101 Squadron

[Grandypops]

Hi everyone,

I'm doing some research into a 101 Squadron Lancaster LM464 which crashed at Syleham in Suffolk on 19th March 1944 killing all the crew the pilot was 20 year old Sgt Roy Dixon DFM. I know that he was awarded his DFM on his first "OP" which was to Schweinfurt on 24th February 1944 but I can't seem to find the citation for the awarding of the medal I believe it was for fending off an attack from a Fw190 night fighter which was claimed as damaged. Any help would be much appreciated.

Many thanks
Bill

[Don Clark]

Details are here at RAF Commands, in the Awards db, top row tabs

DFM: Roy DIXON RAFVR (1432466)
"One night in February, 1944, this airman piloted an aircraft detailed to attack Schweinfurt. It was his first operational sortie: During the operation his aircraft was attacked by a fighter. Displaying great skill, however, Sergeant Dixon manoeuvred to a position from which his gunners were able to open fixe with telling effect. The following night. Sergeant Dixon took part in an attack on Augsburg. Whilst over the target the aircraft was heavily hit by anti-aircraft fire. A large hole was torn in the fuselage and itihe hydraulic gear was rendered unserviceable. Almost immediately the bomber was struck by bullets from a fighter. One of the petrol tanks was pierced, the starboard elevator was shattered and a large hole was 'torn in the starboard main plane. Nevertheless Sergeant Dixon succeeded in evading the attacker and afterwards flew the damaged bomber to base where he effected a successful crash-landing. In trying circumstances, this airman displayed skill, courage and determination of a high order"
London Gazette No. 36439, Dated 1944-03-24 (p1390, 1391)
http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...submit1=Search
[typos as OCR scanned]

For future ref, as the db entry link shows, London Gazette search on name and service no also finds such records.
Also for further ref, if of interest, the 101 Squadron Operations Record Book for the time are free to view or download at the UK National Archives
Feb 44 Summary of events https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...mageViewerLink
Feb 1944 Record of events https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...mageViewerLink

See also AIR 27 Squadron Ops Record Books db listing for other dates, eg from the db here:
http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...=&qnum=&qdate=

Further details of the loss of Lancaster III LM464 are recorded on the AM Form 1180 Aircraft accident card, images held by the Bomber Command History site,
see images 86 & 87 here: http://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.co...4/March/1.html though for some reason, only Dixon recorded.

Addnl details of the crew, all killed incl P/O R Dixon, all in the Aircraft loss db here:
http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...php?uniq=LM464

Using the Sqn Ops Rcord Book, you could find the Lancaster serial no & date of his safe return & crash-landing for which he was awarded the DFM: Using the BC History site above Form 1180 set, you can find the details of damage for that a/craft, too.

Casting around online for 101 Squadron LM464 finds these addnl refs which may be of interest

101 Sqn LM464 SR-E image:
https://backtonormandy.org/the-histo...944-03-19.html
Brief bios + some photos of crew members at IBCC Losses DB (Bryan eg and follow the lnks for the others, plus ORB links):
https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/103022/

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

"One night in February, 1944...":

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ject/205090445

You can find an uncensored, close-up shot of Lancaster ME590 between pages 152-3, in the following publication:

RAF Bomber Command Reflections of War Volume 3 Battleground Berlin (July 1943-March 1944).
Bowman,Martin W.
Barnsley:Pen & Sword Aviation,2012.

The photo caption reads:
The 101 Squadron Lancasters equipped with ABC (Airborne Cigar) were distinguishable by their large masts above the fuselage as on Lancaster I ME590/SR-C. On 26 February 1944, Flight Sergeant R Dixon piloted the aircraft back from Augsburg, where at 20,000 feet ME590 was hit by flak, which fractured hydraulic lines, after which a Me110 attacked and holed the elevators. Dixon crash-landed at Ludford Magna, wrecking part of the FIDO (Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation) pipework in the process. ME590 was repaired, converted from B.I to B.III and sent to 1651 HCU at Woolfox Lodge. After further service on 5 MU, ME590 was finally scrapped in April 1947.(Photo source, IWM).

Col.

[Grandypops]

Many thanks for your help with this
Bill

[Don Clark]

Further to
"101 Sqn LM464 SR-E image:
https://backtonormandy.org/the-history/air-force-operations/airplanes-allies-and-axis-lost/lancaster/23274-LM4641944-03-19.html"

The odd thing about this piece is that the aircraft image is plainly NOT Merlin engined Lancaster III LM464.
It is Lancaster II DS704 with Bristol Hercules engines, destroyed on ops 408 Sqn 20 Dec 43 as per
https://www.rafcommands.com/database...php?uniq=DS704

[WOODHEAD]

I am also doing research on 101 Squadron, My father flew MkI Lancaster ED375 SR-V in February 43.

The Back to Normandy site is also using the same photograph of a MkII Lancaster with Hercules Radial engines, with air intakes on the top of the engine cowling. Serial number DS704 EQ-W. 408 Squadron, Linton. Lost 20/21 December 43.

Labelling the photograph ED375. Very misleading for those that are not hardened researchers and taking info at face value.

Thanks

[Don Clark]

Misleading labelling: well, perhaps at first glance, however...

M. Vogels has put a great deal of work into his Back To Normandy site, across a range of topics much broader than just aircraft.

I did find his menu layout not that helpful, so to take a slightly deeper look at the apparent Lancaster problem,
tried selecting just the Lancaster pages (by trimming the URLs already noted)...thus
https://backtonormandy.org/the-histo...lancaster.html

There are over 400 Lancaster pages. I checked 10 or so across the range, to see virtually all the Lancaster contents, aircraft by aircraft, id'd or not, illustrated by just one or other of two repeated images. Both are of a Lancaster Mark II with Bristol Hercules engines, one the already noted DS704.

Looking further, using the same URL trimming technique rather than arm-wrestling the menu, here is the site's Aircraft list page:
https://backtonormandy.org/the-histo...and-axis-lost/

Extensive, and all the pages I checked were illustrated in the same style: in all but rare cases, with a single repeated aircraft image.
For the Blenheim, eg, (https://backtonormandy.org/the-histo...lost/blenheim/)
it is the very well known IWM image of K7033, the first prodn Mark I aircraft - used throughout for lost Blenheims, whether Mark I or Mark IV.
In at least one case, he has a crashed Blenheim, virtually destroyed, possibly a Mk IV.

You need browse only a few aircraft type pages to see that he has chosen to illustrate his aircraft work with what seem to be just whatever examples came to hand.
Possibly inexpertly chosen but plainly not intended to mislead, re aircraft ids vs loss text.
It is a pity that - from what images I saw - he gives no source or ref for any of them.
All in all a remarkable collection of varied material.

This site has a great deal of content, representing a very considerable amount of commemorative work on the part of Fred Vogels, which some numbers of people have found helpful.
He is clearly id'd and contactable. That said, he is primarily an accomplished musician, rather than a military aviation expert, and the site has a lot of musical content too.