| Accession Number | P07673.001 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Negative |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | United Kingdom: England, Lincolnshire |
| Date made | c 1944 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Group portrait of 101 Squadron (Sqn), RAF, aircrew (with a golliwog mascot), standing in front of ...
Description
Group portrait of 101 Squadron (Sqn), RAF, aircrew (with a golliwog mascot), standing in front of their Lancaster aircraft 'G' George, (SR-G), Serial Number LM457. Identified, back row from left: Sergeant (Sgt) Jock Laws, Rear Gunner, RAF; Sgt Dennis Goodliffe, Flight Engineer, RAF; Sgt Phil Medway, Wireless Operator, RAF; Flying Officer (FO) Stan Licquorish, Navigator, RCAF; FO Ken Fillingham, Pilot, RAF; Sgt Jack Salisbury, Mid Upper Gunner, RAF. Front row: Ken Connell, Bomb Aimer, RCAF; 424428 FO Adrian Montague Marks, Special Duty Operator (SDO), RAAF. As a SDO and eighth crew member, FO Marks was trained in the use of electronic jamming equipment (known as Airborne Cigar or ABC), which was installed in 101 Sqn Lancasters from September 1943. The equipment was used for jamming a range of German radio frequencies with the aim of preventing Luftwaffe ground controllers from communicating with their night fighters. SDOs could also speak German. FO Marks is wearing his lucky scarf, which was knitted by a girlfriend in Australia. He wore it on all of his 31 operations, which he completed between February and July 1944. The importance of the activities of 101 Sqn was not lost on the Luftwaffe, which made every effort to locate and destroy the modified Lancasters. 101 Sqn, RAF, flew more sorties than any other Bomber Command squadron and suffered the highest losses in the RAF during the Second World War. The squadron's nominal strength consisted of 26 aircraft at any given time with eight crew members per aircraft. By the end of the war in Europe, the squadron sustained 1,176 aircrew killed and had lost 146 aircraft (including 33 in accidents).