624 (SD) Sqdn Stirling crew, August 1944

[Pat Atkins]

Hello, I'm new here and just wanted to introduce myself.

My interest derives from the beginning of the RAF career of my late uncle Don Atkins, from Brighton. He joined 624 (Special Duties) Squadron at Blida, N. Africa in August 1944 as a 21-year-old Stirling pilot, along with his crew (and perhaps his aircraft - I don't know, but it was common practice I believe). The SD squadrons dropped supplies and personnel to resistance and partisan groups in Occupied Europe, usually flying alone and dropping at very low altitude on receipt of pre-arranged recognition signals. Don and his crew flew only one operation with 624 before transferring to 148 (SD) Sqdn, part of the Balkan Air Force based at Brindisi; 148 had taken very heavy casualties supporting the Warsaw Rising, and 624's role in southern France was coming to an end with the successes of the Allied invasions. On arrival at Brindisi the crew were converted to Halifaxes. I thought that the details (mostly from the ORB - I don't have Don's log book alas) of their one Stirling op might be helpful or interesting to someone on here, though, so:

Operation Caracole (south-western France). Take off 2045 30th August 1944; return 0338 31st August. Stores dropped successfully at DZ. Supplies to SOE/resistance group hindering the movement of German troops northwards through France.
Aircraft: Stirling LJ192 M-Mother.
Crew: F/Sgt DC Atkins (Pilot); Sgt EF Lock (Air Bomber); F/Sgt WA Belson, Aus (Navigator); F/Sgt D Sullivan (WOp/AG); Sgt J Allcock (Flight Eng); Sgt BA Lawler (AG); Sgt J Sharples (AG).

The crew went on to fly 36 operations together by VE Day, and all survived the war. Anyway, that's my (minor) contribution: I'm impressed by the knowledge and expertise on here and hope this might be of use to someone. Cheers,
Pat

[K4KittyCrew]

Many thanks again, Pat ( After 3,000 posts, I managed to delete Pat's first post whilst trying to move it, however, we are back on board. )
Welcome to the forum and thanks for your informative post.

Here are some quick details you may or may not know of. I also had a quick search for the actual aircraft you have listed but no images as yet.
Cheers,
John
AN image from RAF 148 (SD) Squadron.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._148_Squadron_RAF

RAF 624 Squadron ......... https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct= ... 1838475287

[Pat Atkins]

It's a great picture of a 148 Halifax at Brindisi, thanks. If it's from the same period as my uncle's service with the squadron, then in the background on the left might possibly be a Halifax V, LL249 FS-Z which he and his crew flew on several ops (I can't make out if it's an "E" or a "Z" on the fuselage, and I'm no great expert on Halifax variants either although the tail looks right).

You can see that they've removed the mid-upper turret; the air gunner became the despatcher instead, responsible for getting internally-carried supplies and parachutists dropped on target - there are recorded cases of despatchers falling out of the aircraft while engaged in this, no joke at very low altitude, of course.

Thanks, Pat

PS on closer inspection it looks more like an "E"!

[colinpateman]

This little piece may well interest you, it's a photo caption relative to the squadron to be included in a book that touches on special duties in the broadest term to be published later this year. An interesting Squadron..........

Wing Commander Stanbury DSO, DFC, the Officer Commanding 624 Squadron subsequently dropped the first ‘Operational Group’ of men into France on the 8 June. The reference ‘OG’ relates to the USA OSS teams deployed from North Africa. They were specialist personnel performing very similar roles to the British SAS behind the enemy lines. This team of men were operating under the code name of ‘Emily’ and consisted of fifteen men, all of which were operating in military uniform. The close association with these specialist troops is evidenced by the individual in the 624 Squadron photograph from 1944 sitting close to W/C Stanbury and wearing the USA metal parachute wing.

[Pat Atkins]

That is interesting, thanks - that OSS connection with 624 is fascinating, and I'll look out for the book (does it have a title yet?).

Once the US-led invasion of the South of France was undertaken 624 was wound down and its personnel transferred to other SD squadrons - I wonder if the Americans continued their Carpetbagger ops in the region though? I'm a bit better informed about the activities of 148 (SD) Sqdn in the Balkan Air Force, who seem to have mostly operated separately from the Americans also based at Brindisi; perhaps there were more widely differing national interests in the two regions? I should imagine US and British aims for France in 1944 would have been more closely aligned than they perhaps were in the Balkans.

However, as I'm sure you're aware, anything connected with SOE,OSS and the like leads almost inevitably to speculation...