CREW MEMBER PROFILE |
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Surname: |
MASON |
First Name/s: |
Norman |
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Service No/s: |
1758202 |
Service: |
RAFVR |
Branch: |
Flight Engineer |
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Awards: |
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SERVICE RECORDS |
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Date |
Event |
Aircraft Flown |
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07 May 1944 |
No.1656 Heavy Conversion Unit, Lindholme, Yorkshire. Joined the A D L Greig crew. |
Halifax |
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05 Jun 1944 |
Qualified as Flight Engineer on Halifax I/III aircraft. |
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16 Jun 1944 |
No.1 Lancaster Finishing School, Hemswell, Lincolnshire |
Lancaster |
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19 Jun 1944 |
Qualified as Flight Engineer on Lancaster I/III aircraft. |
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22 Jun 1944 |
No.576 Squadron, Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire |
Lancaster |
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20 Oct 1944 |
Screened from operations on 576 Squadron after 35 ops. |
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01 Jan 1945 |
No.1 Glider Pick-Up Flight, Ramsbury / Zeals, Wiltshire. Precise date tbc. |
Dakota, Hadrian |
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01 Jun 1945 |
No.1699 Bomber Support Conversion Unit, Oulton, Norfolk. Precise date tbc. |
Fortress |
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18 Dec 1946 |
No.1332 (Transport) Heavy Conversion Flight, Longtown, Cumbria |
York |
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24 Jan 1947 |
Qualified as York Flight Engineer |
York |
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576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS |
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Date |
Aircraft |
Code |
Flight Details |
T/O |
Land |
Flt Time |
Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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03 Jul 1944 |
LM122 |
UL-X2 |
Training |
1200 |
1600 |
4h00 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.d.L. Greig |
NOTES: |
Cross-country navigation exercise. |
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08 Jul 1944 |
LM439 |
UL-J2 |
Training |
1305 |
1725 |
4h20 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.d.L. Greig |
NOTES: |
Cross-country navigation exercise with high-level bombing. |
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11 Jul 1944 |
ND994 |
UL-F2 |
Air Test |
1430 |
1450 |
0h20 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.d.L. Greig |
NOTES: |
Air test |
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12 Jul 1944 |
LM439 |
UL-J2 |
REVIGNY |
2135 |
0640 |
9h05 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.d.L. Greig |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling Yards. Load: 7x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. The Deputy Master Bomber instructed aircraft to RTB with bombs (codeword ‘Lysol’) as cloud was obscuring the target. Target marking was conducted by the 1 Group Special Duties Flight based at Binbrook.. Diverted to Dunholme Lodge due to poor weather at Elsham Wolds. |
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13 Jul 1944 |
LM439 |
UL-J2 |
Dunholme Lodge to Elsham Wolds |
nk |
nk |
nk |
P1 Flt Sgt A.d.L. Greig |
NOTES: |
Return from diversion. |
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14 Jul 1944 |
LM439 |
*UL-X2 |
REVIGNY |
2120 |
0330 |
6h10 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.d.L. Greig |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling Yards. Load: 7x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. Returned early due to failure of both outboard engines. Bombs were jettisoned and the crew diverted to Stanton Harcourt. Aircraft was UL-J2. |
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15 Jul 1944 |
LM439 |
UL-J2 |
Stanton Harcourt to Elsham Wolds |
1530 |
nk |
nk |
P1 Flt Sgt A.d.L. Greig |
NOTES: |
Return from diversion. |
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18 Jul 1944 |
ME854 |
UL-D2 |
SANNERVILLE |
0340 |
0745 |
4h05 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.d.L. Greig |
NOTES: |
Target: Area 'H' - fortified positions occupied by enemy Panzer regiments. Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. Flown in support of the British Second Army involved in Operation GOODWOOD. Strong fighter escort provided. |
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18 Jul 1944 |
ME854 |
UL-D2 |
SCHOLVEN / BUER |
2340 |
0330 |
3h50 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.d.L. Greig |
NOTES: |
Target: Synthetic oil refinery near Gelsenkirchen. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 10x 500lb bombs (Mason states 1x 4000lb, 11x 1000lb bombs). Fuel load: 1500 gallons. The starboard outer engine was hit by flak and caught fire. Engine feathered and the crew returned on three engines. Twenty-seven holes were counted in the wings and fuselage. The aircraft is listed as B2 in the ORB but as D2 in Mason's logbook and diary. |
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20 Jul 1944 |
ME854 |
UL-D2 |
Air Test |
1020 |
1120 |
1h00 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.d.L. Greig |
NOTES: |
Air test. |
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20 Jul 1944 |
ME800 |
UL-W2 |
WIZERNES |
1920 |
2255 |
3h35 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.d.L. Greig |
NOTES: |
Target: Construction site for a V2 rocket and bunker complex known as 'La Coupole'. Load 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. |
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22 Jul 1944 |
LM122 |
UL-X2 |
Training |
1445 |
1755 |
3h10 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.d.L. Greig |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) cross-country navigation exercise. |
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23 Jul 1944 |
LM227 |
UL-I2 |
KIEL |
2230 |
0400 |
5h30 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.d.L. Greig |
NOTES: |
Target: German navy base, harbour and canal. Load: 1x 2000lb bomb and 18 'J'-Type incendiary clusters. Fuel load: 1500 gallons. Mason describes: 'Flak pretty heavy but not very accurate. Large fires were seen in target area. One or two fighters followed us back to the sea'. |
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25 Jul 1944 |
ME854 |
UL-D2 |
STUTTGART |
2130 |
2300 |
1h30 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.d.L. Greig |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 2000lb bomb and 12x J-Type incendiary clusters, each containing 14x 30lb incediaries. Returned early due to instrument failure. |
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25 Sep 1944 |
NE115 |
U2 |
Air Test |
1445 |
1530 |
0h45 |
P1 Fg Off R.C. Bailey |
NOTES: |
Air test on the repaired NE115. Landed at Lindholme. Sgt Mason replaced Sgt Fairfull. |
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05 Oct 1944 |
NE115 |
UL-B2 |
SAARBRUCKEN |
1805 |
0030 |
6h25 |
P1 Fg Off R.C. Bailey |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 14x 4lb incendiary clusters. Following a successful attack the aircraft were diverted to Wratting Common due to fog at Elsham Wolds. The crew carried a passenger, a Flt Lt Campbell, about whom nothing is known. Sgt Mason, flying his 31st operation, volunteered to replace Sgt Fairfull. His diary records, 'Good trip, not much flak. Very little opposition from fighters'. |
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06 Oct 1944 |
NE115 |
UL-B2 |
Wratting Common to Elsham Wolds |
1100 |
1140 |
0h40 |
P1 Fg Off R.C. Bailey |
NOTES: |
Return from diversion. Passenger Flt Lt Campbell. |
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07 Oct 1944 |
NE115 |
UL-B2 |
EMMERICH |
1140 |
1600 |
4h20 |
P1 Fg Off R.C. Bailey |
NOTES: |
Target: Enemy strongpoints within the built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 2520x 4lb incendiaries. Sgt Mason continued to replace Sgt Fairfull. His diary reads, 'Good attack, very little opposition. A little flak'. |
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14 Oct 1944 |
NE115 |
UL-B2 |
DUISBERG |
0600 |
1050 |
4h50 |
P1 Fg Off R.C. Bailey |
NOTES: |
Operation HURRICANE. Target: Four Aiming Points (mines and coke ovens) in the Hamborn district of the city. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 108x 30lb and 1170x 4lb incendiary clusters. Plt Off T C Dawson came along for his 'Second Dickie'. Mason's diary simply recalls, 'Duisberg to be attacked at 0900'. |
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14 Oct 1944 |
NE115 |
UL-B2 |
DUISBERG |
2145 |
0340 |
5h55 |
P1 Fg Off R.C. Bailey |
NOTES: |
Operation HURRICANE. Target: Built-up area to the north of the docks. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 2732x 4lb incendiaries. Mason's diary states, 'Second raid in 24 hrs. Target ablaze when we arrived from the morning bombing. Flak was heavy in the morning attack but it was pretty quiet at night.' |
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19 Oct 1944 |
NE115 |
UL-B2 |
STUTTGART |
2120 |
0350 |
6h30 |
P1 Fg Off R.C. Bailey |
NOTES: |
Target: Robert Bosche works. Load: 9x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. The attack on Stuttgart was in two waves; the first wave on the Bad Constatt marshalling yards and the second on the Robert Bosche works. Mason's logbook records the take-off time as 21:10. Mason's diary recalls, 'Very quiet. Large fires were started and the bombing was quite good'. This was Mason's 35th operation and the Bailey crew's last trip on 576 Squadron, and were thus screened from operations on the 20th October. |
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