Page 5 - Eugene Patrick Collins

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Returning at 18-03pm on the evening of the 24 August to the former U.S.A.A.F Base at
Glatton (Station 130), just west of Peterbourgh. This station up to June 1945 had been the
home of the 748th, 749th, 750th and 751st Bombardment Squadrons of the 457th
Bombardment Group (Heavy), United States Army Air Force. The airfield now being one of
the many former American airfields being used by the Royal Air Force as a Relieving Centre
for repatriated Prisoners of War. The Lancaster on this last operation was RF 200, D-Donald.
Jimmy was on this, his last operation as mid upper gunner.

Records indicate that on this operation the crew’s usual mid upper gunner, Flight Sergeant
Hartnett was not on board, the rear gunners position on the Lancaster not being manned.
Flight Sergeant Hartnett had been on the Operation ʻDodgeʼ flight to Pomigiano on the 11 to
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13 August. Jimmy on that operation had not been required to man the rear turret.
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576 Squadron disbanded on the 13 September 1945. The squadron personnel were split
between 50 and 61 Squadrons now based at RAF Sturgate near Gainsbough, Jimmy going
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to 50 Squadron on the 16 September.

This airfield, the last class 'A' bomber airfield constructed as part of the wartime airfield
building programme was never used operationally. 50 Squadron stayed at RAF Sturgate
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until 23 October 1946 when the squadron was transferred to RAF Waddington, to the
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south of Lincoln. Jimmy stayed with 50 Squadron until 9 December 1946, then was posted
to the Signals Development Unit at West Drayton. His duties at this unit are not known.
Finally Jimmy was posted to 101 Personnel Dispatch Unit Kirkham, Blackpool and on the
12 February 1947 he was discharged from the Royal Air Force having served his Country
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to the fullest.

This link takes the viewer to a video of what Jimmy would have seen looking out of his rear
turret position. In this video the fighter is a 617 Squadron Tornado GR4.

Avro Lancaster Rear Turret view

This video shows a demonstration by the ground staff at the Canadian Air Museum on how
the rear gunner operated the turret.

Avro Lancaster Mk10 Rear Turret demonstration