F/L Raymond Kirby Kitney DFM RAFVR - 103 Squadron – 1941/1943 – Pilot.
Also 12 Squadron in 1942/43 and 81 OTU.
Bomber Command – Vickers Wellingtons and Avro Lancasters.
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Ditched on Return – 2/3rd August 1941 – Wellington IC – X3204 – Op Hamburg
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Raymond Kitney was posted to 103 Squadron around May 1941 or early June 1941. He flew his first operation as co-pilot in the crew of Sgt Munro in the 17/18th June 1941 to Duisberg and completed 3 more with this crew before flying twice as co-pilot with P/O Ball and crew. He was then made captain of his own crew and completed 15 operations plus 2 where he was unable to take off due to mechanical issues, 1 early return and another ditched in the sea on return
10-Jul-41 – Boulogne – Wellington – R1393 – Sgt RK Kitney
20-Jul-41 – Cologne – Wellington – X3204 – Sgt RK Kitney
02-Aug-41 – Hamburg – Wellington – X3204 – Sgt RK Kitney - Ditched on return. Short of fuel on return. Ditched in North Sea 60 miles from Humber. Rescued up by naval launch
07-Aug-41 – Boulogne – Wellington – X9609 – Sgt RK Kitney
14-Aug-41 – Hanover – Wellington – R1213 – Sgt RK Kitney – Did not take off.
18-Aug-41 – Duisburg – Wellington – L7819 – Sgt RK Kitney
19-Aug-41 – Kiel – Wellington – L7819 – Sgt RK Kitney - Did not take off.
30-Sep-41 – Hamburg – Wellington – T2999 – Sgt RK Kitney - Unable to locate primary. Bombed Cuxhaven
12-Oct-41 – Bremen – Wellington – R1347 – Sgt RK Kitney - Bombed flak concentrations south west of Kiel canal.
17-Oct-41 – Duisburg – Wellington – R1459 – Sgt RK Kitney
20-Oct-41 – Emden – Wellington – R1347 – Sgt RK Kitney
26-Nov-41 – Ostend – Wellington – R1347 – Sgt RK Kitney
28-Dec-41 – Wilhelmshaven – Wellington – R1347 – Sgt RK Kitney
06-Jan-42 – Brest – Wellington – R1347 – Sgt RK Kitney
09-Jan-42 – Brest – Wellington – Z1140 – Sgt RK Kitney
10-Jan-42 – Wilhelmshaven – Wellington – Z1140 – Sgt RK Kitney - Landed at West Raynam
06-Feb-42 – Brest – Wellington – R1347 – Sgt RK Kitney - Wireless receiver and sextant unserviceable. Landed West Raynham
11-Feb-42 – Brest – Wellington – T2617 – F/S RK Kitney - Carried Maximum load of flares. Dropped 42 flares in 1 long stick
12-Feb-42 - Operation Fuller – Wellington – T2921 – F/S RK Kitney - Located ships. Shadowed for sometime obtaining first class fixes. Unable to attack because of low cloud. Fuel gauges unserviceable. Landed Langham.
Raymond Kitney was awarded a DFM which was gazetted 14th April 1942
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At this stage he was probably posted to a training unit as an instructor and after 6 months was posted to 12 Squadron at RAF Wickenby for a second tour. In January 1943 the Kitney crew plus Sgt Attwood and crew were assigned to 103 Squadron at Elsham Wolds for a reason that is not clear. This was possibly due to a temporary shortage of experienced crews at 103 Sqn at the time.
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11-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L RK Kitney – Early Return – Port outer engine overheating and tail trimmer iced up
12-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L RK Kitney – Did not take off - Faults arising on running up engines
13-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L RK Kitney – Early Return - Rear gunner unconscious through lack of oxygen.
16-Jan-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L RK Kitney
17-Jan-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W482-8 – F/L RK Kitney - Late take off. Bombed Hamburg from 5,000 ft. Diverted to Linton.
At this point Kitney and his crew were posted back to 12 Squadron where he completed his second tour and then became an instructor at 81 Operational Training Unit at
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Having survived 2 tours and a ditching and several “Shaky Dos” Raymond Kitney was killed in a crash whilst instructing with 81 Operational Training Unit on the 7th July 1943.
F/L Raymond Kirby Kitney DFM RAFVR – Pilot – 81 OTU - Son of William and Elizabeth Kitney and husband of Eve Kitney of Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire - Feltham Cemetery, Middlesex.
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Wellington 1C X3160 took off on a Cross Country Training detail from RAF Harwell at 1105. The aircraft caught fire following the failure of the holding down studs to No 6 cylinder on the port engine and at 1310 the bomber broke up in the air the main debris falling on White Horse Hill near Ashbury, Berkshire. All 8 on board were killed
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Ditching 2/3rd August 1941
Details of this are well covered in the Article “Into the Drink” concerning Aircraft Ditchings in the Articles and Misc Section of this website here.
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Wellington X3204.
This machine had a short career being lost on its 3rd operation. See below.
20-Jul-41 – Cologne – Wellington – X3204 – Sgt RK Kitney
24-Jul-41 – Brest – Wellington – X3204 – F/L RCE Scott - Unable to release bombs owing to faulty release gear. Jettisoned in sea on return.
02-Aug-41 – Hamburg – Wellington – X3204 – Sgt RK Kitney - Ditched on return. Short of fuel on return. Ditched in North Sea 40 miles from Humber. Rescued up by naval launch.
Item compiled and written by David Fell
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