Photos of Lancasters 0f 195sqdn

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Air gunner 44
Corporal
Corporal
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Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 4:28 am

Photos of Lancasters 0f 195sqdn

Post by Air gunner 44 »

Can anyone help with any photos of 195 sqdn Lancasters PB703 ( JE-L ) , PB794 ( JE-A ), this was just two of the Lancasters one of my relations flew in and i am building a rc lancaster and wanted to but his id from one of his Lancasters on it.
I would be very grateful for any photos Please.

Many Regards

Shaun
James Fanning
Leading Aircraftman
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Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2021 7:24 am

Re: Photos of Lancasters 0f 195sqdn

Post by James Fanning »

Dear Shaun,

Just came across your post of almost four years ago so this is somewhat late but may still be of interest to you.

My father was a 195 Squadron pilot in "C" Flight from beginning December '44 to end June '45 and flew both PB703 and PB794 Lancasters on operations. Of the 34 ops he flew (26 bombing , 2 Operation Manna , 3 Operation Exodus , 3 Operation Baedeker) 18 were made in these two specific aircraft. Squadron pilots generally flew a number of different aircraft during their tours but there was often one particular aircraft with which a pilot would fly more ops - in my Dad's case this was PB794 JE-A in which he flew 14 ops. This aircraft was taken as "his" and he thus named it with the accompanying nose-art "Fanny by Searchlight". I have photos of JE-A with Dad and his crew if you would still like them. I also have a photo of the model he made of JE-A showing its colour scheme with all the crew's signatures on the base.

It's possible your relative may have been in Dad's crew , assuming he wasn't a pilot , although of course other pilot's did fly both JE-A and JE-L. JE-A completed some 40 odd bombing ops plus a few post armistice operations during its lifetime. It was scrapped like so many of the surviving Lancs in the months after 195 Squadron was disbanded in August '45.

If you'd still like the photos plus any other info on specific ops both JE-A and JE-L flew (I have Dad's log-book pages scanned on my computer plus copies of declassified Air Ministry reports for some of the ops) do let me know and I can email to you.

Best wishes, James Fanning
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