CREW MEMBER PROFILE |
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Surname: |
MASTERS |
First Name/s: |
David James "Mickey" |
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Service No/s: |
742567 & 84336 |
Service: |
RAFVR |
Branch: |
Pilot |
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Awards: |
Distinguished Flying Cross, 1939-1945 Star, France & Germany Star, Defence Medal, 1939-1945 War Medal, Air Efficiency Medal |
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SERVICE RECORDS |
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Date |
Event |
Aircraft Flown |
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01 Jan 1938 |
Enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) at (location not known). Precise date not known. |
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25 Nov 1938 |
No.18 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School (18 ERFTS), operated by Universal Flying Services, Fair Oaks, Woking, Surrey |
DH82A Tiger Moth, Hind, Hart |
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17 Mar 1940 |
No.2 Elementary Flying Training School (2 EFTS), operated by the Bristol Aeroplane Co., Filton, Gloucestershire |
DH82A Tiger Moth |
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01 Jun 1940 |
No.3 Service Flying Training School (3 SFTS), South Cerney, Cirencester, Gloucestershire |
Oxford, Hart |
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31 Aug 1940 |
Awarded Pilot's flying badge, promoted to Sergeant, and immediately Commissioned as Pilot Officer on probation (emergency) (London Gazette 27 September 1940, p5718) |
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31 Aug 1940 |
No.4 (Continental) Ferry Pilots Pool (4 (C)FPP), Kemble, Gloucestershire |
Anson |
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03 Sep 1940 |
Central Flying School (CFS), Flying Instructors Course, Upavon, Wiltshire |
Oxford, Tutor |
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20 Oct 1940 |
No.6 Flying Training School (6 FTS), Little Rissington, Gloucestershire; as an Instructor |
Anson |
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16 Nov 1940 |
Embarked Liverpool on board the HMT Strathaird, for Durban, Kwa Zulu-Natal, via Freetown and Cape Town, in Convoy WS4B |
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13 Dec 1940 |
Disembarked in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
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13 Dec 1940 |
Clairwood Transit Camp, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, pending transport to Southern Rhodesia (all to be confirmed) |
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18 Dec 1940 |
No.26 Elementary Flying Training School (26 EFTS), Guinea Fowl, Gwelo, Midlands, Southern Rhodesia; as an instructor. |
DH82A Tiger Moth |
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04 Feb 1941 |
Accident on landing in Tiger Moth T5488 due to 'an error of judgement'. Masters' logbook records the flight with the comment, 'bent face'. |
DH82A Tiger Moth |
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27 Feb 1941 |
No.21 Service Flying Training School (21 SFTS), Kumalo, Bulawayo, Matabeleland |
Oxford, Harvard |
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12 Apr 1941 |
Accident in Oxford P6861; during a low-flying exercise the aircraft struck some high-tension cables and was damaged. The cause of the accident was attributed to 'carelessness' by his Commanding Officer, while Masters wrote in his logbook, 'argument with HT cables'. |
Oxford |
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26 Jul 1941 |
No.24 Combined Air Observers School (24 CAOS), Moffat, Gwelo, Midlands; as staff pilot |
Oxford, Anson, Harvard, Battle, Tiger Moth |
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31 Aug 1941 |
Promoted to Flying Officer (war substantive) (London Gazette, 19 September 1941, p5430) |
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31 Aug 1942 |
Promoted to Flight Lieutenant (war substantive) (London Gazette, 09 October 1942, p.4386) |
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19 Feb 1943 |
Attached to No.33 Flying Instructor's School (33 FIS), Norton, Salisbury, Mashonaland |
Battle, Oxford, Harvard, Tiger Moth |
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26 Feb 1943 |
Returned to his Unit at No.24 Combined Air Observers School (24 CAOS), Moffat, Gwelo, Midlands |
Oxford, Battle, Harvard, Tiger Moth |
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16 Dec 1943 |
Embarked from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa on board HMT Pulaski, for Port Said, Egypt, via Aden, in Convoy CM48 |
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08 Jan 1944 |
Disembarked at Port Said, Egypt |
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14 Jan 1944 |
Embarked at Port Said on board HMT Orontes for the UK, in Convoy MKF 27A |
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27 Jan 1944 |
Disembarked at Liverpool, Lancashire |
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28 Jan 1944 |
No.7 Personnel Reception Centre (7 PRC), Spa Hotel, Harrogate, Yorks (using the Spa, Majestic, Queen, Adelphi, or Cecil Hotels for accommodation). NOTE: this is an assumption as there is no mention in his Service Record. |
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22 Feb 1944 |
No.1 Blind Approach School (1 BAS), Watchfield, Berkshire |
Oxford |
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29 Feb 1944 |
No.18 Operational Training Unit (18 OTU), Bircotes and Finningley, Yorkshire. Here he assembled his crew, which probably comprised: |
Wellington |
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24 May 1944 |
No.11 Base, Lindholme, Yorkshire; administrative Base for No.1 Group heavy bomber conversions |
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24 May 1944 |
No.1656 Heavy Conversion Unit (1656 HCU), Lindholme, Yorkshire. Here the crew were joined by their Flight Engineer, H Wightman |
Halifax |
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30 Jun 1944 |
No.1 Lancaster Finishing School (1 LFS), Hemswell, Lincolnshire |
Lancaster |
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06 Jul 1944 |
No.576 Squadron, 'A' Flight, Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire |
Lancaster |
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31 Oct 1944 |
No.576 Squadron moves to Fiskerton, Lincolnshire |
Lancaster |
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19 Nov 1944 |
Appointed to the rank of Acting Squadron Leader. Precise date tbc |
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05 Feb 1945 |
No.1661 Heavy Conversion Unit (1661 HCU), Winthorpe, Nottinghamshire; as an instructor |
Lancaster, Oxford |
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19 Jun 1945 |
No.75 Base, Swinderby, Lincolnshire; administrative Base for No.7 Group, who had assumed responsibility for heavy bomber conversions from No.1 Group |
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31 Aug 1945 |
Seconded to the Air Ministry Unit, Fairey Aviation Company Ltd., Ringway, Manchester, Lancashire; as production test pilot |
Barracuda, Oxford |
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03 Oct 1945 |
Air Ministry Unit, Fairey Aviation Company Ltd., Heston, Middlesex; as test pilot |
Oxford, Firefly, Barracuda, Sikorsky R4B helicopter, Stinson, Proctor, Spearfish, Auster |
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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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08 Jul 1944 |
JB555 |
UL-R2 |
Training |
2030 |
2055 |
0h25 |
P1 Flt Lt D.J. Masters |
NOTES: |
Cross-country navigation exercise. Aborted; reason n/k. Crew complement to be verified |
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09 Jul 1944 |
LM439 |
UL-J2 |
Training |
1155 |
1240 |
0h45 |
P1 Flt Lt D.J. Masters |
NOTES: |
Day bombing. Crew complement to be verified |
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09 Jul 1944 |
LM439 |
UL-J2 |
Training |
2155 |
0345 |
5h50 |
P1 Flt Lt D.J. Masters |
NOTES: |
Night cross-country navigation exercise with bombing. Crew complement to be verified |
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10 Jul 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
Training |
2055 |
0250 |
5h55 |
P1 Flt Lt D.J. Masters |
NOTES: |
Night cross-country navigation exercise with bombing. Crew complement to be verified |
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20 Jul 1944 |
LM227 |
UL-I2 |
WIZERNES |
1905 |
2230 |
3h25 |
P1 Flt Lt H.B. Guilfoyle RCAF |
NOTES: |
Masters' 'Second Dickie' with the H B Guilfoyle crew Target: Construction site for a V2 rocket and bunker complex known as ‘La Coupole’ Load: 11x 1,000lb, 4x 500lb bombs |
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21 Jul 1944 |
LM439 |
UL-J2 |
Air Test |
nk |
nk |
0h40 |
P1 Flt Lt D.J. Masters |
NOTES: |
Air test; crew complement to be verified |
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23 Jul 1944 |
LM122 |
UL-X2 |
KIEL |
2245 |
0420 |
5h35 |
P1 Flt Lt D.J. Masters |
NOTES: |
Target: German Navy base, canal, and harbour Load: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’, 8x 500lb bombs, and 5x 500lb ‘J’ Type incendiary cluster, or 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’ and 16x 500lb bombs, tbc Masters' logbook records: 'moderate barrage heavy flak' |
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24 Jul 1944 |
ME801 |
UL-C2 |
STUTTGART |
2130 |
0625 |
8h55 |
P1 Flt Lt D.J. Masters |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area Load: 1x 2,000lb bomb, and 12x cluster bombs, each containing 14x 30lb 'J' Type incendiaries. Masters' logbook records: 'moderate barrage heavy flak' |
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25 Jul 1944 |
LM122 |
UL-X2 |
BOIS DES JARDINS |
0050 |
0445 |
3h55 |
P1 Flt Lt D.J. Masters |
NOTES: |
Target: V1 'flying bomb' launch site Load: 18x 500lb bombs Masters' logbook records 'slight flak' |
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30 Jul 1944 |
NE115 |
UL-B2 |
CAHAGNES |
0640 |
1115 |
4h35 |
P1 Flt Lt D.J. Masters |
NOTES: |
Target: Enemy troop concentrations Load: 20x 500lb bombs Provided with a fighter escort of Spitfires and possibly Typhoons. Masters' logbook reports: 'Bombed at 2,000 ft' Diverted to Thorney Island (reason n/k) before returning to base later the same day (this is not recorded in the Squadron ORB) |
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30 Jul 1944 |
NE115 |
UL-B2 |
Transit Flight |
1720 |
1840 |
1h20 |
P1 Flt Lt D.J. Masters |
NOTES: |
Return from diversion |
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31 Jul 1944 |
ME801 |
UL-C2 |
LE HAVRE |
1810 |
2140 |
3h30 |
P1 Flt Lt D.J. Masters |
NOTES: |
Target: Harbour installations, shipping & U-Boat pens Load: 11x 1,000lb and 4x 500lb bombs Masters' logbook reports: 'Flak moderate to intense' |
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PERSONAL INFORMATION |
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