Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

This one is also very interesting.

S/L John Overton DFC was my father. He died in 2000.

The crew formed on May 20th 1943

Crew… In May 1943
Pilot P/O J.OVERTON
A/B SGT H.L.BARKER
NAV SGT G.DENNIS
WOP SGT B. G BENNETT (badly injured 23/8/43)
ENG SGT A. AUBREY
MUG SGT A.P.CATTELL
RG SGT F. DALLMAN

WOP SGT R. PARTRIDGE (after 23/8)

Promotion dates uncertain but it seem He was promoted F/O by end Aug 43, F/LT by end Sept 43 and S/L and commander ‘A’ flight by end Oct 43
218 Squadron was based at Downham Market.
Transferred to newly formed 623 Squadron on 10 Aug 1943 and then back to 218 early Dec 1943. Still flying from Downham Market.
They flew special ops from Tempsford during Feb 1944 then 218 transferred to Woolfox Lodge on 16th March.
I have been told that S/L Overton was the longest surviving Flight Commander of 218 Squadron. He completed 32 ops and the crew completed 30 (a Tour)
The aircraft EF133 first appears in John Overton’s logbook on 29th December and flew the last 11 of their ops. Hence the 32 and the full crew’s signatures on the fuselage celebrate not a completed tour for the aircraft but a completed tour for the crew.
The crew took part in the D-day deception raid “Operation Glimmer”…
Google it and click on
www.hellzapoppin.demon.co.uk/glimmer.htm
The last ops, in July 1944, were flown using GH for blind bombing in daylight through cloud cover… on V1 sites in France, I believe. Maybe the wires and aerials have to do with that apparatus.
The tour finished on 27th July 1944 after the last op, by daylight on 27th, at Woolfox Lodge

The History of 218 Squadron, written by Steve Smith, is to be published, I believe, later this year (2012)

Hello Charles and welcome to the forum. Your fathers efforts, like all crews members, are surely valued and we wish to acknowledge his efforts. We thank you for making this post and hope that you consider posting any additional information or photos. ( we can assist if required )

Steve, is a valued member of the forum.
Cheers,
John

I have my father's compass which I always understood came from his plane, but whether it was from A EF133 or another I don't know.
His last op in this aircraft was on 27th July 1944, so 32 NOT OUT could only have been painted onto the fuselage with the crew's names on 28th July or shortly after.

I saw a similar looking compass in a fighter (Spitfire?) cockpit photo some time ago.... did most RAF aircraft carry a standard compass type or were they all different?

Hi Charles there were several types of compass used by the RAF. Generally heavies used thr P4 which is quite large. Have you got a photo? There should be the ident engraved on the top rim.

John L

Hello Charles.

From what I understand heavies uses either a P4 or later in the war a P10 compass which were larger than the P8 fitted to the Spitfire etc, I have a P10 in my collection, and as John L says yours should have both a serial number and P type stamped on the top bezel. A little more info here:

http://www.compassmuseum.com/aero/aero.htm

Regards

Gary