Susanne Hart, daughter of the Coffey Crew's mid-upper gunner (Sgt. Ken Hart) takes the trip of a lifetime. She is flying in one of two remaining flying Lancasters in the world, this one based at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Mueseum. Way to go Susanne, your Dad would be proud!

Dry dinghy practice. Note the glove paddle the airman on the right is wearing. The dinghies were well equipped with rations, a radio, flares etc and gave "ditched" aircrews at least a fighting chance at survival.

An American GI inspects an 88mm cannon during the conquest of Germany in 1945. These fearsome guns were the bane of both Allied tank crews and bomber aircrew. Photo credit Thomas Sorba

A wartime schematic map of the airbase at Gransden Lodge. Around the perimeter the dispersal pads for each Lancaster are clearly visible. Spreading the aircraft out like this made it more difficult for an attacker to destroy many aircraft at once.

WW2 RAF pilot's helmet, with oxygen mask. Imagine wearing this for 6 or 8 hours.

A WW2 recon photo of the V1 site at L'Hey (often referred to as Noordpeene). The Coffey crew attacked this site, one of many they visited in the summer of '44.

The author with a Link trainer at the Canadian Museum of Flight in Langley, B.C. It is hard to believe this somewhat hokey looking piece of equipment was responsible for dashing so many young men's dreams! One would-be pilot climbed out of the Link and was told by the instructor "Kid, you're going to make a great air gunner!"

Course 51 at the No. 22 Operational Training Unit. Here we can see 5 members of the newly-formed Coffey crew : Bayne,Coffey,Dingwal, McWhirter and Rutherglen. Photo courtesy of Mark Evans.

Damhead House, a country home near Liverpool where Dad was billeted for 2 weeks in late 1944 while he awaited a space on a troopship heading back to Canada.

The extent of parachute training for Bomber Command aircrew : bailing out of the nose hatch onto a pile of old mattresses.

Glenn Dingwall, grandson of Malcolm Dingwall ( the crew's Bomb Aimer ) visits me in 2016.

Another of Teddy Rutherglen's clandistine photos, showing Dad at the controls of a Halifax bomber. Other two figures are possibly Jimmy Willoughby and Bob Bayne. Date unknown, photo courtesy of Ted Rutherglen.

A fierce looking Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris on the cover of Time magazine in 1943. Like the men he commanded, he never got the credit he deserved for his part in in defeating Hitler. Original magazine in author's collection, copyright Time-Life.

Jimmy Willoughy (the Coffey crew's flight engineer) with his first crew, skippered by Harry Hardy. Most of the Hardy crew perished in an accident, and the story of Jimmy's miraculous survival is told in the book.

One of three small snapshots Dad had in his collection of memorabilia. Maisye, Lancaster LQ-M, at Gransden Lodge. Date and photographer unknown.

A faded notice on the ground floor wall of the control tower at Gransden Lodge. Circa 1983, photo by author.

A battle-damaged Wellington from 428 Squadron. The fabric skin is burned away showing the unique geodetic construction underneath. She brought her crew home! Original WW2 press photo, author's collection.

A wartime illustration showing the Halifax Mk II. This cutaway gives a good idea of crew positions.

An AVRO advertisement from a wartime magazine. It depicts Lancasters in an unusually low-level attack. Original magazine from author's collection.

A photo taken during the Bomber Command attack on the city of Hamburg on the night of Jan 30th 1943. A hellscape of explosions, tracer fire, flares, target indicators and flak. A Lancaster can be seen doggedly flying through the maelstrom. Original press photo, author's collection.

A photo snapped out the cockpit canopy by Teddy Rutherglen with his clandestine camera. Maisye's Rolls-Royce Merlin engines growling with power. Date and location unknown. Photo courtesy of the Rutherglen family.

Bob Bayne's office - the navigator's station on a Lancaster bomber. Behind his blackout curtain, he would guide the crew across Europe to their aiming point and then back to home, all in the pitch dark. Note the lack of GPS...!

My shipment of books arrives from the publisher. Now I can send inscribed copies to all the "kids" of my Dad's crewmates, to thank them for all their help.

Unknown airmen. Or are they..? This small snapshot was in my Dad's collection of momentoes. I am convinced that it is Dad on the right, but I can't be sure. This would have been taken at SFTS or EFTS during the winter of 1942/43. Please contact me if you recognize either gentleman!

What a joy to get a photo of two of Jimmy Willoughby's sons and his grand daughter in Australia, holding the books I sent them. Jimmy was the crew's Flight Engineer.

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