No. 640 Squadron RAF

No. 640 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

History No. 640 Squadron was first formed at RAF Leconfield, East Riding of Yorkshire on 7 January 1944, from 'C' Flight of No. 158 Squadron RAF. It was equipped with Halifax Mk.III bombers, and operated as part of No. 4 Group in Bomber Command. It re-equipped with Halifax VI bombers in March 1945, and was disbanded at RAF Leconfield on 7 May of that year.

Operational highlights

First Operational Mission 5 Halifaxes bombed Berlin while 3 others aborted on the night from 20 to 21 January 1944 Last Operational Mission 18 Halifaxes bombed gun batteries on the island of Wangerooge on 25 April 1945

+Listed below are further operational highlights for the Wakeman crew (see photograph right)Reginald William Parr Flight Log 1944 Position Name crew member Known as Captain F/O R.Wakeman, DFC Jimmy Navigator P/O Reginald William Parr, DFC Reg Bomb Aimer F/O C.B.Morrison, RCAF, DFC Cliff W/Op F/Sgt. H.Bearyman Harry Flt.Eng. F/Sgt. P.McPhie Peter Mid-upper Gunner F/S R.Thomas Tommy Rear GunnerF/Sgt. E.G.Humphries Eric

+Individual missions for the above named crew, data from Date (all dates are in 1944) Off Back Target Mission Detail Bomb Load (lbs) Individual Aircraft Code Aircraft Serial No. 6 August11:1214:27 Forêt de Nieppe V-Weapon Sites.16×500X 7 August20:5301:48May-sur-OrneArmy Support – Five aiming points in front of Allied ground troops in Normandy.9×1000HNA573 9 August11:5315:28Le ChâtellierChemical works.4×500X 10 August20:5003:50DijonA railway junction and the railway yards.4×500J 11 August18:2222:07ÉtaplesRailway bridge.4×500Z 15 August09:4013:45EindhovenAirfield4×500BMZ561 16 August21:4001:45Kiel4×500BMZ561 18 August22:2003:00Sterkrade/Holten, Ruhr.Ruhrchemie AG synthetic oil plant(SBC = small bomb container)1×2000, 4×SBCBMZ561 9 September06:4411:09Le HavreAbandoned – cloud.16×500G 11 September05:1909:49Cadillac7×1000, 6×500K 12 September16:1520:50Münster1×2000 & IncendiaryPMZ678 17 September06:5210:43BoulogneGerman positions in preparation for an attack by Allied troops.9×1000, 4×500JNP631 25 September06:3510:36CalaisGerman defensive positions.9×1000, 4×500JNP931 27 September09:2913:03CalaisGerman defensive positions.9×1000, 4×500DLW554 30 September09:4514:22Bottrop, Ruhr.Oil plant.16×500HMZ344 6 October14:2819:04Sterkrade/Holten, Ruhr.Ruhrchemie AG Synthetic oil plant.16×500JNP931 7 October11:4516:03KleveArmy support – Approach routes by which German units could threaten the vulnerable Allied right flank near Nijmegen.9×1000, 4×500JNP931 15 October00:1605:53Duisburg8×1000, 5×500KMZ930 15 October17:4821:41Wilhelmshaven8×1000, 5×500KMZ930 25 October12:0917:51EssenIndustrial concerns, particularly to the Krupps steelworks.9×1000, 4×500JNP931 28 October09:4513:05WalcherenGun positions at 5 places on the rim of the island.1×2000, 7×1000, 4×500LNP931 31 October18:0323:10Cologne1×2000, 6×1000, 5×500GMZ404 2 November16:0522:00Düsseldorf1×2000 & IncendiaryJNP931 4 November17:3422:34BochumIndustrial areas, particularly the steelworks.1×2000, 6×1000, 5×500JNP931 6 November11:4216:42GelsenkirchenNordstern synthetic-oil plant.1×2000, 6×1000, 5×500JNP931 16 November12:4317:30JülichArmy support – cut communications behind the German lines.1×2000, 6×1000, 5×500JNP931 21 November17:2523:55Sterkrade/Holten, Ruhr.Ruhrchemie AG Synthetic oil plant.16×500JNP931 29 November02:2608:22EssenIndustrial areas, including the Krupps works.1×2000, 16×500JNP931 2 December17:3500:07HagenIndustrial areas – unknown at the time this included a factory making U-boat accumulator batteries.1×2000 & IncendiaryJNP931 12 December16:2421:58EssenIndustrial areas, including the Krupps works.1×2000, 4×1000, 6×500JNP931 22 December15:0521:33Bingen am RheinRailway yards.1×2000, 4×1000, 6×500JNP931 24 December11:1716:42Essen/MülheimAirfields.5×1000, 8×250JNP931

Aircraft operated +Aircraft operated by no. 640 Squadron RAF, data from From To Aircraft Version January 1944 March 1945 Handley-Page Halifax Mk.III March 1945 May 1945 Handley-Page Halifax Mk.VI

Squadron bases +Base operated by no. 640 Squadron RAF, data from From To Name 7 January 1944 7 May 1945 RAF Leconfield, East Riding of Yorkshire

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

History of No. 640 Squadron (broken link) No. 640 Squadron RAF movement and equipment history (broken link) Squadron histories for nos. 621–650 sqn of RAF Web (broken link) A Facebook group for relatives of squadron members