Bomber Command 5 Group "Raid Cards"

David Layne · 20-03-2008, 08:36 PM

5 Group issued "Raid Cards' to crew members who's aircraft photographs showed that they had successfully bombed the aiming point.

I am going to add these cards and particulars of the crews involvement in the raid taken from Squadron Orb's. These examples are all from 97 Squadron.

ED430C Sgts K.Brown, M.Hogg, F.N.Alexander, S/Lt W.H.Lett, Sgts J.Curry, J.T.Sullivan, L.C.Boyton. 1 x 4000lb 12 SBC. Up 1805 Down 2359. Lorient successfully attacked. Bombed on red TI markers but identified aiming point visually by rivers and docks. Many fires seen burning in aiming point and in town. Very successful trip.

Of interest here is Sub/Lt. Lett of the Fleet Air Arm being a member of the crew. I would imagine as L'Orient was a Naval target.

I invite comment and am curious if board members know of the existence of other raid cards and the artist responsible for them.

David Layne · 20-03-2008, 08:40 PM

Same crew, this time a trip to Milan. Again a Fleet Air Arm Officer as a crew member, this time Sub/Lt. Watt.

W4197A Sgts K.Brown, M.Hogg, F.N.Alexander, S/Lt D.S.Watt, Sgts J.Curry, J.T.Sullivan, L.C.Boyton. 1 x 4000lb 4 SBC. Up 1846 Down 0431. Primary objective successfully attacked. Good visibility. Bombed on TI markers. Built up area identified visually. Own bursts seen. Half the town seemed well alight.

David Layne · 20-03-2008, 08:45 PM

Here the Brown crew go to St. Nazaire.

ED425E Sgts K.Brown, M.Hogg, F.N.Alexander, F/L J.A.Grieves, J.Curry, J.T.Sullivan, L.C.Boyton. 1 x 4000lb 12 SBC. Up 1831 Down 2344. Primary objective successfully attacked from 13,500’. Consdierable ground haze. Bombed on red TI markers which were in sights. Coast line identified visually. Number of small fires seen which increased as we left.

David Layne · 20-03-2008, 08:56 PM

I am not sure if the next two examples I have for your perusal qualify as "Raid Cards" but they are interest nevertheless.

This one is again the Brown crew on a trip to La Spezia. Once more the Fleet Air Arm is represented by the presence of Sub/Lt. Watt, and again the target is a Naval installation.

ED588H Sgts K.Brown, V.Baker (2nd Pilot), H.Hogg (F/E), F.H.Alexander, Lt D.S.Watt, Sgts J.Curry, J.T.Sullivan, L.C.Boyton. 4 x 1000lb 7 SBC. Up 2043 Down 0708. Spezia target attacked. No cloud but much smoke – 8,000’. Aiming point in sights – bombed two large ships with HEs. One ship at least probably hit. Scattered fires observed in town area. Best fires were in docks west of target.

Ralph Cochrane A.O.C. of 5 Group has signed this example.

The artist of this sketch is A. Pollen P/O.

David Layne · 20-03-2008, 09:10 PM

Finally another one for La Spezia. This one for the Fletcher crew and they carried Sub/Lt. Lett of the Fleet Air Arm on this trip.

ED425E F/O R.A.Fletcher, Sgt J.H.Mason (2nd Pilot), F/Sgt M.I Robertson, S/Lt W.H.Lett, F/Sgt W.N.Layne, Sgt E.White, P/O D.W.Bale. 4 x 1000lb 7 SBC. Up 2039 Down 0658. Believed primary target attacked. Weather clear but ground obscured by smoke. Timed run from Palmeira Island, but even east coast line was obscured by smoke. Bombs dropped on fires and ETA from Palmeira. Bursts seen through smoke.

We can see that A. Pollen P/O 1942 was again the artist. I would imagine he did a number of them in advance and sold them to crew members after filling in relevant details for each raid.

I have seen other examples of Pollen's work and am curious if this forum (Which has the Font of all knowledge) can find other examples and tell me more about Pollen. I would like to have a Pollen count.

Incidentally 4 days after the La Spezia raid 97 Squadron was transferred from 5 Group to 8 Group Pathfinder Force.

Kyt · 20-03-2008, 11:03 PM

Those are fascinating. I have never across anything similar before. David, have you heard of/seen any other squadron's cards? They may be a 97 innovation.

David Layne · 20-03-2008, 11:42 PM

I have seen other examples of Pollens work but I am not sure if they were with 97 or not. I saved an example but a computer crash lost it.

As far as the "Raid Cards" by the unknown artist I know nothing beyond what I have posted. I am presuming that it was a 5 Group thing.

I am hoping a forum "think in" can explain more.

David Layne · 20-03-2008, 11:57 PM

Kyt. Can you come up with anything on P/O A. Pollen? I don't know what squadron he was with.

I note that he "signed" picture No. 5 "P/O A. Pollen 1942." I am presuming 1942 is the date that he got his commission as the La Spezia trip was April 1943.

Kyt · 21-03-2008, 12:20 AM

A likely candidate is Arthur Joseph Lawrence POLLEN (109650), who was commissioned as a P/O on I7th Oct. 1941, and F/O almost exactly a year later. He was in the Admin and Special Duties Branch (so basically he could have been an adjutant or something similar)

Mentioned in Despatches 2 June 1944.

If it is him then he seems to have been of pedigree, as he appears here thePeerage.com - Person Page 14960 His age wouldn't have precluded him from non-operational duties, and it is noted that he was a sculpture, so had artistic skills.

Just a hunch

David Layne · 24-04-2008, 10:40 PM

I have found 2 more Pollen's and a "Raid Card" by the unknown (to me ) artist.

I found these when searching for a picture of Churchill with a Lancaster. I had no luck with the Churchill/Lancaster picture so if anyone can come up with a picture I would be obliged if you could forward it to me.