The Story of a Lancaster Bomber Crew by David Price

Range and Bomb Load:
- 775 miles with a 22,000 lbs load
- 865 miles with a 12,000 lbs load
- 1265 miles with a 7,000 lbs load

James Vincent Leopold Comans, a new pilot, experiences his first combat mission in Lancaster ED648 as a supplemental eighth crew member for Flight Lieutenant Leonard Hadland.
Date of First Flight: 28th September 1943, targeting Bochum, Germany.
Flight Conditions: September autumn day, cloudy with heavy German defenses.

As the crew took off.
Take-off Time: 6:20 PM.
Experience: Jim observed the beauty of rising bombers, mixed with palpable anxiety.
- Flak bursts observed at 20,000 feet near Dortmund and Essen.
- Bomb release occurred at 8:51 PM during the bombing run.

Return Flight Challenges: Strong headwinds and turbulent weather. The crew aimed for safety but encountered severe conditions.
Critical Moment: Crash into the North Sea caused a chaotic emergency with two crew members missing, leading to a survival situation in a dinghy. The crew attempted to deploy distress signals but remained adrift for 8.5 hours.
Rescue: Eventually rescued by an RAF launch and taken to Grimsby, revealing the harsh realities of bomber missions, including loss of crew members.

Reflecting on the crash incident and following airsickness, Comans was critical about the flight commander's altimeter readings. The RAF Court of Enquiry attributed the incident to an assumed instrument fault.
Subsequent Training: Crew engaged in more practice flights, strengthening their cohesion amid combat challenges.

The crew soon flew operational missions to other pivotal industrial cities in Germany, including Kassel and Munich.
Experience in Targeting Munich: Details on historical significance as a heartland of Nazi ideology and its military importance were discussed; emphasized the stakes of pilot decisions during combat scenarios.

Bomber Command's strategic role in disrupting operations for German war industries was highlighted, including descriptions of the impact of air raids over vital locations.

The notion of 'SOB' (Shit or Bust) epitomized the tension and grim humor experienced by the crew during bomb runs.
Discussed the struggle of managing fear and the mental toughness required for survival in unforgiving conditions.

Descriptions of the political situation in Germany during raids, with significant events like the mass exterminations in occupied Poland and the escalation of Nazi brutality influencing the bomber campaigns.

Appointment: Following successful completion of residences, they considered volunteering for Pathfinder training. The implications for duty duration and mission increases were substantiated.
Concluding Operations: Their timeline culminated in assessments of the loss rates sustained during operations in Berlin, underscoring the increasing dangers faced by bomber crews as conflict progressed.