Tag Archives: Vickers Wellington

ANZAC DAY 2024

Badge of No. 75 (NZ) Squadron, RAF.

Badge of No. 75 (NZ) Squadron, RAF.

On ANZAC Day 2024 I thought it was a good time to reflect on the Losses suffered on 75 (NZ) Squadron during the Second World War.

Some details from The Bomber Command War Diaries by Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt. 

Raids Flown. –
Wellingtons. – 291 Bombing, 24 Minelaying, 4 Leaflet, 1 Photo Recon.
Stirlings. – 103 Bombing, 107 Minelaying.
Lancasters. – 190 Bombing, 18 Minelaying, 1 Leaflet.

Sorties and Losses.

Wellingtons. – 2,540 sorties, 74 aircraft Lost.
Stirlings. – 1,736 sorties, 72 aircraft Lost.
Lancasters. – 3,741 sorties, 47 aircraft Lost.

8 Lancasters were destroyed in crashes.

Carried out the fourth highest number of bombing raids in Comber Command Heavy Squadrons.
Flew the most sorties in 3 Group and the whole of Bomber Command.
Suffered the second highest casualties in Bomber Command.
Believed to have dropped the third highest tonnage of bombs (approximately21,600).
Also dropped 2,344 mines, probably the second highest number in Bomber Command.

ALB933373026

Image from the RW Russell personal album collection. “Refueling and Bombing Up. Tanker Carries 2,500 Gallons, Weighs 22 Tons. Bomb load Here 1 – 4,000 LB “Cookie”, 10 – 500 LB General Purpose, 4 – 250 LB General Purpose. Pushing the “Cookie” under the No. 75 Squadron Lancaster.


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Image from the Russell Brothers personal album collection. No. 75 Squadron crews resting on the grass beside a line up of No. 75 Squadron Lancasters. Unknown location. Near aircraft is JN-M.

Pilot Officer Eric George Delancey Jarman 404507 RAAF

Eric George Delancey Jarman worked as a Clerk before the war.
He enlisted on 13th September 1940, and embarked at Sydney for the UK on the 4th June 1940, and disembarked in the UK on the 1st of August 1940.
Then training began on 16 September 1941 at No.2 I.T.S course No.5 (P). Next came 3 SFTS on 13 January 1941. A short stay at 3 PRC on 1 August 1941 was followed by a posting to 20 O.T.U. on 8 August 1941. This involved learning to fly the twin engined Vickers Wellington bomber. After just over two months training at the O.T.U. Sergeant Jarman was posted to 75 (New Zealand) squadron based at Feltwell on 31 October 1941.
Sgt Jarman then flew eight operations as 2nd Pilot to Squadron Leader Kitchin, the ‘B’ Flight Commander. For some reason Sgt Jarman was not with S/L Kitchin when he was shot down on 12 March 1942 during a raid to Kiel . From then Sgt Jarman became Captain of his own crew and flew a further 33 operations as Captain, making a total 41 operations for his first tour. He also won a Distinguished Flying Cross in April 1942.
He was posted to 27 O.T.U and stayed there training other pilots until being posted to 460 squadron (RAAF) on 14 March 1944. Promoted to Squadron Leader, Eric and crew were to be shot down in Lancaster LM523 on the night of 27/28 April 1944. Only the rear gunner of the crew survived, Eric Jarman and five of his crew were killed. This was Eric Jarman’s 9th operation with 460 squadron when shot down, making at least 49 operations completed
If you have additional information or can add anything to Eric Jarman’s story, please feel free to contact me.

07/08 Nov 41 Berlin
Wellington Z1095 S/L Kitchin, Sgt Jarman, Sgt Taylor, Sgt Clezy, Sgt Carter, Sgt Chamberlin
08/09 Nov 41 Essen
Wellington Z1093 S/L Kitchin, Sgt Jarman, Sgt Taylor, Sgt Clezy, Sgt Carter, Sgt Chamberlin
26/27 Nov 41 Emden, Ostend
Wellington Z8441 S/L Kitchin, Sgt Jarman, Sgt Taylor, Sgt Clezy, Sgt Carter, Sgt Tutty
30 Nov 41 Emden and Hamburg
Wellington Z8441 S/L Kitchin, Sgt Jarman, Sgt Taylor, Sgt Clezy, Sgt Carter, Sgt Tutty
17/18 Dec 41 Brest and Le Havre
Wellington X9957 S/L Kitchin, Sgt Jarman, Sgt Taylor, Sgt Clezy, Sgt Carter, Sgt Chamberlain
15/16 Jan 42 Schiphol
S/L Kitchin, Sgt Jarman, Sgt Taylor, Sgt Clezy, Sgt Carter, Sgt Chamberlain
08/09 Mar 42 Essen
Wellington X3587 S/L Kitchin, Sgt Jarman, Sgt Taylor, Sgt Clezy, Sgt Carter, Sgt Chamberlain
09/10 Mar 42 Essen
Wellington X3587 S/L Kitchins, Sgt Jarman, Sgt Taylor, Sgt Clezy, Sgt Carter, Sgt Chamberlain
13/14 Mar 42 Dunkirk
Wellington X3403 Sgt Jarman, P/O’s Wilson, Hodson, Errington, Sgt Davey, Sgt Raine                   25/26 Mar 42 St. Nazaire and Essen                                                                                           Wellington X3636                                                                                                                                            26/27 Mar 42 Essen and Le Havre                                                                                                 Wellington X3636                                                                                                                                             28 Mar 42 Lubeck                                                                                                                        Wellington X3636                                                                                                                                        Sgt Jarman promoted to Pilot Officer on 31 March 1942.                                                            10/11 April 42. Essen                                                                                                                   Wellington X3714
13/14 Mar 42 Dunkirk
Wellington X3403 Sgt Jarman, P/O’s Wilson, Hodson, Errington, Sgt Davey, Sgt Raine
25/26 Mar 42 Essen                                                                                                                                       Wellington X3636 Sgt Jarman, P/O Nichol, Sgt Hall, Sgt Fernie, Sgt Davey, Sgt Harris                          26/27 Mar 42 Essen
Wellington X3636 Sgt Jarman, Same crew as above.
28/29 Mar 42 Lübeck
Wellington X3636 Sgt Jarman, Same crew.
10/11 April 42 Essen
Wellington X3714 Sgt Jarman, Same crew.
12/13 Apr 42 Essen/Le Havre
Wellington X3751 Sgt Jarman, Same crew.
14/15 Apr 42 Dortmünd
Wellington X3751 Sgt Jarman, Same crew.
15/16 Apr 42 Dortmünd/Le Havre
Wellington X3667 Sgt Jarman, Same crew.
17/18 Apr 42 Hamburg
Wellington X3636 Sgt Jarman, Same crew.
22/23 Apr 42 Cologne
Wellington X3487 P/O Jarman, Same crew.
15/16 May 42 Mining, Kiel Bay
Wellington X3751 P/O Jarman, F/O McKay, Sgt Taylor, Sgt Fernie, Sgt Davey, P/O Chunn
19/20 May 42 Mannheim
Wellington X3751 P/O Jarman, Sgt Taylor, Sgt Fernie, Sgt Davey, P/O Chunn
21/22 May 42 Biscay mining
Wellington X3751 P/O Jarman, Sgt Taylor, Sgt Fernie, Sgt Davey, P/O Chunn
30/31 May 42 Cologne (1,000 bomber raid)
Wellington X3751 P/O Jarman, P/O Smith, P/O Taylor, Sgt Fernie, Sgt Davey, P/O Chunn
01/02 Jun 42 1,000 bomber raid : Essen
Wellington X3751 P/O Jarman, Same crew as above.
02/03 Jun 42 Essen
Wellington X3751 P/O Jarman, P/O Smith, P/O Taylor, SgT Fernie, Sgt Davey, P/O Chunn
05/06 Jun 42 Essen
Wellington X3751 P/O Jarman, Same crew as above.
16/17 Jun 42 Essen
Wellington X3751 P/O Jarman, P/O Taylor, Sgt Fernie, Sgt Davey, P/O Chunn,
17/18 Jun 42 St Nazaire/Frisians
Wellington Z1592 P/O Jarman, Same crew.
19/20 Jun 42 Emden
Wellington X3539 P/O Jarman, Sgt McPherson, P/O Taylor, Sgt Fernie, Sgt Davey, P/O Chunn
20/21 Jun 42 Emden
Wellington X3751 P/O Jarman, Same crew as above.
22/23 Jun 42 Emden
Wellington X3751 P/O Jarman, Sgt Hockaday, P/O Taylor, Sgt Fernie, Sgt Davey, P/O Chunn
25/26 Jun 42 1,000 Bomber Raid : Bremen
Wellington X3751 P/O Jarman, Sgt Gilbertson, P/O Taylor, Sgt Fernie, Sgt Davey, Sgt Titcombe
29/30 Jun 42 Bremen
Wellington X3751 P/O Jarman, Sgt Gilbertson, P/O Taylor, Sgt Fernie, Sgt Davey, P/O Chunn
07/08 Jul 42 Frisians
Wellington X3751 P/O Jarman, P/O Lees, Sgt Fernie, Sgt Davey, P/O Chunn
08/09 Jul 42 Wilhelmshaven
Wellington X3751 P/O Jarman, Sgt Parkes, P/O Taylor, Sgt Fernie, Sgt Davey, P/O Chunn
10 Jul42 Duisburg
Wellington X3751 P/O Jarman, P/O Taylor, Sgt Fernie, Sgt Davey, P/O Chunn
04/05 Sep 42 Bremen
Wellington BJ974 Sgt Jarman, Sgt Saul, Sgt Jarvis, P/O Mills, Sgt Coles

Thanks to Anna for the photo below from 75 (NZ) Squadron

Pilot Officer Jarman and crew.

Back from left, Jarman, Hall, Harris, and Nicol.                    Front left Fernie and Davey.

Squadron Leader Eric Jarman 3rd from Right 460 Squadron RAAF

Squadron Leader Eric Jarman 3rd from Right 460 Squadron RAAF

The above photo of the Jarman crew with 460 squadron RAAF  via the Australian War Memorial Site.