Sgt H R Butler – 103 Squadron – 1941/42 – Air Gunner
Butler was an Air Gunner / Wireless Operator posted to 103 Squadron in the summer of 1941, date not recorded. He had a very eventful tour not untypical of the time and it is well worth noting so I have listed this below. Most of these operations were flown in the crew of Bill Gorrie but also a handful with P/O Brookes and P/O Williams. There a many notable and hard targets on that list.
Tour details shown below :-
24-Jul-41 - Cherbourg - Docks and shipping - Wellington - R1538 – Sgt WJK Gorrie - Unable to locate primary. Bombed Gilze airfield
18-Aug-41 - Duisburg - Railway yards - Wellington - R1445 – Sgt WJK Gorrie
19-Aug-41 - Kiel - Railway yards - Wellington - R1445 – Sgt WJK Gorrie - Did not take off
22-Aug-41 - Mannheim - Post office - Wellington - R1445 – Sgt WJK Gorrie
27-Aug-41 - Mannheim - Post office - Wellington - R1445 – Sgt WJK Gorrie - Elevator trouble. Bombed Ostend docks
29-Aug-41 - Mannheim - General attack - Wellington - R1445 – Sgt WJK Gorrie
31-Aug-41 - Essen - Industrial area - Wellington - X9813 – Sgt WJK Gorrie
12-Oct-41 - Bremen - Point of Aim - Wellington - R1445 – Sgt WJK Gorrie – Early return - Engine unserviceable
13-Oct-41 - Dusseldorf - Point of Aim - Wellington - R1445 – Sgt WJK Gorrie
22-Oct-41 - Mannheim - Point of Aim - Wellington - R1445 – Sgt WJK Gorrie – Early return - Port engine caught fire
09-Nov-41 - Ostend - Docks and shipping - Wellington - R1445 – Sgt WJK Gorrie
16-Dec-41 - Wilhelmshaven - Point of aim - Wellington - R1445 – Sgt WJK Gorrie
28-Dec-41 - Wilhelmshaven - Point of aim - Wellington - Z1152 – Sgt WJK Gorrie
06-Jan-42 - Brest - German capital ships - Wellington - R1445 – Sgt WJK Gorrie
11-Feb-42 – Brest - German capital ships – Wellington – T2921 – P/O JF Brookes
14-Feb-42 – Mannheim - Point of aim – Wellington – Z1171 – P/O JF Brookes - Unable to locate primary. Bombed targets of opportunity
21-Feb-42 - Mannheim and others - Point of aim – Wellington – R1452 – P/O BH Williams - Unable to locate primary. Bombed autobahn and targets of opportunity.
03-Mar-42 – Paris - Renault motor factory – Wellington – R1234 – P/O BH Williams
25-Mar-42 – Essen - Point of Aim – Wellington – L7819 – P/O JF Brookes
27-Mar-42 - St Nazaire - Operation Chariot – Wellington – L7819 – P/O JF Brookes - Took off from Pershore. Unable to locate primary due to 10/10ths cloud cover down to below 500 ft.
02-Apr-42 - Poissy - Ford motor vehicle factory - Wellington - DV699 – P/O WGK Gorrie - Intercom failed shortly after take off but was repaired in flight.
05-Apr-42 - Cologne - Point of Aim - Wellington - DV699 – P/O WGK Gorrie
07-Apr-42 - Essen - Point of Aim - Wellington - DV699 – P/O WGK Gorrie
15-Apr-42 - Dortmund - Point of Aim - Wellington - DV699 – P/O WGK Gorrie
18-Apr-42 - Hamburg - Point of Aim - Wellington - DV699 – P/O WGK Gorrie
23-Apr-42 - Rostock - Point of Aim - Wellington - DV699 – P/O WGK Gorrie
24-Apr-42 - Rostock - Point of Aim - Wellington - DV699 – P/O WGK Gorrie
26-Apr-42 - Rostock - Point of Aim - Wellington - Z1152 – P/O WGK Gorrie
28-Apr-42 - Kiel - Point of Aim - Wellington - DV596 – P/O WGK Gorrie
29-Apr-42 - Paris/ Gennevilliers - Gnome Rhone factory - Wellington – DV699 – P/O WGK Gorrie - Hit by light flak at beginning of bombing run and forced to jettison bombs at 200 ft
04-May-42 - Stuttgart - Bosch plug factory - Wellington - DV699 – P/O WGK Gorrie - Did not take off - Armament failure.
Butler disappears from the Order of Battle after the 4th May 1942 and was probably posted as an instructor somewhere. What became of him I do not know but seems to have survived the war. I shall be interested to find out more about this gentleman. I will do a Profile about Bill Gorrie before too long.
Compiled by David Fell
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