The autobiography of Bomber Harris, giving his view of the strategic bombing campaign in its immediate aftermath. Invaluable for the insights it provides into Harris’s approach to the war, what he was trying to achieve and the problems he faced. Harris perhaps overstates his case, not entirely surprisingly given how soon after the end of the war this book was written (Read Full Review)
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