Carpe Diem - 576 Squadron RAF - The Crews

CREW MEMBER PROFILE
Surname:	LAYDEN		First Name/s:	Neville

Service No/s:	1072956 and 175651	Service:	RAFVR	Branch:	Pilot

Awards:	DFC, 1939-1945 Star, Air Crew Europe Stat with 'France and Germany' Clasp, Defence Medal.

Return

Date	Event	Aircraft Flown
SERVICE RECORDS
01 Jan 1939 01 Jan 1939	Enlisted probably at Padgate - date not known
20 Apr 1943 20 Apr 1943	No.27 Operational Conversion Unit, 'A' and 'B' Flights, Church Broughton, Derbyshire	Wellington
12 Oct 1943 12 Oct 1943	No.27 Operational Training Unit, 'A' and 'E' Flights, Lichfield, Staffordshire. Leyden crew formed.	Wellington
22 Mar 1944 22 Mar 1944	Discharged on appointment to commission.
23 Mar 1944 23 Mar 1944	Appointed to commission to be Pilot Officer on probation (emergency) (London Gazette 13 Jun 44, p2803)
20 May 1944 20 May 1944	No.1667 Heavy Conversion Unit, Sandtoft, Yorkshire. Precise date tbc	Halifax
01 Jul 1944 01 Jul 1944	No.1 Lancaster Finishing School, Hemswell, Lincolnshire.	Lancaster
20 Jul 1944 20 Jul 1944	No.576 Squadron, 'A' Flight, Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire	Lancaster
23 Sep 1944 23 Sep 1944	Promoted to Flying Officer on probation (war substantive) (London Gazette 13 Oct 44, p4682).
02 Mar 1945 02 Mar 1945	Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross gazetted (London Gazette 27 Mar 45, p1655). Awarded as a Flying Officer on No.576 Squadron. No citation yet found.
23 Mar 1946 23 Mar 1946	Promoted to Flight Lieutenant (war substantive) (London Gazette 19 Apr 46, p1968).

Date	Aircraft	Code	Flight Details	T/O	Land	Flt Time	Crew
576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS
08 Sep 1944	NF975	UL-J²	LE HAVRE	0645	1025	3h40	P1 Plt Off N. Layden P2 FE Sgt S.B. Naftel AB Sgt J.M. Weir NAV Flt Sgt D.E. Wright RAAF WOp Flt Sgt H.J.G. Sibly RAAF MUG Plt Off H. Elliott RG Sgt E. Smith
NOTES:	Enemy strongpoints to N of the Town. 10 Aircraft allocated Aiming Point 12, 5 aircraft allocated Aiming Point 13 Master Bomber instructed crews who had not bombed to return with their bombs due to increasing low cloud cover.
16 Nov 1944	NF975	UL-J²	DUREN	1240	1735	4h55	P1 Fg Off N. Layden P2 Plt Off I.R. Carter RAAF FE Sgt S.B. Naftel AB WO J.R. Hutchinson RCAF NAV WO J.B. Lamprell RAAF WOp Flt Sgt H.J.G. Sibly RAAF MUG Sgt H. Elliott RG Sgt E. Smith
NOTES:	Enemy positions & lines of communication. Flown in close support of the American 1st & 9th Armies. On return FIDO in operation to assist in landing in poor visibility. Load: 1x 4000lb, 6x 1000lb, 7 or 6x 500lb bombs

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