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CD Track listing

1-5. Berlin Raid (W Vaughan Thomas) (1943) 8.43
6. 617 Sqdn/Martin crew interview (1944) 7.14
7. Guy Gibson VC interview (1943) 5.08
8. Augsburg raid (John Nettleton VC) (1942) 2.53
9. Lancaster bomber station (1944) 5.59
10. Tallboys on Berchtesgaden/9 Sqdn (1945) 3.31
11. George Thompson VC (1945) 7.11

1-5. LANCASTER ACTUALITY: BERLIN RAID  (8.43)
On the night of 3/4 September 1943 BBC correspondent Wynford Vaughn Thomas and recording engineer Reginald Pidsley flew to Berlin on board Lancaster EM-F for Freddie of 207 Squadron, then based at RAF Langar in Nottinghamshire. On this mission F-Freddie was piloted by Flight Lieutenant Ken Letford. This raid involved 316 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitoes, which dropped 'spoof' flares at a distance from the heavy bombers' route to mislead German night fighters. Although both marking and bombing mostly fell short, the industrial area of Siemensstadt was hit, as well as residential areas of Charlottenburg and Moabit. 422 people were listed as killed on the ground. 22 Lancasters were lost.

During the war 207 Squadron suffered the fourth highest overall percentage losses in Bomber Command, and the highest percentage losses in 5 Group. Thomas and Pidsley demonstrated astonishing bravery in volunteering to fly on the raid, and their recordings, edited and broadcast within 12 hours of landing at Langar, were the making of Thomas as a BBC correspondent. On these extracts the emphasis is on intercom dialogue, including part of the bomb run and the destruction of a German night fighter. In-flight actuality recordings were made using direct cut acetates, made on portable disc cutters which provided a sound recording that could be replayed instantly. At altitude in a Lancaster, Pidsley had to place the uncut discs inside his flying jacket to warm them up, as otherwise the ultra low temperatures made the disc lacquer too brittle to cut.

6. DAMBUSTERS: 617 AIRCREW INTERVIEW  (7.14)
Three members of the crew of Lancaster AJ-P 'Popsie' of 617 Squadron interviewed by Roy Lee on 31 May 1944. All are Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) personnel. Pilot Squadron Leader Harold 'Mick' Martin (DSO and Bar, DFC and Bar) pays tribute to his previous front gunner, Flight Sergeant Harry Smith, now missing in action; rear gunner Flying Officer Thomas Simpson (DFC, DFM) describes the attack on the Mohne dam on the night of 16/17 May 1943; front gunner Flying Officer Bertie Foxlee (DFC, DFM) also describes the breaching of the Mohne dam, and a subsequent mission to the south of France. AJ-P Popsie was the third aircraft to attack the Mohne dam, bombing from just 60 feet, although her Upkeep bomb overshot the target.

7. GUY GIBSON INTERVIEW  (5.08)
Extract from a radio interview recorded in Canada with Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC in late 1943. Here Gibson talks about Anglo-American cooperation, his attitude toward facing death, and the eventual defeat of Germany. Note that Gibson hints 617 Squadron fully expected to take heavy losses on the Dams raid in May 1943.

8. AUGSBURG RAID: LANCASTER VC  (2.53)
An account by Squadron Leader John Nettleton VC, a Lancaster pilot with 44 Squadron, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in the experimental, low-level attack on Augsburg on 17 April 1942. The MAN diesel works in Augsburg produced engines for U-boats, and the raid was requested by the Admiralty. Nettleton lead a force of 12 Lancaster bombers from 97 and 44 Squadrons in daylight over 500 miles, then pressed home the attack from beneath 50 feet. Flak and fighters took a heavy toll, and only half the force returned. The Lancaster entered service early in 1942, and the daring Augsburg raid represented a relatively early operation for the type. Recorded 19 April 1942. John Dering Nettleton (born 1917) was a Rhodesian pilot, killed on 13 July 1943 when his aircraft was shot down over the Bay of Biscay while returning from a raid on Turin (Italy).

9.  AT A LANCASTER BOMBER STATION  (5.59)
Canadian war correspondent Stewart MacPherson interviews the station commander, and Lancaster aircrew on their return from a raid. Unit and location not identified. On the night of 24/25 March 1944 a total of 811 aircraft were sent to Berlin, including 577 Lancasters, 216 Halifaxes and 18 Mosquitoes. 72 aircraft were lost, mostly to flak, but with 14 claimed by night fighters in the target area. A strong southerly wind plagued the mission, scattering the bomber stream and causing difficulties in marking the target. Most of the damage in Berlin was to the south-west, where much housing was destroyed and 20,000 civilians made homeless. Some 150 people were killed on the ground. Several industrial and military targets were also hit, including the depot of a Waffen SS division in Lichterfelde. This attack proved to be the RAF's last major raid on Berlin.

10. TALLBOYS ON BERCHTESGADEN  (3.31)
Recorded 25.4.1945. A series of recordings made at RAF Bardney in Lincolnshire by and with aircrew of 9 Squadron, including Wing Commander J.M. Bazin, Flight Sergeant E.J. Cutting (a rear gunner), Squadron Leader J.D. Melrose and Flight Lieutenant Campbell DFC. Also with commentary by Brian Bliss. This unit operated Lancasters, and together with 617 Squadron were one of only two squadrons which specialised in precision strikes with the huge 12,000 lb Tallboy 'earthquake' bomb, developed by Barnes Wallis and used to sink the Tirpitz. The April 1945 raid on Hitler's mountain retreat (the Berghof) near Berchtesgaden in Bavaria was the last mainforce raid made by Bomber Command during the Second World War.

11. GEORGE THOMPSON VC  (7.11)
Flight Sergeant George 'Tommy' Thompson was a wireless operator with 9 Squadron, operating Lancasters from Bardney. On 1 January 1945 his aircraft (PD 377U) took part in a daylight raid on the Dortmund-Ems Canal, and had just released its bombs when it was hit by heavy calibre anti-aircraft fire. This shattered the nose, started several fires, disabled the intercom and left the bomb doors hanging open. Despite the gaping hole, flames and exploding ammunition Thompson twice negotiated his way down the burning fuselage to rescue the mid-upper and tail gunners, both trapped and ablaze, sustaining severe burns to his own legs, hands and face in the process. Having lost height steadily for an hour the Lancaster crash-landed near the Dutch village of Heesh. Although 'burned beyond recognition', Thompson still managed to congratulate the pilot, Flying Officer F.H. Denton, but died of his injuries three weeks later on 23 January. This recording by Denton was made on 12 February 1945. George Thompson was born in Trinity Gask, Perthshire (23.10.1920) and was a grocer before war broke out. His medal is displayed at the National War Museum of Scotland (Edinburgh Castle).

All audio content released under licence from CD41. The copyright in these restored sound recordings and labelcopy is owned and controlled by CD41 2009. Visit CD41 and view our catalogue at www.ltmrecordings.com/cd41home.html

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To celebrate the launch the Avro Lancaster bookazine, Aviation Classics are offering an exclusive Lancaster at War audio CD to all our readers.* Not only does this 40 minute compilation CD contain restored sound recordings of Lancaster Aircrew made during an operation to Berlin, you can also enjoy a rare Guy Gibson interview, where he shares his attitude toward the eventual defeat of Germany, plus the expected losses on the Dams raid in May 1943.
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