most Lancaster missions

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

Douglas A-20 Boston - William Ellis Newton RAAF

Short Stirling - Rawdon Hume Middleton RAAF

Col.

[alieneyes1]

A few more:

Consolidated Catalina: David Ernest Hornell RCAF

Avro Lancaster: Andrew Charles Mynarski RCAF; Edwin Essery Swales SAAF
Dave

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

More:

Vickers Wellington - James Allen Ward RNZAF
Fairey Swordfish - Eugene Esmonde FAA
Lockheed Ventura - Leonard Henry Trent RAF
Consolidated Liberator - Lloyd Allan Trigg RNZAF

Col.

[Dave Wallace]

Major Edwin Swales of 582 Squadron was also in a Lancaster on Feb.23/45 which he was awarded a VC as Master Bomber at Pforzheim. This was the second VC awarded for actions in a 582 Squadron Lancaster but Swales was the only 582 Squadron member to be awarded a VC. Robert Palmer, a Mosquito pilot of 109 Squadron was piloting an Oboe equipped 582 Squadron Lancaster on Dec.23rd/44 and was awarded a VC for leading an attack on Cologne’s Gremberg rail yards.

[knusel]

Dear Gentlemen,

thanks for so many further VC airmen.
I'll merge them with the list above:

9 VC's

• Avro Lancaster: Ian Bazalgette, Guy Gibson, Norman Jackson, Andrew Charles Mynarski, John Nettleton, Robert Palmer, William Reed, Edwin Swales, George Thompson

3 VC's

• Bristol Blenheim: Hughie Edwards, Hugh Malcolm, Arthur Scarf
• R.A.F. B.E.2c: William Leefe Robinson, Frank McNamara, William Rhodes-Moorhouse
• R.A.F. S.E.5a: Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor, Edward Mannock, James McCudden

2 VC's

• Armstrong Whitworth FK 8: Alan McLeod, Ferdinand West
• Consolidated Catalina: John Cruickshank, David Ernest Hornell
• Fairey Battle: Donald Garland, Thomas Gray
• Handley Page Halifax: Cyril Barton, Leonard Cheshire (flew other plane types, too)
• Handley Page Hampden: John Hannah, Roderick Learoyd
• Short Stirling: Arthur Aaron, Rawdon Hume Middleton

1 VC

• Airco D.H.2: Lionel Rees
• Avro Manchester: Leslie Manser
• Bristol Beaufort: Kenneth Campbell
• Bristol Scout: Lanoe Hawker
• Consolidated Liberator: Lloyd Allan Trigg
• Douglas Boston: William Ellis Newton
• Douglas Dakota: David Lord
• Fairey Swordfish: Eugene Esmonde
• Hawker Hurricane: James Nicolson
• Lockheed Ventura: Leonard Henry Trent
• Morane-Saulnier Type L: Reginald Warneford
• Nieuport 10: Richard Bell-Davies
• Nieuport 23: William Bishop
• R.A.F. F.E.2d: Thomas Mottershead
• R.A.F. R.E.5: John Liddell
• R.A.F. S.E.5: Albert Ball
• Sopwith Camel: Alan Jerrard
• Sopwith Snipe: William Barker
• Vickers F.B.5: Gilbert Insall
• Vickers Wellington: James Allen Ward
• Vought Corsair: Robert Gray

Cheers,

Michael

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by knusel

[*]R.A.F. B.E.2c: William Leefe Robinson, Frank McNamara, William Rhodes-Moorhouse

A small detail but I noticed it nonetheless, Rhodes-Moorhouse was flying a BE2b in the action for which he was awarded the VC. Might be best to just list these VCs under BE2 rather than splitting them into sub-variants as you're not splitting things like Lancaster into sub-variants. Under that logic, it could also be argued that the SE5 and SE5a VCs be listed together.

Interesting topic.

[knusel]

Hello Smithy,

you're right: BE 2b, No 687.
Thanks for the hint.

Michael

[knusel]

Good morning Gentlemen,

this is my updated list of aircraft types that won VC's. Enjoy!
Michael

9 VC's
• Avro Lancaster: Ian Bazalgette, Guy Gibson, Norman Jackson (flight engineer), Andrew Mynarski (gunner), John Nettleton, Robert Palmer, William Reid, Edwin Essery Swales, George Thompson (wireless operator)

3 VC's
• Bristol Blenheim: Hughie Edwards, Hugh Malcolm, Arthur Scarf
• R.A.F. S.E.5a: Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor, Edward Mannock, James McCudden

2 VC's
• Armstrong Whitworth FK 8: Alan McLeod, Ferdinand West
• Consolidated Catalina: John Cruickshank, David Ernest Hornell
• Fairey Battle: Donald Garland, Thomas Gray (navigator)
• Handley Page Hampden: John Hannah (wireless operator/gunner), Roderick Learoyd
• R.A.F. B.E.2c: William Leefe Robinson, Frank McNamara (also flew a Martinsyde G.100)
• Short Stirling: Arthur Aaron, Rawdon Hume Middleton

1 VC
• Airco D.H.2: Lionel Rees
• Avro Manchester: Leslie Manser
• Bristol Beaufort: Kenneth Campbell
• Bristol Scout: Lanoe Hawker
• Consolidated Liberator: Lloyd Trigg
• Douglas Boston: William Ellis Newton
• Douglas Dakota: David Lord
• Fairey Swordfish: Eugene Esmonde
• Handley Page Halifax: Cyril Barton
• Hawker Hurricane: James Nicolson
• Lockheed Ventura: Leonard Henry Trent
• Morane-Saulnier Type L: Reginald Warneford
• Nieuport 10: Richard Bell Davies
• Nieuport 23: William Bishop
• North American Mustang: Leonard Cheshire (also flew Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, Handley Page Halifax, Avro Lancaster, & de Havilland Mosquito)
• R.A.F. B.E.2b: William Rhodes-Moorhouse
• R.A.F. F.E.2d: Thomas Mottershead
• R.A.F. R.E.5: John Liddell
• R.A.F. S.E.5: Albert Ball (also flew Nieuport 23)
• Sopwith Camel: Alan Jerrard
• Sopwith Snipe: William Barker
• Vickers F.B.5: Gilbert Insall
• Vickers Wellington: James Allen Ward
• Vought Corsair: Robert Gray

[harryurz]

The aircrew with the most operational missions (Lancaster or otherwise) is an interesting question: W/C James Blackburn flew what is believed to a unique 202 operational bombing sorties over 5 tours; with among others, 57 Sq Blenheims and 75 sqn Wellingtons over Europe, sorties with 70 and 104 Sqn in the Middle East, and 159 sqn over Burma in B24s?
Leaving aside several dozen Bomber Command crews who flew over 100 on Mosquitoes, A quick internet search indicates F/L Ted Stocker flew 104 operations as a Engineer on Lancs and Halifaxes, W/O S Nuttal flew 91 ops as a gunner on Halifaxes, S/L GA Patrick some 118 ops as a Halifax navigator, while W/C 'Tubby' Baker piloted 100 ops on Stirlings and Lancs.

[knusel]

Yes, thanks for the intesting airmen.
I've acquired both Lancaster volumes from OSPREY.
But maybe the pilot with the most Lancaster missions doesn't even know about his own distinction after all(?)