HughAHalliday
31st December 2012, 21:35
The following may prove interesting as an explanation and illustration of the work of these Army officers attached to Bomber Command:
STEPHENSON, Major Arthur Kenneth Lennard (117803, Royal Artillery) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.6 Group Headquarters - awarded as per London Gazette dated 6 July 1944. Granted commission as Pilot Officer on Probation, 19 March 1934. Confirmed as Pilot Officer, 19 March 1935. Promoted Flying Officer, 19 September 1935. Placed in Class “C” Reserve, 12 October 1935. To Class “A” Reserve, 19 March 1937. Relinquished commission and placed on Reserve of Officers, 1 January 1938. As Acting Bombardier, commissioned in Royal Artillery, 1 February 1940. Public Record Office Air 2/916 has recommendation; as Flak Liaison Officer he had flown sixteen sorties (66 operational hours).
Since being attached to his present unit this officer has taken part in several operational sorties over some of the enemy's most heavily defended areas. He has also participated in shipping sweeps and night fighter patrols. During an attack on Munchen Gladbach in August 1943, the aircraft in which he was flying was attacked six times by enemy fighters and badly damaged but nevertheless the attack was pressed home. Throughout, Major Stephenson calmly made notes, bringing back valuable information. His conduct was an example of cool courage and devotion to duty and an inspiration to the other members of the crew. On another occasion, when his aircraft was attacked by enemy fighters and damaged, this officer's complete disregard of personal danger was instrumental in obtaining valuable information.
RCAF Press Release 3104 drafted 19 April 1944 deals with him and his duties:
With the RCAF Bomber Group in Britain - In the briefing room of every bomber station is a large map of Europe showing the danger zones through which aircrews must fly to reach the target. On them are plotted searchlight concentrations, enemy fighter belts, anti-aircraft zones, dummy targets, decoy fires and heavily defended areas.
The army observer who flies with bomber crews to make firsthand reports is a reliable source of information. One such expert is Major A.K.L. Stephenson, flak liaison officer for the Canadian Bomber Group. A qualified pilot and a former commander of an ack-ack battery in Britain, the 30-year old army officer has been over numerous “hot spots” in Europe. On a recent trip he flew as co-pilot with the 24-year-old Commanding Officer of the RCAF Thunderbird Lancaster squadron, Wing Commander W.F. “Bill” Swetman, DSO, DFC, Kapuskasing, Ontario, who was flying on his 50th operational trip.
The six-foot-three-inch soldier, who flies with a different squadron in the RCAF Group each time, enlisted in the RAF in 1932 and proudly wears his pilots wings on his khaki battle dress. A training crash placed him on the reserve list, so he transferred to the artillery.
Major Stephenson, whose adopted parents ranched on the borders of Kootenay Lake, Long Beach, near Nelson, British Columbia, has had many narrow escapes. One time his four-engined bomber was chased for 30 minutes by night fighters and the crew evaded five consecutive attacks. He spent part of his boyhood in British Columbia and his three brothers were educated at Coldstream, near Vernon, British Columbia. The major hopes to return to Canada after the war and ranch in British Columbia.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Major Stephenson is one of a small group of army officers flying with the RAF. Seated beside the pilot, they allow no new defence or enemy tactic to go unnoticed so that counter-measures may be planned immediately and aircrews briefed on where to avoid heavily defended areas.
The pin-studded map tells a complete story to bomber crews. They know just where along the route they are likely to be engaged by fighters, flak or searchlights and whether the opposition is likely to be fierce or only moderate.
Here’s what it’s like to go along with Major Stephenson and a seven-man Canadian bomber crew, remembering that all the time he will be counting ack-ack guns, searchlight batteries, fighter sightings, encounters and attacks, and comparing them with what already is known about these areas.
As the giant Lancaster approaches the enemy coast, searchlight clusters sweep the sky to pick up his bomber and others in the bomber stream. As he flies on through these bright beams, red flashes break the blackness, followed by vivid shell bursts near our aircraft,
Gunners peer into the inky night for night fighters while the skipper steers his perilous course. All members of the crew make mental notes of where they meet the stiffest opposition. Through flying night after night, the crews keep “genned up” on the hot spots.
After roaring across a couple of hundred miles of enemy territory, his bomber nears the target area. Swarms of searchlights and anti-aircraft fire illuminate the city. From his ringside seat he can judge the ferocity of the defences, knowing that in a matter of minutes he, too, will be in the midst of the fiery inferno.
As his Lanc begins its bombing run, the crew realize that the enemy gunners know the track they are following. “Chandaliers” are pumped into the air all around and these bright white parachute-borne flares indicate t both ack-ack gunners and enemy fighters the whereabouts of his Lancaster. Some 300-odd searchlights surrounding the target city criss-cross and feather-dust the sky as the pyrotechnic display of aerial rockets, multi-coloured tracer and flares shoot across the sky. Red, white and green tracer streams mark the path of ack-ack shells hose-piped into the sky by light flak batteries. A flaming fighter flashes to earth like a huge comet, shot down by gunners of a nearby bomber. Shells streaming towards his plane appear to be direct hits, only to pass by 1,000 yards away, and burst above or below into thousands of tiny fragments.
The Lancaster drops its bombs and dives out of the hell, glad to escape from the vicious technicoloured target area. But the crew doesn’t easily or quickly forget the graphic picture of burning aircraft disintegrating in mid-air or enemy rockets zooming in all directions.
On the homeward journey they relaxed momentarily as the bomber appears to be flying over an area free of searchlights, flak or fighters. Suddenly, out of the stillness, a brilliant blue-coloured finger of light flashed across the fuselage. This is the dreaded master-beam. Probably it has a dozen satellite beams waiting to form a pool of light which may cover half a square mile of sky. This is the “coning” aircrews speak about. There is an anxious moment as the perspex of the pilot’s cockpit glitters with brilliant reflected light which seems to fill the fuselage with blinding radiance.
The skipper throws his 30-ton charger crazily about the sky, diving, twisting, weaving, orbiting, to shake off the illumination before the massed gunfire can get the range. He succeeds in shaking off the “cone” and the crew flies home, fatigued, shaken, perspiring - but happy.
That is what the flak observer and bomber crews go through to get the “gen”.
“The Germans stud the most likely lines of approach to his target cities with searchlight belts and heavy gun batteries,” explained the major. “He encircled the areas he knows we are after with rings of lights and guns, extending well outside the city limits to give maximum range and opportunity for his heavy guns to concentrate over the city. To get maximum field of view, heavy and light flak guns are placed on high towers looming well above the highest buildings and on the roofs of his skyscrapers. Dummy fires, decoys, dummy targets, imitations of the pyrotechnical target markers and blinding flares dropped by our Pathfinder force are all used to confuse our pilots and their crews in their attacks.”
STEPHENSON, Major Arthur Kenneth Lennard (117803, Royal Artillery) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.6 Group Headquarters - awarded as per London Gazette dated 6 July 1944. Granted commission as Pilot Officer on Probation, 19 March 1934. Confirmed as Pilot Officer, 19 March 1935. Promoted Flying Officer, 19 September 1935. Placed in Class “C” Reserve, 12 October 1935. To Class “A” Reserve, 19 March 1937. Relinquished commission and placed on Reserve of Officers, 1 January 1938. As Acting Bombardier, commissioned in Royal Artillery, 1 February 1940. Public Record Office Air 2/916 has recommendation; as Flak Liaison Officer he had flown sixteen sorties (66 operational hours).
Since being attached to his present unit this officer has taken part in several operational sorties over some of the enemy's most heavily defended areas. He has also participated in shipping sweeps and night fighter patrols. During an attack on Munchen Gladbach in August 1943, the aircraft in which he was flying was attacked six times by enemy fighters and badly damaged but nevertheless the attack was pressed home. Throughout, Major Stephenson calmly made notes, bringing back valuable information. His conduct was an example of cool courage and devotion to duty and an inspiration to the other members of the crew. On another occasion, when his aircraft was attacked by enemy fighters and damaged, this officer's complete disregard of personal danger was instrumental in obtaining valuable information.
RCAF Press Release 3104 drafted 19 April 1944 deals with him and his duties:
With the RCAF Bomber Group in Britain - In the briefing room of every bomber station is a large map of Europe showing the danger zones through which aircrews must fly to reach the target. On them are plotted searchlight concentrations, enemy fighter belts, anti-aircraft zones, dummy targets, decoy fires and heavily defended areas.
The army observer who flies with bomber crews to make firsthand reports is a reliable source of information. One such expert is Major A.K.L. Stephenson, flak liaison officer for the Canadian Bomber Group. A qualified pilot and a former commander of an ack-ack battery in Britain, the 30-year old army officer has been over numerous “hot spots” in Europe. On a recent trip he flew as co-pilot with the 24-year-old Commanding Officer of the RCAF Thunderbird Lancaster squadron, Wing Commander W.F. “Bill” Swetman, DSO, DFC, Kapuskasing, Ontario, who was flying on his 50th operational trip.
The six-foot-three-inch soldier, who flies with a different squadron in the RCAF Group each time, enlisted in the RAF in 1932 and proudly wears his pilots wings on his khaki battle dress. A training crash placed him on the reserve list, so he transferred to the artillery.
Major Stephenson, whose adopted parents ranched on the borders of Kootenay Lake, Long Beach, near Nelson, British Columbia, has had many narrow escapes. One time his four-engined bomber was chased for 30 minutes by night fighters and the crew evaded five consecutive attacks. He spent part of his boyhood in British Columbia and his three brothers were educated at Coldstream, near Vernon, British Columbia. The major hopes to return to Canada after the war and ranch in British Columbia.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Major Stephenson is one of a small group of army officers flying with the RAF. Seated beside the pilot, they allow no new defence or enemy tactic to go unnoticed so that counter-measures may be planned immediately and aircrews briefed on where to avoid heavily defended areas.
The pin-studded map tells a complete story to bomber crews. They know just where along the route they are likely to be engaged by fighters, flak or searchlights and whether the opposition is likely to be fierce or only moderate.
Here’s what it’s like to go along with Major Stephenson and a seven-man Canadian bomber crew, remembering that all the time he will be counting ack-ack guns, searchlight batteries, fighter sightings, encounters and attacks, and comparing them with what already is known about these areas.
As the giant Lancaster approaches the enemy coast, searchlight clusters sweep the sky to pick up his bomber and others in the bomber stream. As he flies on through these bright beams, red flashes break the blackness, followed by vivid shell bursts near our aircraft,
Gunners peer into the inky night for night fighters while the skipper steers his perilous course. All members of the crew make mental notes of where they meet the stiffest opposition. Through flying night after night, the crews keep “genned up” on the hot spots.
After roaring across a couple of hundred miles of enemy territory, his bomber nears the target area. Swarms of searchlights and anti-aircraft fire illuminate the city. From his ringside seat he can judge the ferocity of the defences, knowing that in a matter of minutes he, too, will be in the midst of the fiery inferno.
As his Lanc begins its bombing run, the crew realize that the enemy gunners know the track they are following. “Chandaliers” are pumped into the air all around and these bright white parachute-borne flares indicate t both ack-ack gunners and enemy fighters the whereabouts of his Lancaster. Some 300-odd searchlights surrounding the target city criss-cross and feather-dust the sky as the pyrotechnic display of aerial rockets, multi-coloured tracer and flares shoot across the sky. Red, white and green tracer streams mark the path of ack-ack shells hose-piped into the sky by light flak batteries. A flaming fighter flashes to earth like a huge comet, shot down by gunners of a nearby bomber. Shells streaming towards his plane appear to be direct hits, only to pass by 1,000 yards away, and burst above or below into thousands of tiny fragments.
The Lancaster drops its bombs and dives out of the hell, glad to escape from the vicious technicoloured target area. But the crew doesn’t easily or quickly forget the graphic picture of burning aircraft disintegrating in mid-air or enemy rockets zooming in all directions.
On the homeward journey they relaxed momentarily as the bomber appears to be flying over an area free of searchlights, flak or fighters. Suddenly, out of the stillness, a brilliant blue-coloured finger of light flashed across the fuselage. This is the dreaded master-beam. Probably it has a dozen satellite beams waiting to form a pool of light which may cover half a square mile of sky. This is the “coning” aircrews speak about. There is an anxious moment as the perspex of the pilot’s cockpit glitters with brilliant reflected light which seems to fill the fuselage with blinding radiance.
The skipper throws his 30-ton charger crazily about the sky, diving, twisting, weaving, orbiting, to shake off the illumination before the massed gunfire can get the range. He succeeds in shaking off the “cone” and the crew flies home, fatigued, shaken, perspiring - but happy.
That is what the flak observer and bomber crews go through to get the “gen”.
“The Germans stud the most likely lines of approach to his target cities with searchlight belts and heavy gun batteries,” explained the major. “He encircled the areas he knows we are after with rings of lights and guns, extending well outside the city limits to give maximum range and opportunity for his heavy guns to concentrate over the city. To get maximum field of view, heavy and light flak guns are placed on high towers looming well above the highest buildings and on the roofs of his skyscrapers. Dummy fires, decoys, dummy targets, imitations of the pyrotechnical target markers and blinding flares dropped by our Pathfinder force are all used to confuse our pilots and their crews in their attacks.”