Wireless Operator

Name: Kenneth Cavalier PEACHEY (Ken)
Service: Royal Australian Air Force
Service Number: 436272
Date of Birth: 13 November 1917
Place of Birth: Marrickville, New South Wales
Date of Enlistment: 2 December 1942
Place of Enlistment: Perth, Western Australia
Next of Kin: Alice PEACHEY
Date of Posting from 462 Squadron: September 1945
Rank when posted from 462 Squadron: Warrant Officer
Next Posting from 462 Sqdn: 9 ACHU, RAF Station Gamston.
Date of Discharge: 16 January 1946
Rank at Discharge: Warrant Officer
Posting at Discharge: 9 Aircrew Holding Unit
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Mid-Upper Gunner

Name: John MACKIE (Mack, Jock)
Service: Royal Air Force (Volunteer Reserve?)
Service Number: 1824762
Date of Birth: .......
Place of Birth: ......
Date of Enlistment: ......
Place of Enlistment: ........
Next of Kin: ......
Date of Posting from 462 Squadron: June 1945
Rank when posted from 462 Squadron: Flight Sergeant
Subsequent Promotions and Postings: .......
Date, Rank, Posting at Discharge: .........
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Photo used with the permission of Robert Hall.

Above: Richard E Powell – dressed for Ops, with fur-lined flying boots, gloves, goggles, flying helmet and thick flying suit with fur-lined collar – all to combat the severe cold of the rear turret.

 

Rear Gunner

Name: Richard E POWELL (Dick)
Service: Royal Air Force (Volunteer Reserve?)
Service Number: 1880512
Date of Birth: .......
Place of Birth: ......
Date of Enlistment: ......
Place of Enlistment: ........
Next of Kin: ......
Date of Posting from 462 Squadron: May 1945
Rank when posted from 462 Squadron: Flight Sergeant
Subsequent Promotions and Postings: Family advice is that
he was posted to India in May 1945.
Date, Rank, Posting at Discharge: .........

Richard had 2 children, a son Brian, and a daughter Margaret who would have been one month old when the formal crew photo was taken at Norwich in May 1945.
Photo supplied by Robert Hall, son of Margaret, and grandson of Dick Powell.

 

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Additional Crew information (Information sourced from National Archives of Australia Series A9186 Unit History (462 Squadron ORBs). As of 1 November 2015, neither of the RAAF Service Files for Taylor or Peachey had been digitized. Similarly no RNZAF Service File for Sharp, and no RAF(VR) Service Files were available for the other English members of the crew. Therefore, enlistment and training information is not currently known. Crew Arrival Forms are usually included with Aircraft Loss Files, but otherwise have not been located for surviving crews. Later postings for Navigator George Bland were deduced from his log book entries. Additional detail was sourced from the log book of W/OP Peachey.)
If anyone can provide the full names of those RAF crew members listed below with initials only, please make contact. Their names have been checked in the July 1945 Air Force List and the London Gazette, without success.

Postings, including prior training, and Operational Posting to and from 462 Squadron – sourced from the Log Book of Kenneth Cavalier Peachey, but some entries will relate to the whole crew.

28 April 1943 to 10 October 1943 – Peachey at No. 1 WAGS Ballarat, Victoria, Australia (Wireless & Air Gunnery School).

10 October 1943 to 12 November 1943 – Peachey at No. 3 BAGS West Sale, Vic., Australia (Bombing & Air Gunnery School).

12 November 1943 to 28 March 1944 – no listings, assume Peachey posted to Embarkation Depot in Australia, then ship to UK, followed by posting to Personnel Despatch & Reception Centre in the UK.

28 March 1944 to 9 May 1944 – Peachey at No. 1 AFU Wigtown, Galloway, Scotland (Advanced Flying Unit) training in Avro Anson aircraft (other W/Ops posted to 462 Squadron also trained at 1 AFU, Wigtown).

9 May 1944 to 28 July 1944 – Peachey at No. 20 OTU Elgin, near Lossiemouth, north-east Scotland (Operational Training Unit), training in Wellington 2 engine bombers. The Crew of 6 usually formed at an OTU, made up of Pilot (Sharp), Navigator (Bland), Bomb Aimer (Payne), Wireless Operator (Peachey), and Mid-Upper Gunner (Mackie) and Rear Gunner (Powell). The photos of the crew taken in summer in Scotland in the previous section, were most likely taken at 20 OTU, Elgin (other Crews posted to 462 Squadron also trained at 20 OTU).

28 July 1944 to 1 September 1944 – Peachey at Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire, UK; assume posted there in Sharp's crew (other Crews posted to 462 Squadron also trained at Acaster Malbis).

1 September 1944 to 1 November 1944 – Peachey at No. 1658 HCU Riccall, Yorkshire UK (Heavy Conversion Unit) converting to and training in 4-engined Halifax II & III; assume posted there in Sharp's crew. The Flight Engineer was usually added to the Halifax crew at a HCU, so F/Eng Halden would probably have joined Sharp's crew at 1658 HCU (other Crews posted to 462 Squadron also trained at 1658 HCU).

1 November 1944 to 29 December 1944 – Peachey and Sharp's crew posted to 462 Squadron, Driffield, Yorkshire.

29 December 1944 – Peachey and Sharp's crew relocated with 462 Squadron to Foulsham, Norfolk.

12 September 1945 – Peachey posted from 462 Squadron, Foulsham to 9 ACHU, RAF Station Gamston.
According to Forms 540 in the 462 Squadron ORB, Pilot Sharp and Nav Bland were posted from the Squadron in May 1945, which correlates with the entries in Bland's Log book showing him flying as Nav for Sharp at 192 Squadron, Foulsham, from May to September 1945. (See later section for Nav Bland's log book). Payne and Powell were also posted from 462 Sqdn in May 1945, but their destinations were not listed (but maybe to 192 Squadron?). Mackie was posted from the squadron in June 1945, destination not recorded, and Halden in September 1945, possibly with a batch to RAF Station Bruntingthorpe. Stewart Taylor was also posted out in September 1945 to 9 ACHU, RAF Station Gamston.

462 Squadron ORB – There were a few errors for names and service numbers of this crew, with some identification problems for Taylor.

All seven permanent members of the Sharp crew arrived together at 462 Squadron, Driffield in Yorkshire in early November 1944. Their previous posting was not listed. Their names are included with the NCOs in the usual sequence of Pilot, Bomb Aimer, Navigator, Wireless Operator, Rear Gunner, Mid-Upper Gunner, and Flight Engineer. Pilot Sharp and W/OP Peachey were Flight Sergeants, and the other five were Sergeants. Sharp's first Op was as 2nd Pilot on 4 November. At the end of December 1944, this crew relocated with the squadron to Foulsham in Norfolk, when it transferred from 4 Group to 100 Group.
Taylor was posted to 462 Squadron Foulsham in January 1945 as a Flight Sergeant, in a group of 12 Wireless Operators for Special Duties (WINDOW).

Pilot George Christopher Barr Sharp 425509 RNZAF was listed with all three initials in the Form 540 Arrivals, however in Form 541 Ops, he was mostly listed as G C Sharp, but also with the initials G S, and G V, and D C; several entries as Sharpe; and Service Numbers 428532, 429509 and 525509. His correct name and service number were confirmed by the Research & Entitlement Advisor, Personnel Archives and Medals, New Zealand Defence Force. (A Mid-Upper Gunner with the name of Sharpe was also in 462 Squadron at the same time.)

Bomb Aimer H W Payne 1268659 RAF (VR?) – once listed as W Payne; and with Service numbers 126859 and 1268650.

Navigator George Sinton Bland 1587032 RAF (VR?) – also listed as D S and ES; and Blend; 1587232, and 1597032; and on one occasion his position and Service number were transposed with those of W/OP Peachey.

Wireless Operator Kenneth Cavalier PEACHEY 436272 RAAF – also listed as K G; Peechey, Paechey; 426272, 436262, 436372, 436472; and on one occasion his position and Service number were transposed with those of Nav Bland; and another time with those of MU/AG Mackie.

Mid-Upper Gunner J MACKIE 1824762 RAF (VR?) – also listed as Mackin; 184762; on one occasion his position and Service number were transposed with those of W/OP Peachey; and another time he was listed as MU/AG F/Eng (and the F/Eng Halden listed as SD W/OP; but no SD was named, although WINDOW was to be released.)

Rear Gunner R E POWELL 1880512 RAF (VR?) – also listed as K E, R; Powoll; 1880152.

Flight Engineer C HALDEN 1452632 RAF (VR?) – listed variously as G, O, C N; Horden, Holden, Hejdin, Haldin; 452632 and 1445262; on one occasion he was listed as SD W/OP (and Mackie as MU/AG F/Eng, but no SD was named, although WINDOW was to be released.)

Special Duties Stewart Edmund TAYLOR 433176 RAAF – also listed as F E, E D; 433743, 443317; and as SD F/E (instead of SD W/OP).
There were six aircrew personnel with the name Taylor in 462 Squadron – 1 Pilot, 1 Nav, 2 W/OPs, 1 Flight Engineer, and S E Taylor as SD. Incorrect initials, service numbers and crew positions for all, made correct identification a problem. Of Stewart Taylor's 25 Ops, 18 were with the Sharp crew.

S E Taylor also crewed as SD (WINDOW) with the following Pilots:-
Victor Thomas Bailey (Crew 46) x 2
Donald Maxwell Taylor (Crew 12) x 2
Lyle David Robinson (Crew 63) x 1
Bruce Kempton Drinkwater (Crew 49) x 1
Peter Freston Whatling (Crew 42) x 1

Others who crewed with Sharp for Special Duties (WINDOW), one OP each, were:-

05 January 1945 – Alexander Gordon Taylor 423491 RAAF (W/OP from Hourigan and other crews)
22 January 1945 – K N or K K Kift 1875516 RAF (VR?) (R/AG from Simms Crew)
09 February 1945 – James Wallis Kimber 436523 RAAF (1 of 12 W/OPs posted in Jan 1945 for SD, various crews)
11 February 1945 – Errol Dallas Tisdell 432388 RAAF (1 of 12 W/OPs posted in Jan 1945 for SD, various crews; later KIA with Lodder Crew)
09 March – name not recorded, although WINDOW was to be released; probably S E Taylor, based on his regular SD flights with this crew.
22 March 1945 – Llewellyn George Edwards 419117 RAAF
17 April 1945 – Kenneth John Danson 431279 RAAF (only 2 Ops in ORB, late April, one each for Simms and Sharp; usual role not known).

Substitutes for this crew were rare, and only the following have been located (one Op each), covering the absence of the Sharp's usual crew member.

16 March 1945 – Rear Gunner F Smith 1187024 (who was initially in Cockerill's crew, and later in Paull's crew).
05 January 1945 – Flight Engineer H P Murray 1866940 (who carried out Ops with several crews).

Additional Ops by the regular members of Sharps' crew were also carried out with other crews.

Sharp – 2 Ops as 2nd pilot, plus 30 with regular crew; 3 early returns; Total 29 Ops.

Payne – 30 Ops with Sharp; plus 1 as B/A with Drinkwater; and 1 as SD (WINDOW) with Lodder; 2 early returns; Total 30 Ops.

Bland – 30 Ops with Sharp; no Ops with other crews; 2 early returns; Total 28 Ops.
(In his photo album and Log Book, Bland had recorded his total as 26½ Ops. The reason for this difference is not known.)

Peachey – 30 Ops with Sharp; plus 2 as SD (WINDOW) with Simms; 2 early returns; Total 30 Ops.

Mackie – 30 Ops with Sharp; plus 1 each as MU/AG with Byrom, McGindle and Lodder; 2 early returns; Total 31 Ops.

Powell – 29 Ops with Sharp; plus 1 as R/AG with Drinkwater; 2 early returns; Total 28 Ops.

Halden – 30 Ops with Sharp; plus 1 as F/Eng with Lodder; 2 early returns; Total 29 Ops.

F/Eng Halden and MU/AG Mackie were substitutes in Lodder's crew in MZ467 Z5-C to Lechfeld, up at 1850 on the 15th April, returning to base at 0122 on the 16th. Less than 24 hours later, at 2358 on the 16th, MZ467 Z5-C and the Lodder Crew took off to Augsburg, but failed to return, with their loss recorded as the 17th April. Halden and Mackie may have had ambivalent feelings about the situation, having literally "dodged the bullet". However they were on Ops again with the Sharp crew to Ingolstadt, up at 2143 on the 17th April.
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Crew Ops

The following Table lists Ops for Sharp and his crew, as recorded in the Squadron ORB. Those Ops with early returns would not have been counted in the crew's final Op tally.

The Ops for April 1945 may also be seen on the relevant page from George Bland's log book, which is shown in the following section. There are some small differences between the log book and ORB for Up times.

Aircraft Code numbers Z5- and Serial Numbers have been cross-referenced with ORB and available log books (e.g. George Bland and other 462 Squadron veterans).
Times up and down in black are day flights, and times in red are night flights.
Target "Munster x 15" means 15 aircraft tasked from 462 Squadron to the target of Munster, with Sharp's crew being one of those 15 (and so on for the other dates). "Heligoland x 7 (of 12)" means this crew was in one of seven aircraft to that Target, but a total of 12 Squadron aircraft were on Ops that night, with 5 to a different target (and similarly for later dates). There is some variation in the spelling of Target names in the original ORB, with the names recorded below as per the ORB.
Code for Op Type – B Bombs; SD Special Duties; SP Spoof; W WINDOW; F Flares; TI Target Indicators; I Incendiaries.
This crew did not participate in any Protective Patrol Ops (PP).

Halifax usage for Sharp:-
1 Op in each of LV955, MZ396, MZ457, NA147, PN442
2 Ops in each of MZ429, MZ431
3 Ops in each of MZ447, MZ467, PN450
and 13, possibly 14 Ops in NA239

Halifax MZ447 Z5-A (also listed elsewhere as MZ477 Z5-A) was lost on 24 February 1945, Pilot Rate and crew; seven KIA, and one PoW.
Halifax MZ467 Z5-C was lost on 17 April 1945, Pilot Lodder and crew; five KIA, and three PoWs.
Photos of Halifax MZ431 Z5-J, and NA147 Z5-G may be seen on the Halifax page.

According to the Peachey family folklore, Ken later named his son Chris in honour of Pilot Chris Sharp, in recognition of the crew's safe landing on return from an OP, with their aircraft carrying a partial "bomb" load. From the ORB and Log Book info, that Op was most likely on 21/22 March 1945 (Halifax MZ431 Z5-J, Target Bremen), when they returned from Denmark on three engines. They had been able to jettison 3 x No. 14 and 1 x No 15 Incendiary clusters, as well as 4 x 250 lb Target Indicators, but were still carrying 1 x No. 15 Incendiary Cluster. On their early return on 9 March 1945, they had only carried WINDOW, not a bomb load. On their landings away on 16 March and 8 April 1945, the bomb loads had already been dropped on the targets.
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Log Book pages for crew's Navigator George Sinton Bland – transcribed as written. This log book records flights from April 1945 to May 1946, with April to July 1945 pictured as follow. Training flights at OTU and HCU, and previous Ops at 462 Squadron, would have been recorded in an earlier log book which has not been located. (see Ops from ORB for corrected place names). SD = Special Duties Flight; Black are day flights, Red are night flights.

Photo supplied by and used with the permission of Martin Bland.

Left:- List of targets written on notepaper from the Sergeant's Mess at Foulsham, and kept with George Bland's log book.

On two additional sheets of the same notepaper, cumulative day and night flying times were recorded on one sheet, apparently carried forward from a previous log book; and on the second sheet, details of April 1945 Ops, later recorded in what appears to be a new log book.

Below:- Enlargement of the notepaper header, showing the RAF crest; the address .... SERGEANT'S MESS, ROYAL AIR FORCE STATION,
FOULSHAM, DEREHAM, NORFOLK ...... and a hand-drawn bomb.

 

Log Book for Navigator Bland, 462 Squadron

April 1945
Carried forward previous totals
Day 200hrs 15m; Night 205hrs

Photo supplied by and used with the permission of Martin Bland.

April 1945 Flights, all as Navigator with Pilot W/O Sharp
4 Apr, Up 1855, Z5-D, Berlin, SD Feint Attack; 7hrs 55m
8 Apr, Up 1815, Z5-C, Magdeburg, SD, Diverted to Lindholm (sic), 8hrs 30m
9 Apr, up 1400, Z5-C, Return to Base (from Lindholme), 35m
10 Apr, Up 1841, Z5-L, Dessau, SD, 7hrs 40m
(ORB lists Plauen as the target for 10 April)
12 Apr, Up 1430, Z5-W, Air Test, 55m
13 Apr, Up 2012, Z5-L, Boizenburg, SD, 5hrs 25m
14 Apr, Up 1832, Z5-L, Jutteborg (sic), SD, 8hrs 10m
17 Apr, Up 2330, Z5-F, Ingolstadt, SD, 6hrs 25m
22 Apr, Up 1430, Z5-B, Heligoland, SD, 4hrs 45m
24 Apr, Up 1153, Z5-C, Base to St Athans (sic, St Athan), 2hrs
24 Apr, Up 1430, St Athans to Base, 1hrs 10m (as passenger)

Total Operational hours = 158 hours
Number of Completed Ops = 26½

Log Book for Navigator Bland, 462 Squadron

May 1945
Carried forward previous totals from April 1945
Day 204hrs 55m; Night 253hrs 50m

Photo supplied by and used with the permission of Martin Bland.

May 1945 Flights, both with Pilot W/O Sharp
12 May, Up 1030, Z5-A, role of Special Operator, Bonn – Cologne – Duisburg – Essen – Dortmund – Wesel, low level, 5hrs 20m
17 May, Up 1030, Z5-B, as Navigator, Cook's Tour to Ruhr, 4hrs 50m

 

Log Book for Navigator Bland, 192 Squadron

June and July 1945
Carried forward previous totals from May 1945, 462 Squadron
Day 215hrs 05m; Night 253hrs 50m

Photo supplied by and used with the permission of Martin Bland.

June 1945 Flight, as Nav with Pilot P/O Sharp
24 June, Up 1145, DT-R, Ferrying SD Men, Base – Schleswig – Grove – land – return to Base, 5hrs 05m

July 1945 Flights, as Nav with Pilot P/O Sharp
01 July, Up 1400, DT-T, Post Mortem, Denmark, recalled, 3hrs 20m
03 July, Up 1415, DT-S, Post Mortem, Denmark, 5hrs
05 July, Up 1405, DT-Y, Post Mortem, Denmark, 3hrs 55m
07 July, Up 0558, DT-R, Base to Grove (Denmark), 2hrs 10m
07 July, Up 1330, DT-R, Grove to Base, 2hrs 25m
19 July, Up 1120, DT-R, Ruhr Tour, 3hrs 45m
20 July, Up 1100, DT-X, S D Training, X Country, 1hr
23 July, Up 1415, DT-Z, S D Training, X Country, 2hr
24 July, Up 1340, MZ S, Bomb jettisoning in North Sea, Spec OP Training, 2hrs 05m
25 July, Up 1115, NA U, Bomb jettisoning, Spec OP Tr., 1hr 40m
The flights on 1, 3 & 19 July are the same (or similar) to those by Smith and Crew of 462 Squadron (see log book on Oakes page)

 

On later pages, during George Bland's posting to 192 Squadron, also based at Foulsham ......
July 1945, 192 Squadron, Foulsham, Navigator for P/O Sharp, 30 and 31 July, both Up at 1435, both Spec Op training, 1hr 15m and 1hr 50m

August 1945, 192 Squadron, Navigator for P/O Sharp, 6 flights, all daylight – one a Cook's Tour taking WAAFs over Germany, and the others UK flights e.g. Spalding, Edzell (Scotland), Creake, air tests, air to sea tests).
The monthly log book entries for April to August 1945 were all signed off by S/Ldr John H Crotch of 192 Squadron.

On 11 August 1945, the personnel and aircraft of 192 Squadron were transferred to the newly formed "Radio Warfare Establishment" (RWE), with Group Captain C V D Willis in command; and 192 Squadron was officially disbanded with effect from 22 August 1945 (Ref: "Espionage in the Ether" by William J and John E Rees). Group Captain Charles Victor Douglas Willis, DSO, DFC, 33354, RAF was the former Commander of RAF Station Foulsham, while 462 Squadron was located there (photo at end of 462 Squadron page).

3 September 1945, RWE, last flight for Bland as Navigator for P/O Sharp, another Cook's Tour with WAAFs, 3hrs 55m. Most likely Sharp was then posted to an Air Crew Holding Unit, pending repatriation to New Zealand. Similarly, all RAAF personnel of 462 Squadron were posted to 9 ACHU, RAF Station Gamston during September 1945, and 462 Squadron was officially disbanded on 24 September 1945.

During September 1945, Bland recorded six subsequent flights from Foulsham with various Pilots (Foulsham to Edzell x 2, Grove x 2, York, High Ercall), presumably with the "Radio Warfare Establishment".

October, November and December 1945, and January 1946 – various day flights, and one night flight as Nav with F/O Anderson at RAF Watton, the new home base of the RWE.
February, March, April and May 1946 as Nav with various Pilots, frequently with F/O Anderson, also at RAF Watton.
Bland's flights at Watton included the use of Halifax, Fortress, Lancaster, and Anson aircraft. (Photos in "Espionage in the Ether" show Super Fortress aircraft of the RWE at RAF Watton.)

The monthly log book entries for September 1945 to May 1946 were signed by various S/Ldrs. All entries were also counter-signed by Wing Commander C V D Willis, the Commanding Officer of the RWE, thus indicating that Bland was posted to that establishment.

George Bland's flying times were 382hrs 35m day, and 261hrs 05m night, giving a total of 643hrs 40m.
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Connections with the Crew of Halifax III NA240, Z5-V (Pilot F/O A.D.J.Ball, including sole survivor F/Sgt M.J. Hibberd)

As the training dates and prior postings are not available for the members of the Sharp crew, it is not yet know if that crew and Alf Ball's crew had met previous to their postings to Foulsham.

November 1944 – Sharp and crew posted to 462 Squadron, Driffield; and on 29 December 1944, relocated with the Squadron from Driffield (4 Group) to Foulsham (100 Group).
16 February 1945 – Ball & crew were posted 462 Squadron, Foulsham.

The two crews flew in 3 Ops on the same date – 13 March, 16 March and 10 April.

13 March 1945 – Eleven 462 Squadron aircraft were tasked with a Special Duty Spoof Raid to Frankfurt (SD, SP, W, TI, I):-

Sharp, crew of 8 (over 20 Ops), Halifax NR239 Z5-D, Up 1736 down 2334, SDO Stewart Edmund Taylor; released WINDOW and dropped target indicators and incendiaries.
Ball, crew of 8 (1st Op), Halifax MZ913 Z5-N, Up 1755 down 2345, SDO John Francis Wall; released WINDOW and dropped target indicators and incendiaries; (crew's previous "1st" Op, 10 March was an early return, so not counted). Log book for Rear Gunner Hibberd records this Op as "Special Duties. Saw 2 fighters. No Flak. Quiet Trip. Flight time 5 hours 50 minutes."
Anderson, crew of 9 (over 15 Ops), Halifax NA240 Z5-V, Up 1743 down 2347, SDO Ronald George Irminger (WINDOW) and SDO J H Cohen, RCAF (Special Equipment Operator); released WINDOW and dropped incendiaries. This was the first Special Duties Op for this or any 462 Squadron Halifax fitted with the new and top secret Special Equipment for use in Radio Counter Measures. However the first Special Duties Training flight was on 3 March 1945 by Ball and crew (ORB Form 540 ..... “Weather was fine but still cold, with excellent flying conditions. During the afternoon ONE training cross country flight was carried out by P/O A.D. Ball. This flight was also the first training flight for the A.B.C. Special Duty Operators, and the first time that A.B.C. aircraft had flown in this Squadron.”

16 March 1945 – Three 462 Squadron aircraft were tasked with a Special Duty Spoof Raid to Hanua (sic, Hanau) (SD, SP, W, I):-

Sharp, crew of 8, Halifax PN442 Z5-H, Up 1840 down 0100, SDO Stewart Edmund Taylor; released WINDOW and dropped incendiaries; diverted to Woodbridge and landed there due to unserviceable brakes.
Ball, crew of 9 (3rd Op), Halifax NA240 Z5-V, Up 1829 down 0200, SDO Stanley Ernest Tills (WINDOW) and SDO Leslie Pugh (Special Equipment Operator); released WINDOW and dropped incendiaries; landed at Watton. This was only the second Special Duties Op for NA240 with any crew. Log book for Rear Gunner Hibberd records this Op as "Special Duties with Special Operator. Severe Icing. Landed Away. Flight time 7 hours 45 minutes (sic)."
The 3rd crew was McGindle, crew of 8, Halifax MZ431 Z5-J, Up 1832, down 0040 at Foulsham; SDO Douglas Charles Henry Farrington.

10 April 1945 – Ten 462 Squadron aircraft were tasked on the night –
seven on the Window Force on a Spoof to Plauen (SD SP W B I),
one on a Protective Patrol with the Window Force to Plauen (PP B), and
two on a Protective Patrol with the Main Force to Leipzig (PP B).

This crew is recorded in the ORB as one of the seven tasked with the Special Duties flight to Plauem (sic, Plauen) on a Spoof Raid.
Sharp, crew of 8, Halifax PN450 Z5-L, Up 1838 down 0219, SDO Stewart Edmund Taylor; released WINDOW and dropped bombs and incendiaries. One of the other seven crews on the Windows Force to Plauen was the Whatling crew – see John W. Harris page.
The log book entry dated 10 April 1945 for Sharp's Navigator, George Bland, lists the target as Dessau. It is puzzling to note that the log book entry dated 10 April 1945 for Whatling's Navigator John Harris, also lists the Special Duty target as Dessau, which is about 50 km north of the Main Force target of Leipzig. Their actual Feint/Spoof target (according to the ORB) was Plauen which is about 100 km south of Leipzig. The reason for this discrepancy is not known, however Dessau may have been the last co-ordinate for those aircraft before they branched off to Plauen (?). Which are correct – the log books, or the ORB pages? Various sources have been consulted, including Bomber Command War Diaries, Chorley (Bomber Command Losses 1945), and others. Any additional information would be appreciated (contact).

This crew is recorded in the ORB as one of the two tasked with the Protective Patrol with the Main Force to Leipzig.
Ball, crew of 8 (5th Op), Halifax NA240 Z5-V, Up 1910, failed to return, SDO John Heggarty (Special Equipment Operator); seven of crew KIA, Rear Gunner Maxwell James Hibberd was sole survivor and PoW, later escapee; Log book for Rear Gunner Hibberd records this Op as "SPECIAL DUTIES OPERATION, LEIPZIG, BALED OUT".
The other PP to Leipzig was by Frazer & Crew – see the page for Arthur Herbert De Leacy for details of their Op, and comments by Pilot William John Frazer regarding the arrival of NA240 Z5-V at Foulsham.

Sharp and Crew were seasoned veterans of 462 Squadron, whereas Ball & Crew (NA240) were relatively new to the Squadron. Both Crews would have attended the pre-flight briefing, and any Aircrew trade briefings, so the crew members would have known each other. All of Sharp's crew were NCOs, either W/O, F/Sgt or Sgt. It is assumed that at some time in the Sergeant's Mess, they would have met up with the five NCO's of Ball's Crew (Sgt F. Brookes, F/Sgt N. V. Evans, F/Sgt M. J. Hibberd, F/Sgt J. M. Tait & W/O R. R. Taylor). After the non-return of NA240 and the Ball crew on the night of the 10 April, there were most likely discussions in the Mess regarding their fate. However, life went on, with the Sharp crew on Ops on 13, 14, 17 and 22 April, and two of the crew also on an Op with the Lodder crew on 15 April (see comments in a previous section).

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