SWAN – James Gretton

605478 – J.G. Swan – Trinidad – attested 28.7.42 – Sgt. Air Bomber UK 9.3.43
54697 – F/O (W) – commissioned 26.4.44

[Source: NA AIR 2/6876]

One addition to “SWAN – James Gretton”

  1. Philip Swan adds:

    J.G. Swan’s service was between 1941 – 1946. J. G. Swan joined Trinidad Air Training Scheme, flying Tiger Moths. Traveling to Canada with other Trinidad aircrew hopefuls, he joined the RAF, and at Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada flew Harvards. He studied Bomb Aiming at Picton, Ontario, Canada. He then crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Elizabeth with 14000 other service men. Ultimately he ended up with 115 Squadron out of Witchford. He completed 23 Bombing Operations before being “Screened” considered having completed his “Tour”. Normally a “Tour” was 30 operations, but because of heavy losses in 115 Squadron, the Crew was screened early, being one the few crews to survive that long at that time. His operations began in Decemeber of 1943, and finished in May 1944.

    He flew as a Bomb Aimer in Lancaster Mk II aircraft, involved in the following operations.
    20 Dec 1943 – Frankfurt – 650 Aircraft, 41 lost (6.3% Losses)
    23 Dec 1943 – Berlin – 379 Aircraft, 16 lost (4.2% Losses)
    29 Dec 1943 – Berlin – 712 Aircraft, 20 lost (2.8% Losses)
    01 Jan 1944 – Berlin – 421 Aircraft, 28 lost (6.7% Losses)
    02 Jan 1944 – Berlin – 383 Aircraft, 27 lost (7.0% Losses)
    14 Jan 1944 – Brunswick – 496 Aircraft, 38 lost (7.6% Losses)
    21 Jan 1944 – Magdeburg – 648 Aircraft, 57 lost (8.8% Losses)
    28 Jan 1944 – Berlin – 677 Aircraft, 46 lost (6.8% Losses)
    30 Jan 1944 – Berlin – 534 Aircraft, 33 lost (6.2% Losses)
    15 Feb 1944 – Berlin – 891 Aircraft, 43 lost (4.8% Losses)
    20 Feb 1944 – Stuttgart – 598 Aircraft, 9 lost (1.5% Losses)
    25 Feb 1944 – Augsberg – 594 Aircraft, 21 lost (3.6% Losses)
    18 Mar 1944 – Frankfurt – 846 Aircraft, 22 lost (2.6% Losses)
    22 Mar 1944 – Frankfurt – 816 Aircraft, 33 lost (4.0% Losses)
    24 Mar 1944 – Berlin – 811 Aircraft, 72 lost (8.9% Losses)
    26 Mar 1944 – Essen – 705 Aircraft, 8 lost (1.3% Losses)
    30 Mar 1944 – Nuremberg – 795 Aircraft, 95 lost (11.9% Losses)
    18 Apr 1944 – Rouen – 273 Aircraft, 2 lost (0.7% Losses)
    20 Apr 1944 – Cologne – 357 Aircraft, 4 lost (0.1% Losses)
    24 Apr 1944 – Karlsruhe – 637 Aircraft, 19 lost (3.0% Losses)
    27 Apr 1944 – Friedrichshafen – 322 Aircraft, 18 lost (5.6% Losses)
    01 May 1944 – Chambly – 120 Aircraft, 5 lost (2.5% Losses)
    07 May 1944 – Nantes- 93 Aircraft, 1 lost (1.1% Losses)

    Having completed his Tour, He became a Bombing Instructor, and was later posted to Ceylon until he was de-commissioned.

    November 27th, 2010 at 5:19 am

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