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  #1  
Old 25th March 2016, 21:44
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most Lancaster missions

Good evening,

who has logged the most Avro Lancaster combat missions ?
Gibson, Cheshire or another guy ?

Michael
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  #2  
Old 26th March 2016, 12:43
ian hunt ian hunt is offline
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Re: most Lancaster missions

An interesting question.
Not necessarily either of those. While they both clocked up a large number of ops, Gibson flew some of them in Beaufighters and Mosquitos, Cheshire used Mossies and even a Mustang, I think. Other 'high-totallers' (ops flown) like Cranswick had been operational for so long that his a/c went back to Wellingtons.
So maybe the answer won't be as straightforward as we expect, and the actual answer might be a surprise.
Ian
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Old 29th March 2016, 14:28
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Re: most Lancaster missions

Gibson started in Hampdens and flew at least 175 missions.
Cheshire started in Whitleys and flew at least 103 missions.

But how many in of these in Lancasters...?

Cheers,

Michael
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Old 20th March 2017, 10:40
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Re: most Lancaster missions

...from David Fell I learned about an intresting candidate:
Florent Van Rolleghem flew his 70 operations from April 43 to Oct 44 and those were all on Lancasters.
Has anybody flown more Lancaster missions ?

Cheers

Michael
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  #5  
Old 24th March 2017, 09:45
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Re: most Lancaster missions

...David Fell also told me that Van Rolleghem was an excellent pilot and determined man. He got a DSO and DFC but should have got more but he was not a man who wanted rewards for doing his job. He was a very modest man and was very well liked and much respected by his crews.
Can anybody confirm he holds the record for the most Lancaster missions ?

Cheers,

Michael
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Old 24th March 2017, 15:32
Laurent Rizzotti Laurent Rizzotti is offline
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Re: most Lancaster missions

Another possible for the record: Charles Peter Craufurd de Wesselow. He was the Master Bomber for the Dresden Raid on 13/14 February 1945, and was at the time flying his 3rd tour, it was his 72nd operation according to the book "Bomber Command Reflections of War: Armageddon: September 27th 1944 - May 1945", by Martin Bowman.

I have it in the ORB of 97 Sqn, flying first as a Flg Off on 3-4 September 1943. He was awarded the DFC in December 1943 and flew 32 nights with the squadron (according to a quick search in a Word version of the ORB I have, but I don't know how much of these were early turn-backs not counting). In April 1944 he went to HQ 8 (Pathfinder) Group. During the summer he was flying with 635 Sqn.

In September 1943 he had a rank of Flg Off and apparently no medal, so it probably was his first turn, but I have no proof of it. Especially he flew no op as a 2nd pilot but started directly as a first.

EXCEPT that just before September 1943, the ORB as a Plt Off, then Flg Off G de Wesselow arriving from 1661 CU on 23 June 1943 flying 13 times between 28-29 June 1943 and 31 August-1 September 1943.

Except the initials all details are the same for "both" men, so my guess is that it is the same guy, who then took off for 45 operations (a check of the ORB will allow to know how much reached Europe).

During this periode, 97 Sqn flew Lancaster, so this guy probably flew all ops in Lancaster, and if he was flying his 72nd in February 1945 he probably flew more before the end of the war.

So no proof, but if someone can provide more details on this guy, he may be ahead of Florent Van Rolleghem.

Best regards
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Old 23rd January 2018, 22:42
Laurent Rizzotti Laurent Rizzotti is offline
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Re: most Lancaster missions

The answer seems to be yes. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...oyal_Air_Force
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Old 26th January 2018, 15:37
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Re: most Lancaster missions

Good afternoon Laurent,

is it known in which aircraft type Leonard Cheshire flew the most missions ?
Whitley ?
Lancaster ?
Mosquito ?
Mustang ?

Michael
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  #9  
Old 16th February 2018, 21:03
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Re: most Lancaster missions

Good evening Gentlemen,

the Lancaster definitely produced more VC airmen than any other aircraft type:

7 VC's
  • Avro Lancaster: Ian Bazalgette, Guy Gibson, Norman Jackson, John Nettleton, Robert Palmer, William Reed, 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
  • Fairey Battle: Donald Garland, Thomas Gray
  • Handley Page Halifax: Cyril Barton, Leonard Cheshire
  • Handley Page Hampden: John Hannah, Roderick Learoyd
1 VC
  • Airco D.H.2: Lionel Rees
  • Avro Manchester: Leslie Manser
  • Bristol Beaufort: Kenneth Campbell
  • Bristol Scout: Lanoe Hawker
  • Consolidated Catalina: John Cruickshank
  • Douglas Dakota: David Lord
  • Hawker Hurricane: James Nicolson
  • 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
  • Short Stirling: Arthur Aaron
  • Sopwith Camel: Alan Jerrard
  • Sopwith Snipe: William Barker
  • Vickers F.B.5: Gilbert Insall
  • Vought Corsair: Robert Gray
Cheshire's VC citation mentions a mission in a Mustang but the award was made for four years of fighting and I think he flew more missions in a Halifax than in his other planes.

Cheers,

Michael
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  #10  
Old 17th February 2018, 01:07
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Re: most Lancaster missions

There are two Short Stirling VC's.
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