You can download the 78 Squadron Operations Record Book here: discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C2503298
You will see two types of files for each month "Summary of Events" which give a general summary of operations and will sometimes show the movements in and out of the squadron. The "Records of Events" will detail all crew members of every aircraft the bomb loads carried, what each crew saw, when they dropped their bombs and their up and down times.
Cheers
Dave

 

Bomber Jacket

I have the ORB's for the period in question and will take a look for you - will probably take a day or two. For unknown reasons, I am currently unable to log back on here.

In the meantime these are the details from the 78 Sqn Rolls of Honour held on the Sqn prior to their disbandment

Kind Regards

Tony

Ex 78 Sqn

 

 

19^th / 20^th June 1942: Halifax Mk BII, BB200 EY -?

 

Information

 

Built by London Aircraft Production Group (Leavesden) this particular aircraft was delivered to 78 Sqn between 10^th January and 5^th September 1942

 

The crew were briefed to attack Emden. The ATD of the aircraft from RAF Middleton St. George, County Durham was 2343 

 

The cause of BB200 EY-?s loss was not established. The aircraft crashed in the North Sea, possibly SW of Denmark

 

 

Pilot                                       F/S M.M. Crowe + NKG

 

Flight Engineer                      Sgt D. Smith BEM + NKG

 

Navigator                              Sgt R.K. Frankland +

 

Bomb Aimer                           Sgt R.W. Morgan +

 

Wireless Operator                 Sgt E.K. Davies + NKG

 

Mid Upper Gunner                Sgt L.H. Seal + NKG

 

Rear Gunner                          Sgt J.R. Williams + NKG

 

Only two bodies were eventually washed ashore. Sgt Morgan was later buried on 5^th September 1942 at Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery, Denmark whilst Sgt Frankland is buried in Kiel War Cemetery, Germany.  The other crew members have no known graves, and are all commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bomber Jacket

I  have checked the 78 Sqn F540's backwards from the date of loss up to 01/01/42. 

M.M. Crowe appears to have flown only four Ops during his time on 78 Sqn. They are detailed as below

1. 14/02/42 Ops Mannheim in Whitley Z6817 EY-L  as Sgt  

2. 30/05/42 Ops Cologne in Halifax W7678 EY-? as F/S

3. 01/06/42 Ops Essen in Halifax W7668 EY-G as F/S

4. 19/06/42 Ops Emden in Halifax BB200 EY-? as F/S  * FTR *

78 Sqn were in the process of converting from twin-engine Whitley's to the four-engined Halifax during the early part of the time frame as listed above, 

I have a photo of 78 Sqn taken to mark the completion of the conversion to type (at Croft) and he is highly likely to be somewhere in this image - tho' I would not be able to identify him.

There were no Luftwaffe Nacht-Jagd claims for Halifax aircraft on the night of the Emden raid, therefore it is possible (but not confirmed) that BB200 EY-? may have been lost to Flak

Hope this helps?   

Tony

Ex 78 Sqn  

Hi,

Just to add what Tony has given you, the Halifax would look similar to the one at the link below.

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205260012

 

Regards,

Mike.