Cheshire (F)

Administrator

The Squadron’s Operations Record Book shows that F Cheshire was the Captain of a 35 Squadron aircraft on the following sorties, prior to cessation of hostilities in Europe:

  1. 28/01/1945 Stuttgart
  2. 01/02/1945 Mainz
  3. 04/02/1945 Bonn
  4. 07/02/1945 Goch
  5. 13/02/1945 Dresden
  6. 14/02/1945 Chemnitz
  7. 23/02/1945 Pforzheim
  8. 07/03/1945 Hemmingstedt
  9. 08/03/1945 Hamburg
  10. 20/03/1945 Heide
  11. 03/04/1945 Nordhausen
  12. 04/04/1945 Leuna
  13. 09/04/1945 Kiel
  14. 10/04/1945 Plauen
  15. 14/04/1945 Potsdam
  16. 16/04/1945 Schwandorf
  17. 01/05/1945 Ypenburg (Operation Manna)

The following shows the composition of his crew on these sorties, along with the number of sorties undertaken by each airman as part of his crew (as recorded in the squadron’s Operations Record Book). Details of all flights (including training flights) will be recorded in their Flying Log Books:

(Pilot)Francis Cheshire17
(Navigator)John Anthony Gardner1
Ralph Kirk Raper16
(Air Bomber)Kevin Juckes17
(Set Operator)J Akers1
(Wireless Operator)Donald Joseph Lawrence17
(Air Gunner)David McMillan17
SJ Smith17
(Flight Engineer)David Perkin Adamson17
  • F Cheshire's Crew [Courtesy of Joe McGinn]
    F Cheshire’s Crew [Courtesy of Joe McGinn]
  • dad.jpg
    F Cheshire’s Crew [Courtesy of Janet Thomson]

It is known that some (or all) of these airmen continued to fly operationally with the squadron during the post war clean up, which included repatriation of POW and service personnel, Cooks Tours, testing of German radar and disposal of surplus incendiaries. However, the squadron’s record book only provides a summary of these activities and does not list the individual captains and crews that took part in these sorties.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  1. Crew served operationally with No. 158 Squadron prior to being posted to No. 35 Squadron