Page 8 - 576 Squadron History

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On the 22/23 May the Squadron detailed 17 Lancasters and crews to attack Dortmund. Pilot
Officer R. R. Reed DSO and his excellent and very experienced and decorated crew failed to
return from this operation. All the crew were killed when the aircraft crashed at Hiddingsel. The
Rear Gunner was Flight Lieutenant F. Hill OBE, DFC who was the Squadron Gunnery Leader and
a very popular and highly respected member of the Squadron.

The month finished with two good attacks on the railway system at Aachen on the 24/25 and
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27/28 for the loss of 2 more Lancasters and crews.
During May the Squadron had operated on 14 nights detailing 149 sorties from which 7 failed to
return. Flight Lieutenant S. Slater was promoted to Squadron Leader and took
over command of ‘B’ Flight.

As D Day approached coastal gun positions at Calais and Wimereux were bombed and on the eve
of D Day, the 5/6 June 1944, 576 Squadron detailed 18 Lancasters and crews to bomb gun
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batteries at St Martin-de-Varreville on the Normandy coast.

D Day and Beyond

The long awaited invasion of Western Europe came early on the 6 June 1944 and 576 Squadron
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were detailed to attack 2 railway bridges at Vire that night. The objective was to disrupt
communications between the invasion area and other parts of France and prevent the Germans
using the railway line which ran through Vire to bring up reinforcements and supplies to the battle
area at a critical time in the invasion plan. 19 Lancasters and crews were detailed by the Squadron
for this operation which was completed for the loss of 1 Lancaster. Flying Officer G. A. J. Bain
R.C.A.F and crew were shot down by a night fighter just after bombing. The rear gunner, Sergeant
G. Humphreys, was killed but 6 of the crew bailed out. Several were fired at by Germans on the
ground as they descended in their parachutes but fortunately landed safely with the exception of
Flying Officer Bain who sustained a broken leg. 5 of this crew successfully evaded with the help of
gallant French civilians who hid them until they could be handed over to Allied Forces a
few weeks later.

On the 9/10 June the Squadron attacked the Luftwaffe airfield at Flers and made a brief return to
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Germany 2 nights later. This was a very successful attack on a synthetic oil plant at
Gelsenkirchen. The pathfinders used the improved version of the Oboe blind bombing device and
the attack was a brilliant success.

The Squadron took part in its first daylight raid on the 14 June when 20 Lancasters and crews
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were detailed to attack the German E Boat base at Le Havre in another successful raid. This was
followed 2 days later by a night raid on the synthetic oil plant at Sterkrade when 2 Lancaster of the
20 detailed by the Squadron failed to return. These were those of Pilot Officer A. Puttock and crew
and Flying Officer G. E. Stockdale R.C.A.F and crew.

The V3 long range gun site at Mimoyecques was the target in another daylight raid on the 22
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June. Operations for June concluded with a similar daylight raid on a V1 site,
this time at Oisemont in France.

During June the Squadron had participated in 15 operations, 4 in daylight, and detailed 267 sorties
for a loss of 4 Lancasters and crews. This had been an exceptionally busy time for the Squadron
with the air and ground crews and all other station personnel working flat out. This situation was to
continue for some time.