Page 9 - 576 Squadron History

The popular Squadron Commanding officer, Wing Commander G. T. B. Clayton DFC, left on the
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25 June and was succeeded by Wing Commander B. D. Sellick DFC. In addition Flight
Lieutenant B. Templeman-Rooke was promoted to Squadron Leader and took over
command of ‘A’ Flight.

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The hectic pace of operations continued throughout July 1944 and started on the 2 of the month
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with a daylight attack on the V1 launching site at Domléger-Longvillers. On the 4 July 16
Lancasters and crews were detailed by the Squadron for a raid on the railway yards at Orleans.
Sergeant K. West, the air bombardier in Pilot Officer E. A. Cartwright’s crew, was killed by flak
over the target and the bombs had to be dropped by the flight engineer. Pilot Officer D. F. J.
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Baxter R.C.A.F and crew were shot down in the target area and all killed. On the 7 July a daylight
raid was mounted in support of land forces on fortified strong points north of the French town of
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Caen where the Germans were still holding out. On the 12/13 and 14/15 July 576 Squadron
detailed 19 and 12 Lancasters and crews respectively for attacks on the railway junction at
Revigny. From the first raid Pilot Officer C. Hart and crew were lost in a collision with another
Lancaster in the target area. This aircraft strayed off track and into the path of a No.5 Group raid
on Culmont. There is a memorial near the crash site to commemorate Pilot Officer Hart and the 4
others in the crew who were killed and also a French school teacher, Max Duville, who was
murdered by the Germans for giving them false information in an attempt to stop them finding the
location of the 2 survivors, Sergeant O. J. Glenny R.C.A.F and Sergeant P. H. Keeler. Both these
airmen were later taken prisoner of war. The Lancaster of Flying Officer E. H. Mann R.C.A.F and
crew was damaged by flak. From the second raid Flying Officer R. E. Linklater R.C.A.F and crew
failed to return having been shot down by a night fighter and crashing near Vitry-le-Croise
with no survivors.

A very successful attack followed on the 18/19 July when 576 detailed 14 Lancasters and crews
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as part of a force that attacked the oil plant at Schloven Bauer. On the 23/24 July 576 Squadron
took part in a heavy and devastating attack on Kiel in which the U Boat yards and naval facilities
were severely damaged. On this operation Flight Lieutenant W. A. Rainey and crew were involved
in a combat with a single engine enemy night fighter and claimed it as destroyed. Stuttgart was
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raided on the 24/25 July and 16 Lancasters and crews were detailed for this attack by the
Squadron. This was always a difficult target for Bomber Command being situated in a series of
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narrow valleys. This raid and the 2 that followed on the 25/26 and 28/29 proved particularly
devastating. The Lancaster of Flying Officer R. J. Sarvis U.S.A.A.F and crew was seriously
damaged and the aircraft headed for the Normandy area. 6 of the crew bailed out. Four
parachuted into territory held by the Allies and two, Sergeant A. Balfour and Sergeant J. M. Weir,
evaded. Flying Officer Sarvis crash landed the Lancaster in Normandy but died in the crash. His
remains were only recovered for burial in 1990. Flying Officer Sarvis was a member of the
U.S.A.A.F seconded to the R.A.F.

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The last raid to Stuttgart on the 28/29 July proved a very costly operation. There was
considerable night fighter activity and the Lancasters and crews of Flying Officer E. H. Mann DFC
R.C.A.F, Flying Officer J. Archibald R.N.Z.A.F, Flying Officer R. W. Brown and Flight Lieutenant H.
A. F. Smith failed to return. In addition 4 crews were involved in combats but returned to base.

During July the Squadron had participated in 16 operations, 7 by day. 236 sorties were detailed
and 8 failed to return. The month was notable for the highly successful daylight operations in
support of the armies in the Normandy area.