RAF Combat Reports
A selection of combat reports from 49Sqn aircraft.
It is very interesting to view examples of wartime bureaucracy although the quality/readability of some examples is quite poor.
The first report concerns Lancaster JA 892 captained by Sgt Edy on the night of 15th August 1943 during a raid on Milan.
The next two reports concern Lancaster JB679 captained by F/Lt Healey on 16th March 1944 during a raid on Stuttgart.
There are two combat reports timed at 22:40hrs and 23:53hrs.
The final three reports all relate to Lancaster ND533 captained by P/O Rowley on the 22nd April during a raid on La Chapelle, near Paris.
The three reports are timed 00:43hrs, 00:56hrs and 01:06hrs..........a very stressful half hour.
It is interesting to note that the earlier narrative style of report has been replaced by a specific series of numbered questions.
It is likely that this was done to enable a more scientific analysis of the reports.
Sadly, Sgt Partington was killed the following night during a raid on Brunswick.
This image by Nick Trudgian gives a real perspective to the above documents.