Bombing Operations

Heroes Remember

Bombing Operations

Transcript

Our bombing operations in the main were heavy concentration. I've been on raids where there's been as many as a thousand planes in the bombers stream. No formation flying. Each crew was on its own. Each air craft was on its own. It did have a designated time of arrival at the target, a designated height from which to drop the bombs and so on. But apart from that, getting there you were on your own and of course getting back the same way. The tactical air force or the tactical support consisted mainly of lighter air craft, like the Mosquito for one, the Haviland Mosquito. That was quite a useful tool in the tactical bombing. Ours was mainly barrage, barrage bombing, area bombing, carpet bombing. Most of our targets were industrial targets in the Ruhr, the Ruhr Valley. In fact, we used to call it the ‘Happy Valley'. Places like Cologne, Essen, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, heavy industry. Of course, that was the heart of German industry, the Ruhr. Most of their munitions plants were in that general area, so these targets are the ones that were chosen as...again, it was strategic bombing, trying to not only demoralize but also wipe out the munitions factories, which was the main contribution to their war effort of course.

Description

The bombing operations that were flown were mostly heavy concentrations of bombers and targeted heavily industrial areas in the Ruhr Valley.

Raymond Boyd Cole

Raymond Boyd Cole was born in Elliston on July 14, 1924. His father worked in the United States and then at a papermill in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, when Raymond Cole was one month old. Mr. Cole grew up in Newfoundland.

In 1941, Mr. Cole finished grade 11 and was 17 years old in July of that year. He wanted to be a fighter pilot so in 1942 he signed up for the air force by altering his birth certificate. He received his wings on November 12, 1943. He found out later that he was not to become a pilot, but he did become an air gunner.

Mr. Cole spent three weeks at #1 Air Gunners Ground Training School (AGGTS). He then spent six weeks at #9 Bombing and Gunnery School (BGS). Following #9 BGS he went overseas. Further training includes #30 Operation Training Unit (OTU) and then 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) where he made the conversion from twin engine aircraft to heavier, four engine aircraft with seven crew members.

Mr. Cole flew as an air gunner in over twenty operations with as much as one thousand aircraft in some. He was involved in the Normandy Campaign and many of the missions were heavy concentration bombings of the Ruhr Valley, which was a heavy industrial area.

Mr. Cole completed his flying tour (thirty operations) and went on to do three more operations afterwards. One to help his crew finish up their tour and then volunteered for another two. He worked as an orderly and as a truck driver for a while before returning to Grand Falls, after three and a half years overseas. Afterwards, he became a minister.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 01:57
Person Interviewed:: Raymond Boyd Cole
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Location/Theatre:: Germany
Branch:: Air Force
Units/Ship:: 166th Airborne
Rank:: Corporal
Occupation:: Air Gunner

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Bombing Operations

Heroes Remember