Crew: The Story of the Men Who Flew RAAF Lancaster J for Jig

by Mike Colman

On the evening of 24 February 1944, RAAF Lancaster bomber J for Jig took off from an airfield in Lincolnshire. On board was a crew of seven young men-five Australians, two Scots-whose mission was to bomb factories in Schweinfurt, Germany. But J for Jig never reached its target. It was shot down in the night skies over France.

This book is about the seven lives on that aircraft-who they were, what they did, whom they loved, and whom they left behind. Some were to die that night, and others were to survive, withstanding incredible hardships and adventures as prisoners and evaders in a war that was far from over.

Crew brilliantly recreates J for Jig's final mission but, more than that, in telling seven individuals' stories Mike Colman has captured the achievements, loss and the enduring legacy of the generation that fought in the Second World War.

336 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2018

Reviews

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the evening of 24 February 1944, RAAF Lancaster bomber J for Jig took off from an airfield in Lincolnshire. On board was a crew of seven young men-five Australians, two Scots-whose mission was to bomb factories in Schweinfurt, Germany. But J for Jig never reached its target. It was shot down in the night skies over France.This book is about the 7 men on that aircraft-who they were, what they did, whom they loved, and whom they left behind. Some were to die that night, and others were to survive, withstanding incredible hardships and adventures as prisoners and evaders in a war that was far from over.
The J for Jig crew consisted of pilot(Dave Baxter),navigator(Cliff Hopgood),bomb aimer(Tony D'Arcey),wireless operator(Ron Ferguson),mid-upper gunner(Bill Martin),rear gunner(John Dunlop) and flight engineer(Peter Mallon).In the air force, your crew was everything, and everyone had an important role to play.Gaining the respect of the other crews was a very important part of squadron life.Everyone knew who they wanted flying alongside them and who could be a danger.The process of 'crewing up' was purposely left casual and unregulated.It was felt that the camaraderie required to create a smooth-running team could not be forced or defined in any book of regulations.In an organisation still being run along English public school lines,it was felt that no one was better placed to choose the right mix of men to go to war with than the team captain. Just returning from a flight over enemy territory was an achievement in itself.
Villers-sous-Preny is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in northeastern France.The locals there ensured that the fallen received proper burials.The French Resistance risked their lives to help downed Allied airmen to get away from the Germans.
No.460 Squadron operated heavy bombers from 15th November 1941-10th October 1945.It saw extensive combat over Europe.The squadron was a multinational unit,but most personnel were Australian.The squadron flew the most sorties of any Australian bomber squadron and dropped more bomb tonnage than any squadron in the whole of Bomber Command.It also had the most casualties.

[Peter Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Artfully written and skillfully told, this is the story of the men who flew in the forces of the RAAF during the early months of 1944. Each member of the seven man crew is respectfully portrayed, both in their stories individually and as a Lancaster bomber crew.

I'll not put spoilers in here, respite to say that this is a work that will be of engaging interest to those interested in military aviation and World War Two history alike.

From the summary you may believe that you can "see" the story to be told, it is the skill of the author that makes this not so and therefore an interesting and very engaging read.

[Colin Rodgers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend lent me this book because of our shared interest in the operations of Bomber Command in WW2. The book follows the brief service of one Lancaster crew, five Australians and two Scots, and the experiences of their families during and after the war. This is a wonderful book, with a wealth of detail of which I was previously unaware.

[Grahame Collard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a very good read. A good insight into the training, the assembly of a crew, daily routine and being shot down on last flight. The trials of evading capture to make it to safey