RAF Bomber Squadrons

[Jester]

Anyone know of a good website that lists all the RAF BOMBER SQUADRONS of WW2 and list their histories, Unit Crests, etc.?

Thanks.   

[Fencer51]

http://www.rafweb.org/Org-index.htm#Squadrons

Get it while you can, they are redoing their website and links are disappearing.  I hope they retain this information in some format, it is very useful for Scenario design.

[Guppy35]

This one is out there too

http://www.rafcommands.currantbun.com/Bomber/indexB.html

[Jester]

Thanks Guys - exactly what I was looking for.   

If we ever meet up I owe you a cold one.

 

[Angus]

Read up well on 617 sqn 

[Scherf]

The 617 Squadron Operations Record Book is "out there" in pdf format somewhere.

[MiloMorai]

http://www.dambusters.org.uk/docs/recordbook.pdf

[Jester]

Read up well on 617 sqn 

Actually reading a book on 617 SQUADRON now - BEYOND THE DAMS TO THE TIRPITZ by Alan Cooper. Pretty good reading. It describes all their missions between the two events.

Thanks for the link Milo.   

[Jester]

OK, got another question about British Bombers you guys might can help me with.

The lettering that identified a bomber and squadron painted on the side - for example:  KC @ D

The RAF had a different "naming" (for lack of a better discription) of the alphabet than the US used. For example some of the ones I do know of are:

P for Popsie
T for Tommy
S for Sugar

Can anyone tell me what all the names for the letters the RAF used on aircraft or poit me to a website that shows it.

Thanks again.   

[Scherf]

D Dog or Dorothy
K King
O Oboe
A Apple
F Freddie
R Robert

Prolly have the rest at home somewhere

[RTHolmes]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet#History

[Jester]

Tks Holmes - exactly what I needed.   

Funny, in some of the books I am reading and in my photo collections - some of the bombers have a mix of the WWI & WW2 names and some of the completely different.

Example:
Of 617 SQDN.'s Lancasters were listed as "W for WILLIE" & "P for POPSIE" instead of the standard names. I wonder if this is just a mistake on the part of the author?

Tks again.

 

[RTHolmes]

I think these are probably unofficial names used by the squadron internally. some of the alphabet was ok because it already used names like "William", but who really wants to fly around in a Lanc called "Pudding"? 

[MiloMorai]

One of the Lancs with the most missions flown had the code PO+S.

[Angus]

I've spent hours on Bravo-Alpha-Romeo missions with a WW2 ace