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Bob Knights |
Name : Bob Knights Died : 4th December 2004 Awards : Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross |
A member of the elite 617 Dambusters squadron, Bob Knights had a key role on the night before D-Day. With the rest of the squadron he flew on Operation Taxable which simulated the approach of the invasion across the Pas de Calais by dropping metal strips of window to a very precise pattern. The enemy was completely deceived and kept most of their best troops on the wrong side of the Seine. Bob Knights had already flown a full operational tour with 619 Squadron Lancasters, including eight trips to Berlin, before volunteering for 617 Squadron. Under Cheshire he flew on some of the squadrons most challenging precision operations and later under Willie Tait took part in the attack that finally destroyed the Tirpitz. Seconded to BOAC in December 1944 he stayed with the airline after the war for a 30 year long career. He died 4th December 2004. |
Artwork signed by this Pilot or Aircrew |
The Night Awaits by Keith Woodcock. | Bomber Force by Nicolas Trudgian. | One Hundred Up! by Simon Atack. |
Strike and Return by Robert Taylor. | Target Bearing 270 by Robert Taylor. | A Lincolnshire Sunset 1944 by Gerald Coulson. |
Normandy Veterans Association 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Print by Michael Turner. | The Sinking of the Tirpitz by Frank Wootton. | No Turning Back by Robert Taylor (B) |
Aircraft for : Bob Knights | ||
A list of all aircraft associated with Bob Knights. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | ||
Aircraft | Info | |
Lancaster
Manufacturer : Avro Production Began : 1942 Retired : 1963 Number Built : 7377 | Lancaster The Avro Lancaster arose from the avro Manchester and the first prototype Lancaster was a converted Manchester with four engines. The Lancaster was first flown in January 1941, and started operations in March 1942. By March 1945 The Royal Air Force had 56 squadrons of Lancasters with the first squadron equipped being No.44 Squadron. During World War Two the Avro Lancaster flew 156,000 sorties and dropped 618,378 tonnes of bombs between 1942 and 1945. Lancaster Bomberss took part in the devastating round-the-clock raids on Hamburg during Air Marshall Harris' Operation Gomorrah in July 1943. Just 35 Lancasters completed more than 100 successful operations each, and 3,249 were lost in action. The most successful survivor completed 139 operations, and the Lancaster was scrapped after the war in 1947. A few Lancasters were converted into tankers and the two tanker aircraft were joined by another converted Lancaster and were used in the Berlin Airlift, achieving 757 tanker sorties. A famous Lancaster bombing raid was the 1943 mission, codenamed Operation Chastise, to destroy the dams of the Ruhr Valley. The operation was carried out by 617 Squadron in modified Mk IIIs carrying special drum shaped bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis. Also famous was a series of Lancaster attacks using Tallboy bombs against the German battleship Tirpitz, which first disabled and later sank the ship. The Lancaster bomber was the basis of the new Avro Lincoln bomber, initially known as the Lancaster IV and Lancaster V. (Becoming Lincoln B1 and B2 respectively.) Their Lancastrian airliner was also based on the Lancaster but was not very successful. Other developments were the Avro York and the successful Shackleton which continued in airborne early warning service up to 1992. |
Squadrons for : Bob Knights | ||
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Bob Knights. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name. | ||
Squadron | Info | |
No.617 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 23rd March 1943 Apres mois, le deluge - After me, the flood | No.617 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
No.619 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 18th April 1943 Fate : Disbanded 18th July 1945 Apres mois, le deluge - After me, the flood | No.619 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. |
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