John Fincher Brookes DFC and bar AFC RAFVR – 103 Squadron – 1941/42 - 67678
Above Centre - John Brookes
John Brookes was born 8th June 1914 at Kings Norton Warwickshire. He posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds on the 17th August 1941 posted from 11 OTU Bassingbourn.
He flew 3 operations as co-pilot with F/O F S Crawford as shown below :-
26/09/41 - Crawford - Cologne
30/09/41 - Crawford - Stettin
20/10/41 - Crawford – Emden
There may have been one or two more but the 103 Squadron ORB is very difficult for me to read during that period unfortunately
He was then made a full captain of his own crew which altered as time went on particularly at the end of his tour:-
P/O J F Brookes
Sgt K H Frith later Sgt H B Smith
Sgt A D McConnell later F/L H L Lindo
Sgt H W Simmonds later Sgt G T Canterbury
P/O D A T Churchward
Sgt Mills - F/S Butler - Sgt J W Edwards - Sgt B W Vaughan - Sgt N Frater.
John Brookes flew 25 eventful operations as follows :-
16-Dec-41 – Ostend - Docks and shipping – Wellington – T2921 – P/O JF Brookes - Unable to identify target returned with bomb load.
09-Jan-42 – Cherbourg - Docks and shipping – Wellington – T2921 – P/O JF Brookes - Unable to find primary. Jettisoned bombs and landed at Netheravon
21-Jan-42 – Bremen - Point of aim – Wellington – T2921 – P/O JF Brookes
25-Jan-42 – Brest - German capital ships – Wellington – R1452 – P/O JF Brookes - Aircraft would not climb. Unable to locate primary. Jettisoned bombs.
28-Jan-42 – Munster - Point of aim – Wellington – T2921 – P/O JF Brookes
11-Feb-42 – Brest - German capital ships – Wellington – T2921 – P/O JF Brookes
14-Feb-42 – Mannheim - Point of aim – Wellington – Z1171 – P/O JF Brookes - Unable to locate primary. Bombed targets of opportunity
03-Mar-42 – Paris - Renault motor factory – Wellington – DV612 – P/O JF Brookes – Early return - Lack of boost. Bombs brought back to base.
08-Mar-42 – Essen - Point of Aim – Wellington – DV612 – P/O JF Brookes - Hit by flak. Petrol tank holed. Landed at Martlesham.
10-Mar-42 – Essen - Point of Aim – Wellington – DV612 – P/O JF Brookes - Bombed in 3 runs
13-Mar-42 – Cologne - Point of Aim – Wellington – DV612 – P/O JF Brookes - Combat on return with twin engined night fighter flying on reciprocal course. Struck on tail fin which removed top half. Night fighter believed to have caught fire.
25-Mar-42 – Essen - Point of Aim – Wellington – L7819 – P/O JF Brookes
27-Mar-42 - St Nazaire - Operation Chariot – Wellington – L7819 – P/O JF Brookes - Took off from Pershore. Unable to locate primary due to 10/10ths cloud cover down to below 500 ft.
02-Apr-42 – Poissy - Ford motor vehicle factory – Wellington – DV596 – P/O JF Brookes
10-Apr-42 – Essen - Point of Aim – Wellington – DV612 – P/O JF Brookes
12-Apr-42 – Essen - Point of Aim – Wellington – R1234 – P/O JF Brookes
23-Apr-42 – Rostock - Point of Aim – Wellington – DV612 – P/O JF Brookes
24-Apr-42 – Rostock - Point of Aim – Wellington – DV612 – P/O JF Brookes
26-Apr-42 – Rostock - Point of Aim – Wellington – DV612 – P/O JF Brookes
28-Apr-42 – Kiel - Point of Aim – Wellington – DV612 – P/O JF Brookes - Hit by flak
29-Apr-42 - Paris/ Gennevilliers - Gnome Rhone factory – Wellington – Z8833 – P/O JF Brookes - Hit by flak over target. Hydraulics unserviceable. Made successful wheels up landing without injuries
04-May-42 - Stuttgart - Bosch plug factory – Wellington – DV612 – P/O JF Brookes - Unable to locate primary. Attacked Saarbrucken. Abandoned by all but pilot short of fuel over UK. Crash landed at Tinnenham. No injuries
19-May-42 – Mannheim - Point of Aim – Wellington – DV773 – P/O JF Brookes
30-May-42 – Cologne - Point of Aim – Wellington – DV773 – P/O JF Brookes
01-Jun-42 – Essen - Point of Aim – Wellington – DV773 – P/O JF Brookes
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John Brookes was then posted to 22 OTU 8th June 1942
He was awarded a DFC gazetted 1st August 1942. Later he was awarded an AFC gazetted 1st January 1945.
He was transferred to 617 Squadron late in the war as a A/S/L Flight Commander and subsequently awarded a bar to his DFC
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Post war he remained in the RAF to the late 1960s and achieved quite high rank. I know nothing of his post war career however and will welcome any further information.
Item complied by David Fell with photos from my archives
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