Michael Pulsford Floyd DFC RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron – 1943/44
Mike Floyd and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds in August 1943
Crew
F/S M P Floyd
Sgt R H Mansfield
Sgt J H Perrin
Sgt J W Brewster
Sgt C J Fuller
Sgt L Marsh,
Sgt Watters.
They started their tour on the 3rd September 1943 to Berlin. This was an early return due to a sick navigator. The remainder of their tour is shown below.
After the torrid events of the night of the 23rd September 1943 Fuller, Marsh and Watters were replaced by Sgt G F Powell, Sgt J J Smith and Sgt Upfold followed by a variety of odd bods as their tour progressed. The crew for their last operation on the 11th April to Aachen was :-
F/L M P Floyd
P/O F H Mansfield
F/S J Niven,
Sgt C Wood
F/O W D S Jackson
F/S C Fuller who had returned to the crew following his injuries
F/S P Wild
Their tour was as follows :-
03-Sep-43 – Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster – DV220 – F/S MP Floyd – Early Return - Navigator sick.
05-Sep-43 – Mannheim - Point of Aim - Lancaster – LM314 – F/S MP Floyd
06-Sep-43 – Munich - Point of Aim - Lancaster – ED713 – F/S MP Floyd
22-Sep-43 – Hanover - Point of Aim - Lancaster – ED888 – P/O MP Floyd
23-Sep-43 – Mannheim - Point of Aim - Lancaster – LM332 – P/O MP Floyd - Combat. Coned by searchlights. Damaged by flak. Attacked by twin engined enemy aircraft. Wireless Operator and Mid Upper Gunner wounded. Rear Gunner, Sgt Watters, killed. See below
18-Oct-43 – Hanover - Point of Aim - Lancaster - JB454 – P/O MP Floyd
03-Nov-43 – Dusseldorf - Point of Aim - Lancaster – JB454 - P/O MP Floyd
18-Nov-43 – Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster – JB460 – P/O MP Floyd - Hit by flak. Temporarily lost control. Bale out order given. Rescinded when control regained soon after.
22-Nov-43 – Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster – JB454 – P/O MP Floyd
23-Nov-43 – Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster – JB454 – P/O MP Floyd – Early Return - Intercom failure.
26-Nov-43 – Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster – JB658 – P/O MP Floyd - Diverted to Croft because of bad visibility at base
02-Dec-43 – Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster – JB658 – P/O MP Floyd
03-Dec-43 – Leipzig - Point of Aim - Lancaster – JB658 – P/O MP Floyd
14-Jan-44 – Brunswick - Point of Aim - Lancaster – ND381 – P/O MP Floyd
20-Jan-44 – Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster – ND381 P/O MP Floyd
21-Jan-44 – Magdeburg - Point of Aim - Lancaster – ND381 – P/O MP Floyd
15-Feb-44 – Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster – ND381 – P/O MP Floyd – Early Return – Starboard outer engine unserviceable
19-Feb-44 – Leipzig - Point of Aim - Lancaster – N/K – P/O MP Floyd
20-Feb-44 – Stuttgart - Point of Aim - Lancaster – N/K – P/O MP Floyd
24-Feb-44 – Schweinfurt - Point of Aim - Lancaster – ND381 – P/O MP Floyd
25-Feb-44 – Augsburg - Point of Aim - Lancaster – ND381 – P/O MP Floyd
15-Mar-44 – Stuttgart - Point of Aim - Lancaster – ND381 – P/O MP Floyd - Landed at Snaith
18-Mar-44 – Frankfurt - Point of Aim - Lancaster – ND381 – F/L MP Floyd
22-Mar-44 – Frankfurt - Point of Aim - Lancaster – ND381 – F/L MP Floyd
24-Mar-44 – Berlin - Point of Aim - Lancaster – ND381 – F/L MP Floyd
26-Mar-44 – Essen - Point of Aim - Lancaster – ND381 – F/L MP Floyd
30-Mar-44 – Nuremberg - Point of Aim - Lancaster – ND381 – F/L MP Floyd
09-Apr-44 - Gdynia Bay - Mine laying - Lancaster – ND381 – F/L MP Floyd
11-Apr-44 – Aachen - Point of Aim – Lancaster – ND381 – F/L MP Floyd
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Sgt William Watters killed 23rd September 1943
Sgt William Watters RAFVR – Air Gunner – 20 - Son of William and Isabella Watters, of Coatbridge, Lanarkshire - Glasgow Riddrie Park Cemetery.
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Mike Floyd was awarded a well earned DFC which was gazetted in June 1944. He flew a very hard tour indeed.
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Post war Mike Floyd qualified as an architect and established the Challon Floyd Slaski and Todd partnership with William Geoffrey Challen, Zbigniew Piotr Slaski and Anthony Clive Todd in London which was in business successfully for many years as Architects and Planning Consultants.
This business evolved into the award winning Floyd Slaski Architectural Practise which is trading today
I believe Mike Floyd passed away in 1998.
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P/O James Niven DFC RAFVR
James Niven was Air Bomber in this crew from the start of 1944 and flew with them until F/L Floyd completed his tour. He then joined the crew of Len Young and flew with them until they completed their 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
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Lancaster LM332
This Lancaster was involved in the combat on the 23rd September 1943 in which Sgt William Watters was killed and was repaired and returned to service.
It had given good service to 103 Squadron and was transferred to 576 Squadron with the 103 Squadron C Flight in late November 1943.
The aircraft was lost in a collision with a 103 Squadron aircraft soon after take off in December 1943 with the wreckage scattered over a wide area between Ulceby and Wootton.
103 Squadron
03-Jul-43 – Cologne - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – S/L TO Prickett
08-Jul-43 – Cologne - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – S/L TO Prickett
12-Jul-43 – Turin - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – S/L TO Prickett - Landed at Hullavington.
24-Jul-43 – Hamburg - Operation Gomorrah – Lancaster – LM332 – S/L TO Prickett
25-Jul-43 – Essen - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – S/L TO Prickett
27-Jul-43 – Hamburg - Operation Gomorrah – Lancaster – LM332 – S/L TO Prickett
29-Jul-43 – Hamburg - Operation Gomorrah – Lancaster – LM332 – S/L TO Prickett
02-Aug-43 – Hamburg - Operation Gomorrah – Lancaster – LM332 – F/O L Kilvington
09-Aug-43 – Mannheim - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – F/O L Kilvington
10-Aug-43 – Nuremberg - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – S/L TO Prickett
12-Aug-43 – Milan - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – S/L TO Prickett
15-Aug-43 – Milan - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – S/L TO Prickett
17-Aug-43 – Peenemunde - V weapons research centre – Lancaster – LM332 – S/L TO Prickett
22-Aug-43 – Leverkusen - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – S/L TO Prickett
23-Aug-43 – Berlin - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – F/S TJ Bassett
27-Aug-43 – Nuremberg - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – F/S TJ Bassett
29-Aug-43 – Munchengladbach - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – F/S TJ Bassett
31-Aug-43 – Berlin - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – F/S TJ Bassett
03-Sep-43 – Berlin - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – F/S TJ Bassett
05-Sep-43 – Mannheim - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – F/S TJ Bassett
06-Sep-43 – Munich - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – F/S TJ Bassett – Early return – Port outer engine unserviceable
22-Sep-43 – Hanover - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – F/S TJ Bassett
23-Sep-43 – Mannheim - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – P/O MP Floyd - Combat. Coned by searchlights. Damaged by flak. Attacked by twin engined night fighter. Wireless operator and mid upper gunner wounded. Rear gunner killed.
18-Nov-43 – Berlin - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – F/S HMC Thomas
22-Nov-43 – Berlin - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – F/S HMC Thomas
23-Nov-43 – Berlin - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – F/S HR Marsden – Did not take off. - Cancelled due to high winds which caused some aircraft to swing on take off
26-Nov-43 – Berlin - Point of Aim – Lancaster – LM332 – F/S HR Marsden - Diverted to Scorton because of bad visibility at base
576 Squadron
02/12/1943 – Berlin - Point of Aim – LM332 – Sgt R Whalley – ER - Engine U/S.
03/12/1943 – Leipzig - Point of Aim – LM332 – Sgt R Whalley
16/12/1943 – Berlin - Point of Aim – LM332 – F/S FR Scott - Collision on departure. Collided with JB670 of 103 Sq soon after take off over Ulceby
Item compiled by David Fell
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