Aircraft side view by M A Kinnear  Avro Manchester Mk Ia R5770 ZN - G.  Wing Commander Guy P. Gibson VC, DSO, DFC:   Born 12th August 1918, Guy Penrose Gibson commenced pilot training with the RAF 16th November 1936, gaining his wings in September 1937. His first posting was to 83 Squadron RAF Scampton. During his first operational tour (which he completed after 42 sorties in September 1940 and was awarded the DFC), Gibson managed to shoot down a Dornier bomber. Following a brief spell on instructor duties, Gibson returned to operational flying in November 1940, when he joined Bristol Beaufighter equipped 29 Squadron, which was based at RAF Digby on night defence duties. His tour with the squadron ended in December 1941, during which he completed 99 sorties, destroyed 3 enemy aircraft with 1 probable and 4 damaged. He received a bar to his DFC and was promoted to Squadron Leader. Following a 3 month period as Chief Flying Instructor at RAF Cranfield, Gibson on 13th April 1942 commenced his third tour as commander of Avro Manchesters, two of them (Rostock 25/4/42 and the Heinkel works at Warnemunde 8/5/42) in R5770. Soon after 106 re-equipped with the Avro Lancaster. Gibson's first operational sortie on Lancasters was 8th July 1942 bombing Wilhelmshaven. Gibson completed his 29th and final sortie (against Stuttgart) with 106 squadron on 11th March 1943. During this tour he dropped the first 8,000lb bomb from a Lancaster on Germany, was awarded the DSO and bar, had taken part in the famous Le Creusot raid - bombing the transformer station at Montchanin from 500ft - and on 16/17th January 1943 he took BBC radio broadcaster Richard Dimbleby on a sortie to Berlin. On 21st March 1943 Gibson was directed to form 617 Squadron ("The Dambusters") at RAF Scampton. On the evening of 16th May 1943, following specialised low flying training in specially adapted Lancaster aircraft, 617 squadron attacked the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams. Gibson was awarded the Victoria Cross and with the other surviving crews, was taken off operations. For the next year Gibson was officially rested, but managed to take part in 4 sorties. Eventually, he was granted one more operational sortie. On the night of 19th September 1944 Gibson took off in a 627 Squadron Mosquito with his navigator Sqd Ldr J Warwick DFC. They were to act as master bomber on raids against Rheydt and Munchen Gladbach. After the last aircraft had released its bombs, Gibson headed for home. His aircraft was seen in difficulties over Steenbergen, Holland, and its engines were heard spluttering and then stopping. The aircraft was seen to crash in flames. Both Guy Gibson and Jimmy Warwick are buried in Steenbergen Cemetery.

Aircraft History:   R5770 was built by Metrovick at Trafford Park and delivered to No. 25 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at RAF Finningley 9th April 1941. It was delivered to No.106 Squadron at RAF Conningsby 8th March 1942, with whom it completed several operational sorties. R5770 was then delivered to No.1660 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) at RAF Swinderby. On 4th July 1943 one of its engines failed on take off, causing the aircraft to swing off the runway. The pilot retracted the undercarriage to stop the aircraft. As a result R5770 sustained Category E damage and was struck off charge 13th July 1943. The cause of the engine failure was found to be "foreign matter in the carburettor". 106 Squadron Royal Air Force:          Motto: "Pro Libertate" (For Freedom) 106 Squadron was formed 30th September 1917 at Andover, and served in Ireland on Army co-operation duties from May 1918 until disbandment in 1919. Re-formed in June 1938, the squadron was equipped with Hawker Hinds, and later Fairey Battles and from May 1939 until March 1942 was equipped with the Handley Page Hampden. The first operational WWII sortie, on the night of 9/10th September 1940 was mine laying in the Bordeaux area and the first bombing sortie was on the night of 1st/2nd March 1941 against Cologne. From February 1942 until June the same year 106 was equipped with the Avro Manchester. Following this short spell, the squadron was re-equipped with the Avro Lancaster. Although they used both Lancasters and Manchesters on all three 1,000 bomber raids (Cologne 30th/31st May 1942, Essen 1st/2nd June 1942, and Bremen 25/26th June 1942) - the third one against Bremen was the last one when the Manchesters were used. In October 1942, 106 contributed 10 Lancasters to 5 Group's epic low level daylight raid against the Schneider Works at Le Creusot, and 2 Lancasters (one of which was piloted by Wing Commander Guy Gibson CO of 106) to the subsidiary raid on the transformer and switching station at Montchanin. In 1943, they took part in the first shuttle-bombing raids (target Friedrichshafen), and the famous Peenemunde raid. During what was to become known as the Battle of Berlin (November 1943- March 1944) 106 dispatched 281 Lancasters on 20 raids, with the loss of eight aircraft. In 1944, 106 helped prepare the way for the invasion of Europe by hitting targets such as a Coastal Gun Battery at St Pierre du Mont and V-1 storage sites. In December 1944, 106 made a round trip of over 1,900 miles to attack the German Baltic Fleet at Gdynia. In March 1945, the squadron provided air support (against the defences of Wesel) for Commandos crossing the Rhine. Their last bombing sortie was on 25/26th April 1945 against the oil refinery at Vallo, Norway and 106 Squadron finally disbanded February 1946.

Duel in the Dark by Robert Taylor   The air war fought throughout World War II in the night skies above Europe raged six long years.  RAF Hurricanes sent up to intercept the Luftwaffe's nightly blitz on British cities had no more equipment than the fighters that fought the Battle of Britain during the day, but as the scale of nightly conflict developed, detection and navigation aids - primitive by today's standards - were at the cutting edge of World War II aviation technology. As the air war progressed the intensity of the RAF's nightly raids grew to epic proportions, and the Luftwaffe night-fighters became a critical last line of defence as their cities were pounded from above.  By 1944 the Luftwaffe was operating sophisticated systems coordinating radar, searchlights and flak batteries, enabling effective guidance to increasingly wily aircrews flying equipment-laden aircraft.  But the RAF had in turn developed their own detection equipment, and the nightly aerial contests between fighters and bombers were desperate affairs. Night-fighter pilots were men of special calibre, requiring a blend of all the best piloting and navigational qualities combined with patience, determination, and no small element of cunning.  They were hunters in the purest sense, constantly honing their skills and pitting their wits wits against a formidable foe.  The young aircrews of the Luftwaffe fought a brave but losing battle in defence of their homeland, but their dedication never faltered, and their bravery is legend.