David C Crofts RAAF and crew – 576 Squadron – 1945
A youthful David Crofts
This crew trained at 30 Operational Training Unit Hixon and 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit Lindholme. Roy Vesperman was the sole survivor of an aircraft that crashed at Hixon in bad weather and replaced the original mid upper gunner who left the Crofts crew.
The crew consisted of :-
F/O David C Crofts RAAF
Sgt Bert W Roberts RAFVR
F/S John Musgrove RAAF
F.S Donald L Tyshing RAFVR
F/S H D Dale RAAF
F/O Roy M Vesperman RAAF
F/S D J Fowkes RAFVR - Titch
Air Crew- Standing L to R - Titch Fowkes – Rear Gunner UK, Bert Roberts – Engineer UK, Roy Vesperman – Mid Upper Gunner, Australia, Dave Crofts – Pilot, Australia, Don Tyshing – Navigator, Australia Harry Dale – Wop, Australia, John Musgrove – Bomb Aimer, Australia
Ground Crew- Kneeling L to R - Bob Draper – Airframe, Unknown, Len Jones – Engine Mechanic, Sgt. Dutchy Holland, Others - Unknown
David Crofts flew his second dickie operation with Basil Templeman Rooke 02/02/1945 - Wiesbaden - SW276
He then flew with his own crew as follows :-
14/02/1945 - Chemnitz - Operation Thunderclap - RA514 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
20/02/1945 - Dortmund - Point of Aim - ME671 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
21/02/1945 - Duisburg - Point of Aim - ME671 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF - Combat. Claimed destroyed one jet aircraft which attacked from head on.
28/02/1945 - Neuss - Army Support - NG273 - F/O DC Crofts RAAF - Raid recalled due to uncertainty of position of friendly troops. Jettisoned 4,000lb bomb in sea on return.
01/03/1945 - Mannheim - Point of Aim - NF976 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
02/03/1945 - Cologne - Army support - NN806 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
07/03/1945 - Dessau - Point of Aim - PB753 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
08/03/1945 - Kassel - Point of Aim - SW276 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
11/03/1945 - Essen - Point of Aim - LM294 F/O DC Crofts RAAF
12/03/1945 - Dortmund - Point of Aim - LM294 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
15/03/1945 - Misburg - Oil - LM294 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
18/03/1945 - Hanau - Point of Aim - LM294 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
31/03/1945 - Hamburg - Shipyards - LM294 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
03/04/1945 - Nordhausen - V weapons factory - LM294 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
04/04/1945 - Lutzendorf - Oil - LM294 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
09/04/1945 - Kiel - Ship yard and naval base - LM294 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
10/04/1945 - Plauen - Railway yards - LM294 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
18/04/1945 - Heligoland - Naval base and airfield – RA594 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
22/04/1945 - Bremen - Army Support - RA594 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
29/04/1945 - Valkenburg airfield - Operation Manna – RA594 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
01/05/1945 - Rotterdam - Operation Manna - RA594 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
02/05/1945 - Rotterdam - Operation Manna - RA594 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
04/05/1945 - Valkenburg Airfield - Operation Manna – RA587 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
07/05/1945 - Rotterdam - Operation Manna - RA594 – F/O DC Crofts RAAF
FO Crofts returned to Australia and was discharged on 23 November 1945.
Sgt Musgrove was commissioned as a Pilot Officer on 20 May 1945, eventually reaching the rank of Flying Officer before returning to Australia.
John Musgrove
Croft crew photo page
Compiled by David Fell from a bio of this crew by the late Dr John D Musgrove MID MB BS DCH. Photos courtesy of the Australian War Memorial and Dr Musgrave.
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