F/S R H Hatchard RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron - 1945
The Hatchard crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds in February or early March 1945. The exact date or from where is not recorded
The crew for their first operation was :-
F/S R H Hatchard
P/O A H Dowie then F/L F J Breheny both for one op each. Then F/S A H Gledhill for the remainder
F/O R F Medhurst
F/O D E Reid RNZAF
Sgt A J Rumford
Sgt J R Vernon
Sgt E Thompson
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F/L F J Breheny was the Flight Engineer Section Leader.
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There is no record of Hatchard flying as a Second Dickie / co-pilot and he may already have flown some operations with another squadron. One of the operations below is a Mine Laying trip which would not be suitable for an inexperienced crew
He then captained his own crew on the following operations :-
19-Mar-45 - Hanau - Point of Aim - Lancaster - ME698 – F/S RH Hatchard
21-Mar-45 - Bremen - Oil - Lancaster - ME475 – F/S RH Hatchard
22-Mar-45 - Hildesheim - Railway yards - Lancaster - NG173 – F/S RH Hatchard
25-Mar-45 - Hannover - Army support - Lancaster - ME698 – F/S RH Hatchard
27-Mar-45 - Paderborn - Army support - Lancaster - RA528 – F/S RH Hatchard
13-Apr-45 - Kiel Bay - Mine laying - Lancaster - RA528 – F/S RH Hatchard
18-Apr-45 - Heligoland - Naval base and airfield - Lancaster - PD236 – F/S RH Hatchard
22-Apr-45 - Bremen - Army support - Lancaster - PD236 – P/O RH Hatchard
28-Apr-45 - Brussels - Operation Exodus - Lancaster - LM727 – P/O RH Hatchard - Recalled to base because of bad weather at Brussels.
30-Apr-45 - Leiden - Operation Manna - Lancaster - RA528 – P/O RH Hatchard
01-May-45 - Rotterdam - Operation Manna - Lancaster - LM295 – P/O RH Hatchard
02-May-45 - Rotterdam - Operation Manna - Lancaster - PD198 – P/O RH Hatchard
04-May-45 - Rotterdam - Operation Manna - Lancaster - LM295 – P/O RH Hatchard
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Compiled by David Fell
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