Roland Macrae Newitt DFC RCAF and crew - 103 Squadron – 1942/43
Roland Newitt ( pictured above ) was born 14th April 1919 and he and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron Conversion Flight at RAF Elsham Wolds from OTU in July 1942.
At that time the Squadron was converting to Halifaxes and had their own Halifax Heavy Conversion Flight at the same airfield. The idea of having both training units and operational squadrons at the same airfield proved impracticable and the 103 Sqn Halifax Conversion Flight moved to Lindholme near Doncaster 4 months later where they became 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit for the rest of WW2.
In its final incarnation the Newitt crew was as follows :-
Crew :-
F/S R M Newitt
P/O G M Pirie
Sgt D Gear
Sgt P Wadsworth
F/S S Thomson
Sgt R P Cryer
Sgt H C Ford
This crew flew largely unchanged throughout their tour with 103 Squadron.
They started operations flying the Handley Page Halifax and, in November converted again to the Avro Lancaster
04-Sep-42 – Bremen - Point of Aim – Halifax – W1189 – F/S RM Newitt RCAF – Did not take off
07-Sep-42 – Duisburg - Point of Aim – Halifax – W1189 – F/S RM Newitt RCAF
08-Sep-42 - Frankfurt - Point of Aim – Halifax – W7772 – F/S RM Newitt RCAF
10-Sep-42 – Dusseldorf - Point of Aim – Halifax – W7772 – F/S RM Newitt RCAF
02-Oct-42 – Krefeld - Point of Aim – Halifax – W7860 – F/S RM Newitt RCAF
05-Oct-42 – Aachen - Point of Aim – Halifax – W7860 – F/S RM Newitt RCAF
06-Oct-42 – Osnabruck - Point of Aim – Halifax – W7860 – F/S RM Newitt RCAF
13-Oct-42 – Kiel - Point of Aim – Halifax – W7860 – F/S RM Newitt RCAF
15-Oct-42 – Cologne - Point of Aim – Halifax – W7860 – F/S RM Newitt RCAF
21-Nov-42 – Minelaying - Biarritz/Biscay coast - Mine laying – Lancaster – W4338 – F/S RM Newitt RCAF
22-Nov-42 – Stuttgart - Point of Aim – Lancaster – W4338 – F/S RM Newitt RCAF
28-Nov-42 – Turin - Point of Aim – Lancaster – W4338 – F/S RM Newitt RCAF - Early return - Rear turret unserviceable.
02-Dec-42 – Frankfurt - Point of Aim – Lancaster – W4338 – F/S RM Newitt RCAF - Combat. Attacked by a single engined night fighter whilst leaving the target. Landed at Middleton St George
07-Dec-42 – Minelaying - Terschelling Gat/Frisian Islands - Mine laying – Lancaster – W4335 – F/S RM Newitt RCAF
09-Dec-42 – Turin - Point of Aim – Lancaster – W4318 – F/S RM Newitt RCAF – Early return - Sperry instruments unserviceable.
21-Dec-42 – Munich - Point of Aim – Lancaster – W4335 – P/O RM Newitt RCAF
09-Jan-43 – Essen - Point of Aim – Lancaster – W4335 – P/O RM Newitt RCAF
11-Jan-43 – Essen - Point of Aim – Lancaster – W4338 – P/O RM Newitt RCAF
12-Jan-43 – Essen - Point of Aim – Lancaster – W4338 – P/O RM Newitt RCAF
16-Jan-43 – Berlin - Point of Aim – Lancaster – N/K – P/O RM Newitt RCAF - DNTO
17-Jan-43 – Berlin - Point of Aim – Lancaster – W4848 – P/O RM Newitt RCAF - Diverted to Croft. Force landed.
23-Jan-43 – Dusseldorf - Point of Aim – Lancaster – W4848 – P/O RM Newitt RCAF - Badly damaged by attack from a twin engine night fighter. Evaded diving into cloud. On landing 120 x 4lb incendiaries fell on runway and burnt up.
30-Jan-43 – Hamburg - Point of Aim – Lancaster – ED380 – P/O RM Newitt RCAF
At this point the Newitt crew were screened from operations with several other experienced crews. This was due to the need for more veteran and battle hardened instructors at the expanding Operational Training Units and the Heavy Conversion Units. The crew were split up and went their separate ways.
On the 1st February 1943 Pirie was posted to 100 Squadron. Roland Newitt was posted to 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit at the same time.
In November 1944 Roland Newitt was posted from 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit to 550 Squadron as A Flight Commander at North Killingholme, a 13 Base airfield quite near RAF Elsham Wolds and not far from my present house incidentally. He completed his second tour with 550 Squadron and was awarded a DFC gazetted September 1945.
Apparently he returned to Canada post war and passed away in 2014 in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Item compiled by David Fell. Photos from my archive.
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