Lancaster Bomber 514 Squadron

I have posted the story of an RCAF/RAF Lancaster crew on youtube


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypNUEgNSV1w
This 30 minute film was created by Doug Harvey as a tribute to his father, Sam Harvey and the crew of Lancaster A2-C.
Flying from an airfield at Waterbeach, England this aircraft made its last flight on the night of July 28, 1944.
Much of the narrative and technical advice was provided by the pilot, my father, Alex Campbell.
Working with a tiny budget, Doug has created a wonderful tribute and an important historical document.

E. Campbell

 

Wish I could watch it but I am connected by a telephone line and it would take a month to download.

Welcome to the forums anyhow !!

 

Even though I have Broadband, the buffering for the video will not complete....

It's a real pity, I'd like to see it as I'm acquainted with Reg Davey, who was also 'on' Lanc II's with 514 Squadron at Waterbeach in 1944.

[ 17. March 2006, 09:15 AM: Message edited by: Martin Bull ]

 

Online video sure tests the limits of the Internet. It is possible to download Google Videos if you install the Google Video player:
http://video.google.com/playerdownload.html
Unfortunaetly the download file is larger then the online file - might take a week on dial-up to download this 30 minute film!
re. Mark II Lancasters, as you mentioned 514 Squadron (Waterbeach) did fly Mark II's these Lancs used Bristol Hercules radial engines, all other Lancs used RR Merlin engines.
If you are able to view the film you will notice the Lancaster featured is equipped with Merlin engines.
Lancaster A2-C was actually a Mark II.
Here is a site with some still images: http://www.hilaroad.com/family

Regards, E.W. Campbell

 

Good stuff! You went through a LOT of trouble to get this done and I commend you for it. Very nice to "get aquinted" with the crew. Very much liked the format as well; especially at the end when you saw the actors and then the pics of the real guys....They were very lucky to loose only one guy.

Very much enjoyed it. Of course, as you posted this on a site with WW2 enthousiasts and quite a few knowledgable on the subject of Bomber Command and the air war, and being the purists that we are, there are a few little things one might comment on, but as this is a tribute to the Captain (And I really enjoyed his re-telling of events - Amazing descent by parachute!! Would have loved to see more of his interview), I will not nitpick.

I commend you for making this movie. I hope everyone on this site takes the time to watch it, either on-line or download it.

 

Great stuff Campbell. I downloaded the player and the movie and watched every second of it. Now I will have to see if I can put it on another format and play it. Thanks.

 

Successfully downloaded - and watched with great interest !

Many thanks for posting this, E.Campbell : it really is a remarkable effort. It's very well done and a fine tribute to one crew - and in its way, all crews of Bomber Command.

It also links nicely with many subjects discussed recently on these forums : from the prominent copy of 'A Thousand Shall Fall' to the fact that also active in the night skies over Europe on that night was Lt. Fries who was in England last week...

It comes as a relief at the end of the film that so many of the crew survived with the sad exception of Bob Giffen ; so often, no crewmembers survived such an attack.

It's possible that the Lancaster was a victim of NJG.2 : Bomber Command sent two forces to Germany that night and many Luftwaffe aces increased their scores, including such names as Becker, Schnaufer and Lent.

Dangerous skies, indeed.

 

Thanks all for your comments. The producer and driving force behind this film is Doug Harvey. Doug lives in British Columbia. My father, Alex Campbell, is following this thread, with interest, from his home north of Toronto. I have posted some pages from Dad's log book here:
http://www.hilaroad.com/RCAF/pages.html
Pages 59 and 60 cover the events of July 28, 1944.
Look closely at the last entry on page 59, it was printed by someone else when A2-C failed to return.

E.W. Campbell

 

I had a chat this afternoon with Reg Davey - he was a Navigator on 514 at Waterbeach and finished his tour in mid-April 1944 and so just missed your father.

Reg, who's now 83, sends his warmest wishes to another survivor of 514.

 

Okay, I have to say that is just cool. It really is a small world that we live in.

 

The Internet, and boards like this one, certainly have made the world smaller.

I have alerted Dad to Reg Davey's greeting on this forum - they would certainly have some mutual friends and experiences from that period.

Dad recently received an email from Shane Delacour of New Zealand. Shane had been searching the Internet looking for information on his uncle Bertie Delacour, killed flying with 514 in 1944.
He found this entry on my Dad's Log Book:

June 12 OPS Gelsinkirchen "Lost Alex Phillips and Delacour. (confirmed dead) both swell guys."
check pages 57 and 58 here:
http://www.hilaroad.com/RCAF/pages.html

Dad has been able to tell the Delacours a bit about their relative - this connection would never have been made without the Internet and boards like this one.

Regards, E.W. Campbell

 

I visited the cemetery where he is buried just a few weekends ago when I was spending a Va
lentine's weekend with my wife in a closeby hotel. Forgot to bring my camera, so I don't have any pictures....

If you don't mind I will PM you on this crew for my website...

 

Correction to the reference re"Shane Delacour" above. It should read "from Australia" not NZ as appears here. His uncle was known as Bert or as Herb. I last saw Bert and Alex Phillips at briefing that night as we made ready for our trip to Gelsenkirchen.We would learn at de-briefing of their failure to return. The glow from the burning synthetic oil tanks was still just visiblble as we neared the coast of England. Jonesy our Mid Upper called our attention to this. That would be 62 years ago. Cheers everyone Alex Campbell Skipper of A2-C

 

Alex - we're honoured indeed to be able to welcome you to our Forum. Other veterans have posted here, but I believe you are the first from Bomber Command.

If you should wish to share any of your thoughts, experiences or reflections with us, I can assure you that we'll be hanging on your every word !

Best regards
Martin Bull.



Oh, and here is a recent photo of ex-514 Squadron Reg Davey, taken at the Mosquito Museum where he is a stalwart 'helper', passing on his thoughts to younger generations....

 

Also a warm welcome from me, Mr. Campbell! Good to have you here with us! I very much enjoyed watching and hearing you in the video. I hope to "hear" a lot more from you!

This is what I know about Herbert Delacourt;

He was born on 27 July 1923 in Charters Towers, Oueensland, to John and Mary Delacourt. He lived with his parents and worked at the local Post Office when he joined the RAAF (at date unknown).

That's basically it! I wish to add him and his crew to my website to commemorate them. Unfortunately I couldn't find anything on F/O Samuel Philips.

That is a great picture Martin! Please give him my best regards.

 

To the Cambells a hearty welcome. July 28, 1944 eh ?

let's see now in the German Nachtjäger files I have the following possibly for both of you interested :

9 kills by crews of I. and III./NJG 2
10 kills for STab, I.,II.,III. and IV./NJG 3

friend Herbert Rauh of II./NJG 4, 1 Lancaster at 01.17 hrs

5 kills to STab,I.,II. and III./NJG 5
8 kills to I. and II./NJG 6

I am not able to view the video but could someone please share the co-ordinates to file these claims report down so that it maybe of possible help ?

many thanks and incidently the last and only kill reported for the II./NJG 6 was an RAF twin enigne so we must discount that........

Erich ~

 

Hello Erich- Regarding july 28/44 we were south of chateaudun approaching orleans when attacked by a JU88.It was a few seconds to midnight. We had just broken clear of a cloud cover. The wireless operator had told us we were being follwed by 3 unidentified aircraft. The fighter made a second attack about 2 or 3 minutes later. Our position would be about 48N and 01E. Can you find any related incidents?
Cheers Alex Campbell

 

Hello Alex, good to meet you sir !

been studying the evenings events a bit and the Ju 88 could very well be as Martin said, a Ju 88G-1 from NJG 2. If the time is indeed a few minutes before midnight the pursuer could of been Gruppenkommandeur Hauptmann Gerhard Raht of I./NJG 2 who claimed a Lancaster at 00.45 hrs on the eve of the 28/29th of July in the area of EG-FG for his 41st victory.

Alex let me do some more investigating if I may, the next Lancaster shot down by I./NJG 2 was by ace Heinz Rökker at 01.17hrs 50 km northeast of Chaumont. the other claims that I mentioned are all for the 29th of July.

NJG 2, parts of 3 and parts of 4, flew the Ju 88G-1 as well as I./NJG 5.

Erich

 

hold it ! a further notation of two victories against Halifax's and in the wrong date file.

Alex you are in luck as this may narrow the claim now to two pilots.

at 00.01 on the 28th of July Leutnant Straßner shot down 1 Halifax 4km East of Chateaudin for his 6th victory

at 00.14 ace Oberleutnant Heinz Rökker shot down a Halifax near Orleans for his 37th victory.

Alex through many German night fighter pilot/crew interviews they have mentioned a positive identification was almost impossible unless there was a night fighters moon about ............

this indeed maybe one or the other pilot of I./NJG 2 flying Ju 88G-1's

Erich ~

 

This is developing into a most interesting discussion ; although not the same unit ( or even theatre ) here's an image of the type of nightfighter : -

http://www.warbirdphotos.net/aviapix/Medium/Ju88/SIG-JU88G1-3.GIF