Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
Thanks Yves for this great information. Also based on the info you provide and data that I found, I am now able to build the teams that where send over to attack 3 different targets that day. Helped a lot!!! Thank you once more!Hi there!
There are several search machines for RAF-serials and you can easily find them. This one for example:
Z2157 was a Boston Mk.III, and was manufactured as DB-7B. Below are all RAF-serials for Mk.III:Boston III Z2157 [Royal Air Force Aircraft Serial and Image Database]
This is a individual page for Aircraft Boston III Z2157 of the Royal Air Force. You may find some details of its career, loss details, maybe a photograph, and whatever mention of the serial that occurs in the forum. At the very least you will end up knowing what type of aircraft carried this...www.rafcommands.com
View attachment 628829
I checked the Operations Record Book of No.107 Sqdr. for November 7, 1942 and all Bostons have 4-men crews - see below.
It was not uncommon that the same a/c was manned differently, based on war theater, specific air force, type of mission etc.
Cheers!
You are very welcome!Thanks Yves for this great information. Also based on the info you provide and data that I found, I am now able to build the teams that where send over to attack 3 different targets that day. Helped a lot!!! Thank you once more!
You are very welcome!
I think I have Douglas' c/ns (construction numbers) for the 2 blocks of Boston Mk.III - I'll post them in this thread if I find them any soon. In this way you can find the c/n of Z2157.
If you want to search for some more information about No.107 Squadron (who knows what one can find) check here: Search results: No.107 squadron | The National Archives
There are 389 downloadable documents (one of which I already posted partially). You just need to register/log in and they are for free.
Regards!
Hallo Yves,Hi there!
There are several search machines for RAF-serials and you can easily find them. This one for example:
Z2157 was a Boston Mk.III, and was manufactured as DB-7B. Below are all RAF-serials for Mk.III:Boston III Z2157 [Royal Air Force Aircraft Serial and Image Database]
This is a individual page for Aircraft Boston III Z2157 of the Royal Air Force. You may find some details of its career, loss details, maybe a photograph, and whatever mention of the serial that occurs in the forum. At the very least you will end up knowing what type of aircraft carried this...www.rafcommands.com
View attachment 628829
I checked the Operations Record Book of No.107 Sqdr. for November 7, 1942 and all Bostons have 4-men crews - see below.
It was not uncommon that the same a/c was manned differently, based on war theater, specific air force, type of mission etc.
Cheers!
Hello Geoffrey,No information on the details of the RAF changes, however since the RAAF tended to follow RAF recommendations,
RAAF Boston crew for General Purpose or Dive Bomber mission 20 July 1942, memo marked cancelled
1 Pilot, Officer or Airman
1 Air Observer, Officer or Airman
1 Wireless Air Gunner, Officer or Airman
RAAF Boston crew for Intruder mission as of 22 August 1942
1 Pilot, Officer or Airman
1 Air Observer, Officer or Airman
2 Wireless Air Gunner, Officer or Airman (May be air gunner(s))
RAAF Boston crew for Intruder mission as of 3 December 1942
1 Pilot, Officer or Airman
2 Wireless Air Gunner, Officer or Airman (1 may be air gunner)
Hello EwenS,I can't put my finger on anything precise at the moment but there are a few things worthy of note.
Firstly 2 Group squadrons in Bomber Command started to convert from Blenheims to Bostons from Sept 1941. 88 (9/41), 226 (11/41) and 107 (1/42; operational from 3/42) being the first. So 3 place crews simply changed from one type to the other. The first operational use was on 12 Feb 1942.
The losses in these squadrons in 1941 had been pretty horrendous, as the CO 2 Group, AVM Stevenson was fixed on using low level bombing tactics when raids were not carried out in conjunction with Fighter Command big sweeps. The losses even worried Churchill apparently. The end of Dec 1941 saw a change of Command with AVM Lees taking over.
I have a recollection that tactics were changed at some point, with raids being carried out from medium level going forward. There would be no point in a Boston crew having a belly gunner on a low level raid, but there might be on a medium level raid.
The other 2 Boston squadrons in Britain at this time were 23 (alongside Havoc I from 2/42) and 418 (newly formed 11/41, operations from 3/42). But these were part of Fighter Command and were flying night intruder sorties. Did these continue to operate with 3 man crews?
Maybe the ORBs of these other squadrons might shed some light.
With regard to the Bostons used by the RAAF, 22 squadron RAAF was the only operational user. Many of their aircraft had the navigator's position in the nose filled with an additional 4x0.5" guns for use in the low level strafing role in New Guinea. Later still they received solid nosed A-20G as replacements. Those aircraft would have been limited to 3 crew as a result.