Len Young DFC RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron – 1943/44
Above - Len Young on left with Norman Story and 2 other members of the crew
Young's crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds late October/beginning of November 1943 from Heavy Conversion Unit. The exact date is not recorded.
The crew for their first operation was:-
P/O Leonard Young
Sgt W C Benstead
F/S A Shields
Sgt P A Hawthorne
Sgt Benjamin George Hathaway
Sgt R E Gardner
Sgt Norman T L Storey
However this crew appear to have had quite a few changes during their tour for one reason or another. The regulars were Hathaway, Gardner and Storey. These changes in personnel do not appear to have hampered the efficiency of this crew who completed a particularly hard tour during the arduous and costly Battle of Berlin. Tour details below :-
18-Nov-43 - Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster - W4337 - F/S L Young
22-Nov-43 - Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB487 - F/S L Young
23-Nov-43 - Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB487 - F/S L Young
26-Nov-43 - Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster - DV342 - P/O L Young - Early return - Reason unknown.
02-Dec-43 - Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB732 - P/O L Young - Landed at Wittering with unserviceable hydraulics
03-Dec-43 - Leipzig - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB670 - P/O L Young
16-Dec-43 - Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB555 - P/O L Young - Early return – Port inner engine unserviceable. Bombed Texel.
20-Dec-43 - Frankfurt - Point of Aim - Lancaster - N/K - P/O L Young - Early return – Port inner engine and supercharger unserviceable. Landed at Wittering
23-Dec-43 - Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB555 - P/O L Young
29-Dec-43 - Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster - ND329 - P/O L Young
01-Jan-44 - Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB736 - P/O L Young
02-Jan-44 - Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster - ND329 - P/O L Young - Combat. Twin engined night fighter attacked from rear. Mid upper gunner replied. Another twin engined night fighter attacked from port bow and broke away. No claims. Landed at Hethel
05-Jan-44 - Stettin - Point of Aim - Lancaster - ND329 - P/O L Young - Landed at Middleton St George due to shortage of fuel after using M/F emergency procedure
27-Jan-44 - Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster - ND329 - P/O L Young
15-Feb-44 - Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB555 - P/O L Young
19-Feb-44 - Leipzig - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB555 - P/O L Young
15-Mar-44 - Stuttgart - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB555 - P/O L Young
18-Mar-44 - Frankfurt - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB555 - P/O L Young
22-Mar-44 - Frankfurt - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB555 - F/O L Young
24-Mar-44 - Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB555 - F/O L Young
26-Mar-44 - Essen - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB555 - F/O L Young
30-Mar-44 - Nuremberg - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB555 - F/O L Young
09-Apr-44 - Gdynia Bay - Mine laying - Lancaster - JB555 - F/O L Young - Early return - Engine failure. Sowed mines in last resort garden,
10-Apr-44 - Aulnoye - Railway yards - Lancaster - JB555 - F/O L Young
11-Apr-44 - Aachen - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB555 - F/O L Young - Early return – Starboard outer engine unserviceable.
26-Apr-44 - Essen - Point of Aim - Lancaster - LL941 - F/O L Young
27-Apr-44 - Friedrichshafen - Point of Aim - Lancaster - LL941 - F/O L Young
01-May-44 - Lyons - Factory and railway yard - Lancaster - LL941 - F/O L Young
03-May-44 - Mailly-le-Camp - Army base - Lancaster - LL941 - F/O L Young
07-May-44 - Rennes-St-Jacques - Airfield - Lancaster - LL941 - F/O L Young
10-May-44 - Heligoland Bight - Mine laying - Lancaster - ND629 - F/O L Young
11-May-44 - Hasselt - Railway yards - Lancaster - LL963 - F/O L Young - Aborted - Returned with bombs as per instructions from Master Bomber
Tour included 13 Berlin trip with 2 early returns.
On completion of his tour Len Young was awarded a DFC.
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Arthur Shields RAFVR
See Shields Profile page here
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Norman Storey flew his second tour with 214 Squadron. Post war he was well known as an antiquarian book dealer and was prominent in the Air Gunner's Association. He passed away in 2015 aged 91
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P/O James Niven DFC RAFVR
James Niven was Air Bomber in this crew from the 11th April 1944. He had previously flown with F/L M P Floyd from the start of the year until Floyd completed his tour. On completion of his tour with 103 Sqn Niven was awarded a DFC. Prior to enlistment he was a policeman in Lancashire. Any further information regarding James Niven will be most welcome
Compiled by David Fell with photo from my archive.
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