Family history research occasionally draws me to Ludford, Lincolnshire, where I sometimes meet others on a similar quest, albeit connected with the renowned 101 Squadron, who flew from the nearby former wartime airfield. On a recent-ish visit, I met one of the latter, the grandson of a onetime “Eighth Man,” a Radio Countermeasures Special Operator aboard one of their specially equipped Lancasters. A proper conversation was difficult due to Covid circumstances, but my attention was drawn to the following site, which is worth a read: Jewish RAF Special Operators in Radio Counter Measures with 101 Squadron about this specialist Squadron. It includes a fair list of some Spec Ops names etc. One tangential snippet from the section about wider electronic warfare that caught my eye was a suggestion that the pilot of the Junkers Ju88 G-1 who landed at Woodbridge emergency landing strip on 13 Jul 44 may have been induced to do so: “Gerhard Heilig remembers meeting a Czech WAAF sergeant while on leave at an émigré club in London who told him how false instructions in German were transmitted to the enemy at her ground interception station. One evening they guided a lost German pilot to the Woodbridge airfield in Essex and found he was flying a Junker 88 with the latest equipment - a major catch for British Intelligence.” although this claim would have represented an extraordinary (at the very least) breach of OPSEC, if anything like true ....... and I would have imagined a Spec Op doing something about it. However, more about the Ju88 acquisition event is at: File:Ju 88 woodbridge.pdf - Wikimedia Commons and: Captured Ju 88 Radar Nightfighter I wonder if anyone here can add to that alleged enterprise? Lastly, contributor AB64 might note the bittersweet piece: “In addition, many remain keen not to reveal their true background, having first been excluded, humiliated and expelled from their countries of birth and then, on arriving poverty-stricken in Britain, been mistrusted and interned before being allowed to serve only in non-combatant units such as the Pioneer Corps. Only later were they permitted to strike back at their oppressors - in many cases the murderers of their families - by enlisting in fighting units. Such experiences have in some cases left their emotional mark to this day. Once in 101, they soon integrated and became close friends with their crew-mates, even though they arrived later than many others who had trained together, and had in some cases already had special training for secret work. Few if any questions were asked about religious affiliation” in connection with his thread: Friendly “Enemy Alien” Paybooks
I have a 2 tour logbook, his first tour was with 101 and the last portion of it was in the period of 8 men crews, not sure who who the Operator was in his crew or where he was from
I have the ORB for the squadron and would be happy to fill in that blank for you. Or blanks as not all ABC operators had the same crew for their entire tours. Regards, Dave
Cheers Dave, I have the ORB's - looking at the change from 7 to 8 man crew it looks like Reginald Sydney Cornwall was their Operator but he was later killed just after they had finished their tour
Thanks Alastair. He was the ABC man on the Rowland crew. Help regarding Lancaster LM367 crash at Lautenthal, Germany. 14.1.1944 Best, Dave
So having started this thread in Ludford, I now find myself, bizarrely, transported in memory to the early 80s and being in Lautenthal, again, having padded along the Innerste valley and then round to Seesen, which always had the suffix ‘Gap’ at that time. I may have walked past the LM367 crash site perhaps half a dozen times, maybe more .... Wish I’d been aware at the time.
In case it's of interest the Book 'Carried on the Wind' by Sean Feast details the story of '8th Man' Ted Manners from 101 squadron.
