Heroes Of Our Time

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Planes

Aircraft of the 100 Group totalled over 200, most of them specially equipped with equipment to intercept and jam enemy signals.

Types of aircraft included Halifax, Fortress, Liberator and Stirling heavy bombers, Mosquitoes, Beaufighters and Wellingtons.

They were primarily tasked to find, fix, jam and deceive the enemies radar, radio, navigation and control systems.

These aircraft flew supporting night bombing operations, but also independently to create spoof targets to help draw enemy fire from the bombers.

Main types of aircraft used by the 100 Group

Vickers-Armstrong Wellington B Mark III (Type 417)

Used by 1473 Flight and 192 Squadron at RAF Foulsham Dec 1943

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Vickers Wellington Mk III of No. 115 Squadron RAF, at Marham, Norfolk, June 1942

Short Stirling B Mark III

Used by 171 Squadron and 199 Squadron at RAF North Creake May 1944

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Stirling Mark III, EH930 EX-N, of No. 199 Squadron RAF, preparing to take off at Lakenheath, Suffolk, for a night-time minelaying operation off the Dutch coast

Handley Page Halifax B Mark III

Used by 171 Squadron, 192 Squadron, 199 Squadron and 462 Squadron at RAF North Creake May / Sept 1944 and RAF Foulsham Jan 1945

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Halifax B Mark III, MZ296 Z5-L, of No 462 Squadron RAAF, about to take off from Driffield, Yorkshire, on the crew's last operation of their tour, (note the chalked message on the tail fin). The aircraft was lost near Brussels the following month while flown by a different crew.

B-17 Flying Fortress B Mark II/III

Used by 214 Squadron, 223 Squadron, 1699 Flight, 803 Squadron at RAF Sculthorpe and RAF Oulton April / Sept 1944

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B-17B Flying Fortress USAF Museum Photo

B-24 Liberator

Used by 223 Squadron, 803 Squadron USAAF at RAF Oulton Sept 1944

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B-24 44-414059 with nose art "Good Heavens!", 454th Bombardment Group, 736th Bombardment Squadron

de Havilland Mosquito B IV and XVI

Used by 192 Squadron at RAF Foulsham Dec 1943

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Mosquito B Mark IV Series 2, DZ313, in flight shortly before delivery to No. 105 Squadron RAF at Horsham St Faith, Norfolk, as GB-E

de Havilland Mosquito Mk II, VI, XIX and XXX

Used by 23 Squadron, 85 Squadron, 141 Squadron, 157 Squadron, 169 Squadron, 239 Squadron, 515 Squadron and BSDU at RAF Foulsham Dec 1943, RAF West Raynham Dec 1943 - Jan 1944, RAF Little Snoring Jan - Mar 1944, RAF Swannington May - June 1944 and RAF Little Snoring July 1944

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Mosquito Mark II, DZ230 YP-A, piloted by Wing Commander P G Wykeham-Barnes, Commanding Officer of No. 23 Squadron RAF, based at Luqa, flying past Filfla Island south-west of Malta

Types used in lesser numbers by the Group

A few other smaller light aircraft were also used by the group for various communications duties.

Lockheed P-38j Lightning

Used by US Intruder Detachment and US 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group at RAF Foulsham Aug 1944 - Mar 1945

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Lockheed P-38J-20-LO Lightning airplane "Yippee"

Bristol Beaufighter Mk II / VI

Used by 141 Squadron, 515 Squadron and 1692 Flight at RAF West Raynham Dec 1943

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Bristol Beaufighter Mk IIF night fighter of No. 255 Squadron RAF at Hibaldstow, Lincolnshire, 5 September 1941

Avro Anson Mk I

Used by 1473 Flight and 192 Squadron

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Anson Mark I, L9150, of No. 1 Coast Artillery Cooperation Unit, on the ground at Gosport, Hampshire

Miles Martinet TT1

Used by 1694 Flight

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WAAF flight mechanics pull the chocks away from a Miles Martinet TT Mark I target tug of No. 289 Squadron RAF, on a hard standing at Turnhouse, Midlothian

Handley Page Halifax B Mk II and V

Used by 192 Squadron

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Halifax B Mark II Series 1A, HR861, on the ground prior to delivery to No. 35 Squadron RAF at Graveley, Huntingdonshire. HR861 was lost over Nuremberg, 11 August 1943

Vickers-Armstrong Wellington Mk IC

Used by 192 Squadron and 1473 Flight