CREW MEMBER PROFILE |
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Surname: |
HART |
First Name/s: |
Claude "Joe" |
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Service No/s: |
(1458473) 174555 |
Service: |
RAFVR |
Branch: |
Pilot |
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Awards: |
1939-1945 Star, Aircrew Europe Star (France and Germany clasp), 1939-1945 War Medal |
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SERVICE RECORDS |
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Date |
Event |
Aircraft Flown |
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01 Apr 1941 |
Enlisted Cardington, Bedfordshire |
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07 Nov 1942 |
No.12 Elementary Flying Training School, No.2 Squadron, ‘C’ & ‘D’ Flight, Goderich, ON. |
Tiger Moth |
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07 Feb 1943 |
No.15 Service Flying Training School, No.2 Squadron, ‘F’ Flight, RCAF Claresholm, AL, Course 74. |
Anson |
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25 May 1943 |
Graduated from No. 15 Elementary Flying Training School and awarded pilots wings. Promoted to Sergeant (Sgt). |
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03 Jun 1943 |
No.31 Personnel Depot, Moncton, NB in preparation for embarkation. Embarked Halifax, Canada |
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10 Jun 1943 |
Disembarked UK. Date to be confirmed. |
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02 Jul 1943 |
No.7 Personnel Reception Centre, RAF Harrogate, Yorkshire. |
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29 Jul 1943 |
Empire Central Flying School, RAF Hullavington, Wiltshire. |
Oxford |
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29 Aug 1943 |
29 Aug 43 – No.14 (P) AFU, ‘Y’ Flight, No. 2 Squadron, RAF Fraserburgh (Cairnbulg/Inverallochy). |
Oxford |
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07 Sep 1943 |
No.1518 Beam Approach Training (B.A.T.) Flight, RAF Edzell, Angus. |
Oxford |
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07 Oct 1943 |
No.14 (P) AFU, ‘C’ Flight, RAF Banff. |
Oxford |
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22 Nov 1943 |
No.30 Operational Training Unit (OTU), RAF Hixon, Staffordshire. |
Wellington |
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01 Mar 1944 |
No.11 Base, RAF Lindholme, Yorkshire. |
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07 Mar 1944 |
RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire. |
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11 Mar 1944 |
Detached to No.1 Engine Control Demonstration Unit, RAF Westcott, Buckinghamshire. |
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26 Mar 1944 |
1656 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), RAF Lindholme, Yorkshire. |
Halifax |
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15 Apr 1944 |
Appointed to commission to be Pilot Officer (Plt Off) on probation (emergency) from Sgt (Gazetted 23 May 44, p2343). |
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12 May 1944 |
No.1 Lancaster Finishing School, Hemswell, Lincolnshire. |
Lancaster |
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16 May 1944 |
Joined 'A' Flight, No. 576 Squadron at Elsham Wolds, Linconshire. |
Lancaster |
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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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27 May 1944 |
ND994 |
UL-F2 |
AACHEN |
2330 |
0435 |
5h05 |
P1 Flt Lt B.A. Templeman-Rooke |
NOTES: |
Target: the marshalling yards at Aachen East and Rothe-Erde Load: 11x 1000lb and 4x 500lb bombs 'Second dickie' for Plt Off Hart |
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28 May 1944 |
ME801 |
UL-I2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
4h20 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
Night cross country |
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29 May 1944 |
ME801 |
UL-C2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
3h35 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
Cross country. |
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31 May 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
3h50 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
'Y' cross country |
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02 Jun 1944 |
LM532 |
UL-A2 |
CALAIS |
2255 |
0330 |
4h35 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
Coastal gun battery The attacks against gun batteries in the Pas de Calais was part of a plan to deceive the Germans that the forthcoming invasion was to be in this area, and not Normandy. Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs Most aircraft could not bomb due to cloud cover and brought their bombs back |
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03 Jun 1944 |
LM532 |
UL-A2 |
WIMEREUX (BOULOGNE) |
nk |
nk |
nk |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
Coastal railway gun battery The attack was part of the plan to deceive the Germans that the forthcoming invasion was to be in this area, and not Normandy. Load: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’, 16 or 15x 500lb bombs |
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04 Jun 1944 |
LM532 |
UL-A2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
2h30 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
Y cross country |
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05 Jun 1944 |
LM532 |
UL-A2 |
ST MARTIN DE VARREVILLE & CRISBECQ |
2135 |
0220 |
4h45 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
Coastal gun batteries (2 targets) Load: 18x 500lb bombs. Rainey states 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb Squadron aircraft were split between the two targets – not known fully which was which. Confirmation of target taken from logbook entries. Bombardment of the coastal batteries on the eve of the D-Day invasion of France. |
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06 Jun 1944 |
PA997 |
UL-D2 |
VIRE |
2215 |
0350 |
5h35 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
2 APs: Viaduc de Martilly road/rail bridge (western AP) & marshalling yards Load: 18x 500lb bombs |
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10 Jun 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
FLERS |
0035 |
0555 |
5h20 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
Luftwaffe FW-190 fighter airfield Load: 18x 500lb bombs |
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12 Jun 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
GELSENKIRCHEN (NORDSTERN) |
2255 |
0320 |
4h25 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
Gelsenberg AG synthetic oil plant in Nordstern Load: 1,4000lb ‘Cookie’, 16x 500lb bombs |
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22 Jun 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
MIMOYECQUES |
1405 |
1725 |
3h20 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
V3 cannon construction site Load: 18x 500lb bombs |
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23 Jun 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
SAINTES |
2200 |
0540 |
7h40 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
Marshalling yards Load: H2S Aircraft: 10x 1000lb, 2x 500lb bombs All other aircraft: 10x 1000lb, 3x 500lb bombs |
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25 Jun 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
FLERS |
0140 |
0505 |
3h25 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
V1 flying bomb launch site Load: 18x 500lb bombs |
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27 Jun 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
CHÂTEAU DE BERNAPRÉ |
0135 |
0535 |
4h00 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
V1 flying bomb launch site Load: 18x 500lb |
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29 Jun 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
DOMLEGER |
1145 |
1515 |
3h30 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
V1 flying bomb storage and supply depot Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs Hit by flak – Mid-upper turret damaged |
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30 Jun 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
OISEMONT / NEUVILLE AU BOIS |
0550 |
0940 |
3h50 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
V1 flying bomb launch site Load: 11x 1,000lb, 4x 500lb bombs |
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04 Jul 1944 |
LM133 |
UL-H2 |
ORLEANS |
2200 |
0420 |
6h20 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
Marshalling yards Load: 18x 500lb bombs |
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05 Jul 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
0h40 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
Air test |
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11 Jul 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
2h05 |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
Air test, air to sea firing, bombing |
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12 Jul 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
REVIGNY |
2125 |
FTR |
uk |
P1 Plt Off C. Hart |
NOTES: |
Marshalling yards Load: 7x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs Deputy Master Bomber instructed aircraft to Return To Base (RTB) with bombs (‘Lysol’) as cloud was obscuring the target. Target marking was conducted by the 1 Group Special Duties Flight based at Binbrook. Lost in ND859 UL-L2. Probable mid-air collision with LM638, possibly whilst evading a night fighter. Crashed at 1400 hrs on 13 July 1944 at Giey-sur-Aujon, Haute Marne, France. Only the two gunners survived. Remembered with Honour. GIEY-SUR-AUJON CHURCHYARD. Giey-sur-Aujon is a village and commune 15 miles (24 kilometres) south-west of Chaumont and 20 kilometres west of Langres, it lies on the road from Langres to Arc-en-Barrois. Buried in a collective grave of five British airmen comprising Plt Off Hart, Sgts Greig, Jones, McHugh and Mitchell. |
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PERSONAL INFORMATION |
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Personal Records Restricted - not available to the public |
PHOTOS & DOCUMENTS |
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Personal Documents Restricted - not available to the public |
