Carpe Diem - 576 Squadron RAF

CREW MEMBER PROFILE

First Name/s:

Charles William Francis "Chas or Charlie"

Service No/s:

1321147 & 148387

Air Bomber

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Date	Event	Aircraft Flown
SERVICE RECORDS
29 Jun 1941 29 Jun 1941	Enlisted at Oxford as Aircraftman Second Class (AC2), aged 19. He was recommended for training as Observer or Pilot and mustered as Aircrew Hand (ACH) / Observer
30 Jun 1941 30 Jun 1941	Transferred to the Reserve pending call-up
06 Oct 1941 06 Oct 1941	Called up at No.1 Aircrew Reception Centre (ACRC), St John's Wood, London
18 Oct 1941 18 Oct 1941	No.1 Initial Training Wing (ITW), Babbacombe, Devon
11 Dec 1941 11 Dec 1941	Promoted to Leading Aircraftman (LAC) on completion of his Initial Training, re-mustering as U/T Observer
08 Jan 1942 08 Jan 1942	Embarked UK for South Africa (post and vessel n/k)
31 Jan 1942 31 Jan 1942	Disembarked in Durban, South Africa (precise date n/k)
14 Feb 1942 14 Feb 1942	No.75 Air School (AS), Lytteltown, Pretoria
13 Mar 1942 13 Mar 1942	No.41 Air School (AS), 9 Course, East London to commence Observer training	Anson, Battle, Oxford
18 Jul 1942 18 Jul 1942	Qualified as Air Bomber, Air Gunner and Observer. Awarded Observers (O) flying badge, promoted to Sgt, and re-mustered as Air Observer. Following his course he was recommended for specialist training after further experience
20 Jul 1942 20 Jul 1942	AFTC (possibly Advanced Flying Training Course), Pollsmor (location not found
01 Aug 1942 01 Aug 1942	Embarked S Africa for the UK (port and vessel n/k) Precise date not known
06 Sep 1942 06 Sep 1942	No.3 Personnel Reception Centre (PRC), Bournemouth, Dorset
20 Sep 1942 20 Sep 1942	No.10 (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit ((O) AFU), Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland	Anson
13 Oct 1942 13 Oct 1942	No.9 (1661) Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), Waddington, Lincolnshire; joined the P A F Hawkins crew	Manchester
01 Nov 1942 01 Nov 1942	Attached to No.1485 Air Bomber Training Flight (ABTF), Fulbeck, Nottinghamshire	Oxford
16 Nov 1942 16 Nov 1942	Returned to No.9 (1661) HCU, Waddington, Lincolnshire	Lancaster
29 Nov 1942 29 Nov 1942	No.57 Squadron, 'A' Flight, Scampton, Lincolnshire, flying mostly with the P A F Hawkins crew Operations: 06 Dec 42 - Frisian Islands; mine-laying ('Gardening'); landed at Docking 31 Dec 42 - Gironde estuary; 'Gardening'; landed at Docking 08 Jan 43 - Duisburg; landed at Tangmere 13 Jan 43 - Essen 16 Jan 43 - Berlin (narrative attached below); landed at Docking due to shortage of fuel 21 Jan 43 - Essen; returned early due to the engine(s) overheating 04 Feb 43 - Turin; engine failure; landed at Graveley 11 Feb 43 - Wilhelmshafen 13 Feb 43 - L'Orient 14 Feb 43 - Milan; engine failure 19 Feb 43 - Wilhelmshaven 25 Feb 43 - Nuremburg; DNCO; returned early following an engine failure 26 Feb 43 - Cologne; jettisoned 6 small bomb containers of incendiaries (reason n/k) 01 Mar 43 - Berlin 04 Mar 43 - Munich; DNCO; returned after three hours following engine problems 04 Mar 43 - Danzig Bay ('Gardening'); landed at Downham Market 09 Mar 43 - Munich; returned early following an engine failure 11 Mar 43 - Stuttgart 22 Mar 43 - St Nazaire; landed at Stanton Harcourt 26 Mar 43 - Duisburg; DNCO; returned early following engine problems 09 Apr 43 - Duisburg 10 Apr 43 - Frankfurt 13 Apr 43 - La Spezia 16 Apr 43 - Pilsen 26 Apr 43 - Duisburg 30 Apr 43 - Essen; flown with the Fg Off Wilson crew 12 May 43 - Duisburg; flown with the Flt Lt Greig crew 13 May 43 - Pilsen; DNCO; flown with the Sqn Ldr Smith crew; returned early following engine problems. Load jettisoned 35 miles West of Texel 23 May 43 - Dortmund 25 May 43 - Dusseldorf 29 May 43 - Wuppertal; starboard inner engine failure; bombs jettisoned on an aerodrome at 5122N 00456E - probably Weelde	Lancaster
02 Jun 1943 02 Jun 1943	Discharged on appointment to a Commission
03 Jun 1943 03 Jun 1943	Commissioned as a Pilot Officer on probation (emergency) (London Gazette 24 Aug 43, page 3789)
11 Jun 1943 11 Jun 1943	Resumed operations with No.57 Squadron, Scampton, Lincolnshire 11 Jun 43 - Dusseldorf; DNCO: returned early due to an unserviceable rear turret 12 Jun 43 - Bochum; engine failure 20 Jun 43 - Friedrichshafen; planned landing at Maison Blanche, Algeria 23 Jun 43 - La Spezia; operated from Maison Blanche, Algeria; attacked the target but had to return to Maison Blanche owing to an engine failure which made it impracticable to cross the Alps. The aircraft returned to base via Blida and Gibraltar on the 24-27 June 28 Jun 43 - Cologne; DNCO; returned early owing to illness of the pilot	Lancaster
13 Aug 1943 13 Aug 1943	Attached to RAF Scampton as supernumery pending posting overseas
29 Sep 1943 29 Sep 1943	No.1577 Research and Development Unit (RDU), Llandow, Glamorgan, Wales. Sqn Ldr J H Leland crew Roach: 'After completing my tour of operations I was asked by Squadron Leader Leland if I was interested in going to India for about six months with 1577 RDU. We were to take two Lancasters and two Halifaxes, together with civilian reps. from the two aircraft manufacturers AVRO and Handley Page. The operation was to carry out various tests to ascertain the performance in Indian and Burmese conditions preparatory to using these aircraft against the Japanese if suitable'. 26 Sep 43 - Llandrow to Portreath 29 Sep 43 - Portreath to Rabat Sale, Morocco 30 Sep 43 - Rabat Sale to Castel Benito, Tripoli, Libya 01 Oct 43 - Castel Benito to Cairo West, Egypt 03 Oct 43 - Cairo West - Mauripur, India	Halifax, Lancaster
05 Oct 1943 05 Oct 1943	No.1577 RDU is renamed 1577 (Special Duties) Flight 09 Oct 43 - Mauripur, India to Salbani, Bengal, India Followed by multiple test flights and towing trials of Hamilcar and Horsa heavy gliders	Lancaster
03 Dec 1943 03 Dec 1943	Promoted to Flying Officer on probation (war substantive) (London Gazette 03 Dec 43, page 5289)
31 Dec 1943 31 Dec 1943	No.1577 (Special Duties Flight); flew General William Slim, Officer Commanding the 14th Army from Comilla to Delhi, returning on 02 Jan 44	Lancaster
22 Feb 1944 22 Feb 1944	No.1577 (Special Duties) Flight moved to Cawnpore (Chakeri), India	Lancaster, Halifax, Anson
25 Apr 1944 25 Apr 1944	Taken on strength with Air Command South East Asia (ACSEA) still with No.1577 (Special Duties) Flight 09 Nov 44 - Departs Mauripur for the long return flight back to the UK via Shuriban, Iraq; Cairo, Egypt; Luqa, Malta; Elmas, Sardinia; Istres, France; Lyneham and finally landing at Pershore on 16 Nov 44	Lancaster, Wellington, Dakota
09 Nov 1944 09 Nov 1944	Taken on strength at No.1 Personal Despatch Centre, West Kirby, Cheshire
11 Dec 1944 11 Dec 1944	Air Crew allocation Centre (ACAC), Brackla, Nairn, Scotland
15 Jan 1945 15 Jan 1945	No.20 Operational Training Unit (OTU), Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland; joins the W F Weller crew	Wellington
14 Mar 1945 14 Mar 1945	No.71 Base, Lindholme, Yorkshire; administrative Base for No.7 Group heavy bomber conversions
15 Mar 1945 15 Mar 1945	No.1656 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), Lindholme, Yorkshire	Lancaster
07 May 1945 07 May 1945	No.576 Squadron, 'B' Flight, Fiskerton, Lincolnshire, with the W F Weller crew	Lancaster
03 Jun 1945 03 Jun 1945	Promoted to Flight Lieutenant (war substantive) (London Gazette 29 June 1945, page 3401)
16 Sep 1945 16 Sep 1945	No.50 Squadron, 'B' Flight, Sturgate, Lincolnshire, with the W F Weller crew Ops: 29 Sep - 01 Oct 45 - Base-Pomigliano-Glatton-Base; Operation DODGE	Lancaster
16 Jan 1946 16 Jan 1946	Bomber Command Instructors School (BCIS), Finningley, Yorkshire
13 Feb 1946 13 Feb 1946	No.1668 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), Cottesmore, Rutland, as an instructor	Lancaster
20 Mar 1946 20 Mar 1946	No.11 Aircrew Holding Unit (ACHU), Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire
06 May 1946 06 May 1946	RAF Station Waddington, Lincolnshire, as U/T Administrator
18 Jun 1946 18 Jun 1946	No.100 Personnel Disposal Centre (PDC), Uxbridge, Middlesex, for discharge from the Service
19 Jun 1946 19 Jun 1946	Discharged from the Service 'on demobilisation'

Date	Aircraft	Code	Flight Details	T/O	Land	Flt Time	Crew
576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS
25 Jun 1945	LM294	UL-P	FLENSBURG	0655	1200	5h05	P1 Plt Off W.F. Weller P2 FE Sgt A.V. Manning AB Flt Lt C.W.F. Roach NAV Fg Off H.M. MacDonald WOp Flt Sgt J. McNeill MUG Sgt R.A. Jones RG Sgt P.R. Soames
NOTES:	Exercise POST MORTEM 1
25 Aug 1945	RA563	UL-Q	FISKERTON TO POMIGLIANO	0720	1425	7h05	P1 Plt Off W.F. Weller P2 FE Sgt A.V. Manning AB Flt Lt C.W.F. Roach NAV Fg Off H.M. MacDonald WOp Flt Sgt J. McNeill MUG Sgt R.A. Jones RG
NOTES:	Operation DODGE
28 Aug 1945	RA563	UL-Q	POMIGLIANO TO GLATTON	nk	nk	6h10	P1 Plt Off W.F. Weller P2 FE Sgt A.V. Manning AB Flt Lt C.W.F. Roach NAV Fg Off H.M. MacDonald WOp Flt Sgt J. McNeill MUG Sgt R.A. Jones RG
NOTES:	Operation DODGE
28 Aug 1945	RA563	UL-Q	GLATTON TO FISKERTON	1340	1400	0h20	P1 Plt Off W.F. Weller P2 FE Sgt A.V. Manning AB Flt Lt C.W.F. Roach NAV Fg Off H.M. MacDonald WOp Flt Sgt J. McNeill MUG Sgt R.A. Jones RG
NOTES:	Operation DODGE
04 Sep 1945	PD271	UL-T	FISKERTON TO POMIGLIANO	0710	1350	6h40	P1 Plt Off W.F. Weller P2 FE Sgt A.V. Manning AB Flt Lt C.W.F. Roach NAV Fg Off H.M. MacDonald WOp WO J. McNeill MUG Sgt P.R. Soames RG
NOTES:	Operation DODGE
07 Sep 1945	PD271	UL-T	POMIGLIANO TO GLATTON	nk	nk	6h25	P1 Plt Off W.F. Weller P2 FE Sgt A.V. Manning AB Flt Lt C.W.F. Roach NAV Fg Off H.M. MacDonald WOp WO J. McNeill MUG Sgt P.R. Soames RG
NOTES:	Operation DODGE
07 Sep 1945	PD271	UL-T	GLATTON TO FISKERTON	1545	1625	0h40	P1 Plt Off W.F. Weller P2 FE Sgt A.V. Manning AB Flt Lt C.W.F. Roach NAV Fg Off H.M. MacDonald WOp WO J. McNeill MUG Sgt P.R. Soames RG
NOTES:	Operation DODGE

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Details
Charles William Francis Roach was born on 26 October 1921 at 195 Queen's Road, Plaistow, West Ham, London, son of Charles William Roach and Margaret Mary Cregan. His brother Ronald was born six years later in 1927 (passed 2000). Details of Charles' education are not known but it was recorded that he was a good scholar and sportsman, playing cricket, football, and becoming the school high jump champion at 14 years. After matriculating he started work with Thomas Cook as a travel agent trainee from 1934 to 1938 when he was made unemployed immediately war broke out. From 1939 to his enlistment in 1941, he was employed by the LNER railway company. EVENTS OF 16 JANUARY 1943 - Attack on Berlin (Charles' own words): 'Our two (crew) gunners were both sick and we were given two replacements, both Canadians. On the way back we were caught and held by a radar searchlight battery and sustained some damage. The pilot said, “Hold on, I’m going down!”, and promptly dived the aircraft. Our Lancaster was in a screaming dive and the gunners were blazing away at the searchlights, fruitlessly of course, but the two Canadians were swearing profusely the whole time (Charles disliked swearing intensely). We pulled out in time and escaped, then after having regained some height had just about got to the German/Dutch border when the Engineer informed the pilot that we must have suffered damage to the starboard fuel tank, and that we had been losing fuel badly. “How long?” asked the skipper. “About half an hour” said the Flight Engineer. After about twenty minutes the Flight Engineer was asked about the fuel status. “Fuel for about half an hour” came the reply. The pilot had decreased power to economic revs. and was conserving fuel as best he could, so we didn’t query why we still had half an hour left after 20 minutes. I worked out a new position and it looked like we were going to ditch just off the Dutch coast, what a prospect. Once across the Dutch coast and over the sea we could break WT silence and let base know what was happening. The skipper asked the Flight Engineer “How are we doing now?”, and the Engineer replied “I reckon we have fuel for about half an hour”. The rest of the crew exclaimed in unison “!X!X”, or words to that effect. Another new position was worked out and relayed to base. This went on all the way across the North Sea until we finally felt that we could get across the English coast. We were then told to land at the nearest aerodrome at Docking, and we cancelled the request for assistance from the Air-Sea rescue Service which had been standing by. We were brought straight in by Docking but it is fair to say that when the F/E tested the fuel level with a dipstick it was almost non-existent!' Charles’ wife, Hilda, added some further notes from her discussions with him: 'Returning from raid to Berlin, they saw two sets of searchlights to the right and left, which suddenly went out. Next thing, the aircraft was caught in the blinding light of a radar searchlight. The pilot, Paul Hawkins, tried every trick to escape until, in desperation, he told the crew to hold tight – he was going to dive. He put the nose down and the aircraft screamed through the air from 18,000 feet to 3,000 feet, during which time the two Canadian gunners blazed away in the hopeless attempt to put the searchlight out of action. However, the manoeuvre successfully took the Lancaster out of the searchlight beams and they regained height and set a new course for home. Flak in the turret meant that Charles could only set course by map reading or a fix. Then followed the discovery that they were losing fuel, resulting in the almost farcical journey back, landing with almost no fuel. For the way that the crew operated during this emergency, both the brilliance of the pilot, the navigational accuracy, and the wireless operator's messages to the emergency services waiting to rescue them below, the pilot was commended by the Rescue Services.' Following the war, Charles became an air freight import clerk at Northolt and Heathrow airports. He became Manager of the Heathrow office of Globe Transport (now part of Kuhn & Nagel), and was made a Fellow of the Institute of Shippers and Forwarders in the late 1970s. On 11 October 1947, Charles married Hilda Grace Clark in Northolt, Middlesex and they had three children; Anthony (b.1948), John (b.1952), and Marilyn (b.1953, d.2022) Charles Roach died in Worthing, Sussex on 18 June 2007. He was 85 years old. During his life, Charles was reluctant to talk about his wartime experiences; he was simply grateful to have survived when so many didn't. He was also proud to have served his country and done his duty. Roach Family

PHOTOS & DOCUMENTS
Details
Charles Roach as an Infant Roach Family
41 Air School, 9 Course Graduation Dinner - 16 July 1942 Roach Family
Sergeant Charles Roach - 'Wings' photograph - 18 July 1942 Roach Family
Charles (on left) and after his Commissioning with his brother Ronald Roach Family
The Leland crew, India late 1943-early 1944. Roach is front right Roach Family
576 Squadron Logbook -1 Roach Family
576 Squadron Logbook -2 Roach Family
576 Squadron Logbook -3 Roach Family
576 Squadron Logbook -4 Roach Family
576 Squadron Logbook -5 Roach Family
576 Squadron Logbook -6 Roach Family
Charles Roach as a Flying Officer 1945 Roach Family
Charles Roach with his mother Margaret and brother Ronald circa 1946 Roach Family
Charles Roach post-war - date unknown Roach Family