Robert Burns

We arrived at breakfast to find our proprietor, Paul, cooking and serving breakfast assisted by a lovely young lady who hadn’t long been working at Cathedral View.

By the time we had finished our breakfast and checked out it was still only 9.30am, which was too early to visit the Parish Church of St Mary Magdelene or the Saturday market. So, we left Lincoln and travelled the short distance to the outskirts, where the International Bomber Command Centre is located.

As we arrived it started to drizzle with rain so we opted to visit the exhibition. The exhibition is engaging and thought provoking. It acknowledges the efforts of Bomber Command during WWII and also covers the stories of those who suffered as a result of the bombing campaigns.

By the time we had made our way round the exhibition the sun had come out so we were able to take our time walking to the spire memorial and the walls of names of those who died with Bomber Command during WWII. The panels are designed so that memorial poppies can be added next to the names.

We took advantage of the café for lunch before setting off homeward. We called in at Essingham farm shop to pick up something for our evening meal and other essential (food) supplies to see us through the weekend.

Back home we unpacked and caught up on the latest episode of Doctor Who before dining on the patio. It was a little chilly outside so after dining we retreated to the warmth inside.

An inscription at the bottom says : In honour and memory of the members of 2,3,8 and 100 Groups who served in the Ely district during the second world war, 1939 to 1945. The outer panels show aircrew and airman figures, between them are Archangel Michael and St. George. Below these are the badges of the four groups. At the bottom of the window there are scenes of aircraft in flight, including one of a bomber going over Ely Cathedral. The window is in the North Choir Aisle. It was designed by E.Liddall Armitage and unveiled on Remembrance Sunday, 1955 Link .

Just too late to see service during the Second World War, the Lincoln became the mainstay of Bomber Command post-war, but was destined for a short front line career as the Cold War and the jet age brought the shortcomings of its performance into sharp relief.

The RAF’s lack of an aircraft with sufficient range to be deployed in the Pacific led the Air Ministry to suggest that AV Roe Limited design an enlarged Lancaster to meet the requirement. The resulting Lincoln first flew in June 1944. However, the need to maintain supplies of Lancasters delayed production until 1945; the first production Lincolns reaching No.57 Squadron in August. Lincolns were intended to join the Tiger Force in the bombing of Japan but the war ended before they were needed.

583 Lincolns were built to equip around twenty squadrons. However, inferior performance in the face of jet fighters and the need to be able to reach targets behind the Iron Curtain saw their partial replacement with Boeing Washingtons from 1950. The type saw action against communist terrorists in Malaya in 1950 and Mau-Mau dissidents in Kenya from 1953, but Lincolns were finally superseded by the jet V-Bomber force from 1955.

The last Lincolns in RAF service were those engaged in radar development trials with No.151 Squadron, Signals Command until May 1963.

My Australian readers might be interested in reading the Radschool Associations post about the `Long Nose` Lincoln Mk 31 that was unique to Australian manufacture. Below is an extract from the article, but it is well worth reading the full post and viewing the accompanying photographs.

The Lincoln was designed as a Lancaster replacement, initially for use on long range missions into Eastern Europe and ultimately to equip the Royal Air Force in the Pacific war against Japan. Originally dubbed the Lancaster Mk 4, the extent of the redesign was such that a new type number and name was justified. Apart from Australia, the only export customer for the Lincoln was Argentina. It was also the largest aircraft to be built in Australia. The `Long Nose` Lincoln Mk 31 was unique to Australian manufacture being modified for anti-submarine, anti-shipping and general reconnaissance. It had a 1.9 metre extension to the nose designed to accommodate a tactical navigator, and three sonobuoy operators. Direct opening observation windows which slid up and down on tracks were also in the nose. These windows were fitted with adjustable deflectors which would eliminate wind interference when the windows were open. Four 1680 HP Rolls Royce Merlin Mk 102 liquid cooled power plants were installed.

The bomb bay was modified to carry two homing torpedos, two racks of active sonobuoys and two 188 imperial gallon (855 litres) long range fuel tanks that could be jettisoned. Several freight panniers inside the bomb bay were available if needed. Total fuel capacity including bomb bay tanks was 3226 imperial gallons (14,666 litres). With an average fuel consumption of 230 imperial gallons (1045 litres) per hour the Lincoln had approximately 14 hours endurance. Maximum all up weight was 82,000 lbs (37,200 kgs).

In July 1952 the RAAF Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) conducted a test flight on a Lincoln Mk 31. The following selected extracts give some interesting insight into the role of the test pilot and into Lincoln flying generally.

Summary

Apart from poor visibility while handling on the ground, there was no great difference in handling from the normal `short nose` Lincoln. It was extremely difficult to taxy on narrow taxy tracks as the edge of the sealed surface could only be seen abeam the aircraft. From the nose position, although the bomb aimer could see ahead, he could not see the wheels so little assistance could be obtained from the front. When lined up on the runway, from either pilot’s position the edge of the runway was observed to intersect the part of the field of vision obscured by the fuselage approximately 100 yards ahead of the aircraft. This lack of visibility made the aircraft difficult to operate at night-time and with the tail down nothing ahead could be seen. The aircraft behaved generally in a very similar manner to the standard Lincoln bomber, however in a yawing or steep sideslip attitude, there was a sudden snatch on the rudder control which resulted in a complete rudder lock. The rudder would lock in the full port or starboard position according to the direction of yaw or skid. Increasing speed would relieve the problem.

The true story of Trevor Bowyer, DFC, gunner in RAF Bomber Command during World War Two

Synopsis (from the book cover):

This vividly powerful and absorbing biography of an RAF rear gunner during World War Two is told with both sensitivity and humour.

With accounts from some of Trevor’s contemporaries, including Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Sir Michael Beetham, himself a WW2 bomber pilot and survivor of the ill-fated Nuremburg raid, this latest book by Kenneth Ballantyne, meticulously researched, lavishly illustrated and written in his now familiar easy style, is enthralling from start to finish.

Born in Shropshire, Trevor’s story embraces his childhood and early career on the TPO. Living through the London Blitz he volunteered for Bomber Command aircrew. Sent on the first 1,000 bomber raids, he later cheated death when his turret was riddled by cannon fire. Shot down over the North African desert, for three days he walked back through enemy lines. A second tour followed in Lancasters, flying from Lincolnshire into the heavily defended German heartland, where night fighters relentlessly stalked the bomber stream every mile across occupied Europe.

Review:

This is a well written personal account of the traumas of life as gunner in Bomber Command during World War Two. It left me wondering how both Trevor and the other crew members were able to endure the terror and problems they faced during their missions.

The book is illustrated throughout with black and white photographs. It also gives a personal account of life in the small rural town of Shrewsbury in the run up to World War Two.

I thoroughly recommend this book.

In this true, fascinating and very moving story, Ted Cowling takes the reader through his childhood to his enlistment into the RAF on 4th September 1939. He describes his brushes with death in the skies over Europe and his part in a top secret and highly dangerous mission to Russia in 1941, upon which the course of the Second World War turned.

In 1944 he saved the lives of his crew and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross “For courage and devotion to duty on service whilst flying against the enemy”. He became “Top Gun” instructor and married the beautiful young WAAF who one night saved his life. After the RAF he entered the world of entrepreneur. Success followed but with it desperate tragedy and sadness.

Review:

The book tells Ted’s life story starting with his childhood and his desire to fly. This desire led him to volunteer to join the RAF at the outbreak of WWII.  The books takes us through his days serving with Bomber Command and Coastal Command in WWII and his near brushes with death.  Whilst serving in Coastal Command he was hand picked to fly on a top secret and highly dangerous mission to deliver President Roosevelt’s personal envoy through the arctic circle to meet Stalin.  His recollection of the events provides a personal detailed account of this historical moment.

After this mission to the arctic circle he was allowed to train as a pilot and realise his dream to fly aircraft. On completion of his training he returned to Bomber Command as a pilot.  When his stint in Bomber Command ended he was transferred to Training Command to become a ‘top gun’ instructor. This was where he again faced death, leading him to meet his future wife.

On retiring from the RAF he became an entrepreneur, initially starting out working for Bates and Hunt (Agriculture) and later ending up running his own business.

His personal life however was tinged with sadness. In the later chapters of the book he reflects on how lucky he was to survive the war and meet the love of his life, his thoughts then move on to how he paid the price later.

I thoroughly recommend the book.  It gives a personal account of important events in our history.

After-note:

From the May 2014 edition of the ‘Wrekin News’:

Local man Ted Cowling looks like having to wait for the opportunity of receiving the Medal of Ushakov in his recognition of the bravery shown by a few select airmen who flew an American diplomat to Archangel in Russia to pave the way for Arctic convoys.

The convoys went some way to helping Russia fight on the Western Front against German invaders, and so helped shorten the war.

Ted (aged 94) has had confirmation the medal will be awarded him in the Russian Embassy in London, but the Ukrainian situation must throw some doubt about the award taking place in the near future.

The full article can be read here.