[SGT VINCENT ANDERSON'S FLYING CAREER]
Vincent Anderson's RAF flying career started on 22nd September 1941 with an air gunnery course on the dreadful old Botha aircraft at No.8 A.G. School at RAF Evanton. He passed out on 15th October 1941 with an "Above Average" rating.
From Evanton he went to No.12 Operational Training Unit at RAF Benson and from 23rd December 1941 until 28th February 1942 flew on Wellingtons.
It was here that he first flew with his regular pilot W/O JMB Black with whom he was later killed.
From 12 O.T.U. he went onto No.1651 conversion unit at RAF Waterbeach where on 16th March 1942 he finally commenced his conversion training time onto Short Sterling Heavy Bombers until 2nd April 1942. He was then posted to No.7 squadron where he continued training with the squadrons conversion flight until 2nd May 1942.
[No.7 SQUADRON, OPERATIONAL]
Vincent finally joined an operational crew on No.7 Squadron on 3rd May 1942 and made his first operational bombing raid on St Nazaire, France during a 6hr 40 minute sortie on the night of 7th / 8th May 1942.
[SGT ANDERSON'S 15 OPERATIONAL BOMBING SORTIES]
7/5/42. ST NAZAIRE. 6:40
17/5/42. BOULOGNE. 3:15
19/5/42. ST NAZAIRE. 5:45
30/5/42. COLOGNE. 5:15
1/6/42. ESSEN (Did not complete op). 1:40
19/6/42. EMDEN. 4:10
20/6/42. EMDEN (Did not complete op). 2:15
22/6/42. EMDEN. 4:10
25/6/42. BRENEN. 5:10
29/6/42. BREMEN. 5:35
8/7/42. WILHELMSHAVEN. 5.00
16/7/42. LUBECK-FLENSBURG 7:15
19/7/42. VEGESACK. 5:00
25/7/42. DUISBERG 3:50
(28-29/7/42 HAMBURG RAID .....A/C Failed to Return, Crashed 12 miles
South West of WILHELMSHAVEN at Klein-Horsten at 03:30 hrs.
[THE CRASHED AIRCRAFT, W7533, IN A FIELD AT KLEIN-HORSTEN]
The lost Sterling bomber seen here under German guard on the morning of 29th July 1942. Only Sgt Thoms the Wireless Operator 'somehow' survived the crash to be taken prisoner of war.
We think he may have managed to bail out just before the aircraft crashed.
[THE EIGHT CREWMEN OF STERLING W7533 (MG-G)]
Captain W/O J.M.B. Black .....killed
2nd/Pilot. Sgt C.P. Lund.............killed
Nav. Sgt F.E. Lawson........killed
W/Op. Sgt G.R. Thoms .....(Survived, P.O.W) 8B/334
Front Gnr Sgt J.H. White...........killed
Mid-Upper Sgt L.R. Pulling..........killed
Rear Gnr. Sgt V. Anderson.........killed
Flt'Eng. Sgt F.A. MURPHY......killed
Aircraft was Cat 6, destroyed by enemy action.
Struck off charge 29th July 1942.
.Sgt Vincent Anderson's flying career lasted just 14 short weeks from his first sortie on 7th May 1942 and ended in the corner of a foreign field on 29th July 1942. This was a completely normal & typical survival span for the bomber command aircrew who flew in WW2 over Nazi occupied Europe. "PER ARDUA AD ASTRA" Vincent, We Salute You.
A greatly historical grouping with all it's important service issue papers & box. Complete with flying log book which is very rare to see with Aircrew Europe casualty trios. Also comes with a photograph & the war medal & box etc to Vincent Anderson's WRAF girlfriend to whom as listed next of kin he had his medals sent.
£995 (RESERVED)