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Manawydan · Joined: 05 Oct 2007 Posts: 24 Location: Bomber County

Flying Officer Norman John WARFIELD DFM. 156 (Pathfinder) Squadron. Killed in Action over Berlin 24th December 1943 along with his crew.

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'Ain't No Dark 'Till Something Shines, I'm Bound to Leave This Dark Behind.. Townes Van Zandt

Manawydan · Joined: 05 Oct 2007 Posts: 24 Location: Bomber County

The skies are empty now as darkness falls,
The bare deserted runways scarred with weeds
Across the lonely fen a night bird calls,
The wind sighs softly in the whispering reeds.
A fitful moon rides through the cloudy blue,
A bomber's moon, remembered now no more,
Where once the very air vibrated to
The mighty Merlin engines' throbbing roar.
Dispersal huts stand crumbling and forlorn,
Their broken windows open to the rain,
The taxi track is fringed with waving corn,
The echoing hangars used for storing grain.
Upon the cracking tarmac wander sheep,
A derelict crew-room door creaks in the breeze,
The silent world around is lost in sleep
And stars are twinkling far above the trees
Those very stars which were a friendly aid
To those who flew upon the wings of night,
The crews who never grudged the price they paid
To keep aglow the flame of freedom's right.
There is no flarepath now to show the way,
And guide the homing bombers to the ground
The old control tower stands in gaunt decay,
In silence and in darkness wrapped around.
Remember those who flew, across the years,
Those bright young lives they gave so long ago,
No looking back with bitterness or tears,
But thankfulness - for they would wish it so.

Audrey Grealy
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'Ain't No Dark 'Till Something Shines, I'm Bound to Leave This Dark Behind.. Townes Van Zandt

Manawydan · Joined: 05 Oct 2007 Posts: 24 Location: Bomber County

156 Squadron Lancaster MK III JB711 GT-W

F/O N J Warfield DFM [Pilot]
Sgt T E Rees
Sgt J Hill
Sgt F J Manley
P/O R R Stain DFM RAAF
F/S F H Morgan
F/S R N V Daniel

Aircraft took off at 0035 RAF Warboys. Lost without trace 24/25th December 1943. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

F/O Warfield had flown previously with 142 Sqn and P/O Stain had served with 460 Sqn and their DFM's had been Gazetted on 11 August 1942 and 10th September 1943 respectively.

Three of the crew came from Wales where F/S Daniel had won his Welsh cap in Association football.

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'Ain't No Dark 'Till Something Shines, I'm Bound to Leave This Dark Behind.. Townes Van Zandt

Manawydan · Joined: 05 Oct 2007 Posts: 24 Location: Bomber County

28th March 1942 - Lubeck
The first of the famous Lubeck - Rostock attacks, where smaller towns were singled out for a concentrated attack, marked Harris taking over Bomber Command.

Sgt N J Warfield, Sgt H J Green, P/O E Yates, Sgt W Harper, Sgt W Gilroy and Sgt J Howarth took off from Waltham at 21.20 in Z1206, carrying one 1000 lb GP and five 500 lb GP bombs. The crew bombed the town of Lubeck from just 3,000 feet (well within range of the deadly light flak). The photograph was taken north of the town. The Wellington then descended to just 30 feet, from where the gunners strafed numerous searchlights, villages and targets of opportunity. East of the Kiel Canal, still flying at just 75 feet, their luck ran out when a Messerschmitt Bf 110 night fighter caught up with them. They landed back at Waltham at 03.20 and filed the following combat report:

Night of 28/29th March 1942. One Wellington IV 142 Squadron “F” on Lubeck, Eutin 00-35 hours, 75 feet, 180 mph IAS. Bombs dropped. Course 283º, visibility excellent second quarter moon on port beam – no cloud. There was considerable searchlight and light flak activity in the vicinity of our aircraft, which was not actually held when a single Me 110 without lights, was observed 100 feet above at 1000 yards on the starboard quarter. Enemy aircraft closed to 600 yards and opened fire with cannon fire, closing to 400 yards. The rear gunner replied with a five second burst. No strikes were observed, and our aircraft was not materially hit, although holes have been found in and around the tail. The Wellington then took evasive action and enemy aircraft was not seen again. No claim is made. IFF was not used.

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'Ain't No Dark 'Till Something Shines, I'm Bound to Leave This Dark Behind.. Townes Van Zandt

Carolyn · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 1528 Location: Abertillery

I have a number of photos taken at Lubeck in the 1940's. My grandfather was stationed there. Some were taken at the army camp, I have no idea where the camp was it only has Lubeck and the names of the soldiers and the date. The rest are of the canal, farms and landmarks
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My life is no rehearsal There'll be no curtain call encore, so I've thrown my screwed up script away to ad lib my life once more!

Jim Nicholas · Joined: 22 Jul 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Eastbourne

I was in the RAF at Lubeck for about 6 months in 1946. The eastern boundary of the airfield adjoined the Russian Sector and they built an observation platform at the end of our runway. It was a lovely old town and I am somewhat ashamed that we should have selected it for bombing, although I confess I have no knowledge of local industrial/military activities at that time. One memory was was of nights out at a local hostelry where the drink was a rough spirit distilled from the potatoe peelings seen fermenting in zinc baths in the corridors of the establishment. We drank out of old wine bottles from which the necks had been removed. Roll on Weatherspoons.