550 Squadron and RAF North Killingholme Association

Squadron Operations: Summary Information

Overview

Listed below is the information available for operations to this target flown by 550 Squadron.

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: Caen (07 Jul 1944 - 07 Jul 1944)

Operation Summary
Target	Out	Back	Aborted (Y / N)	Comments
Caen	07 Jul 1944	07 Jul 1944	N	The nine aircraft and crews who originally were briefed at 10.00hrs and later stood by for late afternoon operations for which a further nine crews were added and all briefed ay 17.30hrs. The eigthteen [Ed: hand-written note states 17] aircraft successfully took off at 19.30hrs to attack the town of CAEN in co-operation with the Allied armies in France. The attack was highly successful and thoroughly enjoyed by all members of the air-crews who participated in the strafe. A congratulatory message by signal was received on the Station as the crews were touching down. "From 2nd Army: - the heavy bomber attack which has just taken place was a wonderfully impressive show. The second Army would like their appreciation passed to all crews. Flak appeared to be intense at the beginning of the attack but died down during the attack". Later a further note of appreciation was struck by our receipt of the following message for all crew concerned in the operation: It was passed to our C in C by the AOC of TAF Group and reads: "The effort of your chaps we witnessed over Caen tonight made us all feel very proud to belong to the RAF".

Station Summary
OPERATIONS After very hectice preparations and planning, 18 a/c. of 550 Squadron took off this evening to participate in a close-support operation mounted by Bomber Command. 291 heavies, including 193 1 Group Lancasters, were detailed to bomb an aiming point in the northern half of Caen, where the British 2nd Army is meeting stiff resistance in its efforts to drive through the town. All out aircraft, bombing at heights of from 4,000 to 7,500 feet, accomplished the mission successfully, and our crews were very pleased with a message waiting for them when they returned to interrogation. It came from the British 2nd Army and read: "The heavy bomber attack which has just taken place was a wonderfully impressive show. The 2nd Army would like their appreciation passed on to all crews. Flak appeared to be intense at the beginning of the attack but died down during the attack." Further messages of appreciation included one from the ACC of the 2nd RAF Group (operating from Normandy) which reached all Squadrons taking part in the attack. It read: "The effort of your chaps we witnessed over Caen tonight made us all feel very proud to belong to the RAF". ORGANIZATION The fitting of H2S apparatus on the Squadron's aircraft is now well under way. The H2S trainer has also been installed and F/Lt. GARDINER, H2S training officer, has arrived to take up temporary training duties. GENERAL As a result of the incident dealt with in Station Narrative No. 6 (copy attached as Appendix A), P/O Taylor has been awarded an immediate DFC .

Station Summary

OPERATIONS
After very hectice preparations and planning, 18 a/c. of 550 Squadron took off this evening to participate in a close-support operation mounted by Bomber Command. 291 heavies, including 193 1 Group Lancasters, were detailed to bomb an aiming point in the northern half of Caen, where the British 2nd Army is meeting stiff resistance in its efforts to drive through the town. All out aircraft, bombing at heights of from 4,000 to 7,500 feet, accomplished the mission successfully, and our crews were very pleased with a message waiting for them when they returned to interrogation. It came from the British 2nd Army and read:
"The heavy bomber attack which has just taken place was a wonderfully impressive show. The 2nd Army would like their appreciation passed on to all crews. Flak appeared to be intense at the beginning of the attack but died down during the attack."
Further messages of appreciation included one from the ACC of the 2nd RAF Group (operating from Normandy) which reached all Squadrons taking part in the attack. It read:
"The effort of your chaps we witnessed over Caen tonight made us all feel very proud to belong to the RAF".
ORGANIZATION
The fitting of H2S apparatus on the Squadron's aircraft is now well under way. The H2S trainer has also been installed and F/Lt. GARDINER, H2S training officer, has arrived to take up temporary training duties.
GENERAL
As a result of the incident dealt with in Station Narrative No. 6 (copy attached as Appendix A), P/O Taylor has been awarded an immediate DFC .

Aircraft Deployed			Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number	Returned or FTR	Comments	Crew Details
EE193	Returned	Primary 5,200 ft at 21.59 hrs. [Ed: exactly as was the case for 6th July this entry and the next have EE193 "B" and EE139 "O" rather confusingly listed.]	F/O J J W Dawson (P) Sgt E W C Edmunds (F/Eng) F/Sgt F W Willmer (Nav) F/Sgt K P Brady (A/B) Sgt J M Palmer (W/Op) Sgt J Earnshaw (MU/AG) F/Sgt W H Harkness (R/AG)

Operation/Target: Caen (18 Jul 1944 - 18 Jul 1944)

Operation Summary
Target	Out	Back	Aborted (Y / N)	Comments
Caen	18 Jul 1944	18 Jul 1944	N	The eighteen aircraft warned yesterday were detailed to attack military strong points in the Caen area in support of the military plans to break through. The Squadron's aiming point was the village of SANNERVILLE where the enermy had concentrations of mortars, long range guns, anti-tank guns, A.A. units, Transport and reserve personnel. Our aircraft arrived over the target just before sunrise at 05.45 hours. Conditions were ideal, visibility being excellent. The markers which were easy to identify in the light of dawn were punctual and accurate with the exception of one dropped 100 yards south. Bombing concentrations weer excellent. Flak was negligible at first but on leaving the target, accurate predicated flak was encountered. The only fighters seen were those of the Spitfire cover. All our crews arrived back safely in time for breakfast feeling highly satisfied with their mornings work.

Aircraft Deployed			Servicemen Deployed
Aircraft Service Number	Returned or FTR	Comments	Crew Details
EE193	Returned	Primary 8,000 ft at 05.52 1/2 hours. Large red explosions at 05.57 hours	F/O J J W Dawson (P) Sgt E W C Edmunds (F/Eng) F/Sgt F W Willmer (Nav) F/Sgt K P Brady (A/B) Sgt J M Palmer (W/Op) Sgt J Earnshaw (MU/AG) F/Sgt W H Harkness (R/AG)

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	2
MAX Aircraft deployed in single operation	1 (Caen, 07 Jul 1944)

These details were last updated: 07 February 2025

Note

this list is still being built and will take some time to complete
what is currently displayed is believed accurate but much more is still to be added

This note describes the options currently available to produce a smaller, more manageable list and also describes planned future enhancements to the reporting facility.

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