Sometime in the 1960's some one started using the term "Crowded Skies" although he was referring to the growth of
commercial flights and congestion around the airports. The term would not have been lost on the pilots and crewmen
of Bomber Command during the years of the war. The forming up of hundreds of huge aircraft and sending them on to
the same target in the dark of night, the confusion, smoke, flak, falling bombs, damaged aircraft wandering into the path of others and evasive actions that could occur over the target or the appraoch to the target all added to the
hazard of mid-air collision. Wing Commander Fleming amungst others over the period of the war had expressed their views on the extreme
dangers of these type of collisions.
Experienced pilots well knew that this was an additional hazard to the work they were involved in.
While on an operation to Bourg-Leopold on the night of May 27/28 1944, P/O J F Tees flying "VR-K"
made evasive actions to avoid the attempts of a FW190 to assault them. Within minutes
they had to then again take actions to avoid a collision with another Lancaster in thier new path.
KB728
P/O J F Tees Pilot
F/O P C Thompson Navigator
F/O T R Dickson
Sgt. M G McComb Wireless Operator
Sgt. H K Parsons F/E
Sgt. I C McLeod Upper Gunner
Sgt. E N Newton Rear Gunner
The crewmen returned to base safely and KB728 remained in service until retired.
Other pilots with many sorties to their credit knew that the smoke clouded target area were
not a safe place to be orbiting while trying to line up on the assigned target.
F/O R N Wilson made such a descion to return to base when he found himself and his crew over a target
heavily veiled in smoke at all levels and had problems locating the actual target center within the smoke.
Accidental impact with another aircraft of your own forces or the enemies is one thing.
The crew of "VR-P" piloted by Sgt. Cameron were to become victims of what may have
been an intentional head on crash with a single engined fighter. After the completion of
the bombing run and making it to the relative safety of darkness past the searchlight
perimiter the unknown aircraft slammed into the port wing. The controls became jammed
and the the port outer engine caught fire. Sgt. Duggan, Sgt. Boos and Sgt Scharf
all left by the rear escape hatch, the other members of the crew Sgt. Cameron, Sgt. Mullany,
Sgt. Birtch and Sgt. Wintzer, were not seen to leave the aircraft.
JD270 page
JD270
WO2 W D L Cameron Pilot
F/S G E P Birtch Navigator
F/S V J Wintzer Bomb Aimer
Sgt. L H Duggan Wireless Oper.
Sgt. J T Mullany RAF F/E
Sgt. B W Scharf Air Gunner
Sgt. R E Boos Rear Gunner