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Larry Donnelly |
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Name : Larry Donnelly Died : January 2005 Service Number : 57075 |
Larry Donnelly joined the RAF in 1937 and trained as a wireless operator/air gunner although he wished to be a pilot. During the early months of the War he completed 41 operational flights on Whitleys with 10 Squadron and was later posted to instruct at Kinloss. He was awarded the DFM for service with 10 Squadron and later 76 Squadron, Gazetted on 14th April 1942 His service number is given as 618255 in the 10 Squadron ORB but the London Gazette entry for his DFM quotes 618288. He flew a second Tour on Halifaxes and a third in Coastal Command on Sunderlands with 461 Squadron in 1942. His wish to become a pilot was finally completed in 1945 when he was awared his Wings and he survived the War. It is remarkable that he was flying in the RAF in the early weeks of the War and only received his commission on 29th March 1945, to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency)(57075). He remained in the RAF post-war before relinquishing his commission of F/Lt on 18th December 1966. He later wrote the books "The Whitley Boys", "The Other Few" and "A Quest For Wings". He died in January 2005. |
COMBAT REPORTS |
the citation reads.. "This airman has been employed as wireless operator-air gunner since the beginning of the war and has participated in attacks on targets in Germany, Italy, Norway, France and Belgium." |
Known Service Details : | |||||||
Squadron | Rank | Start of Service | End of Service | Known Dates | Aircraft | Airframes | Notes |
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Known Individual Aircraft : | ||||||||
Type | Serial | Codes | First Flew | Squadron History | Aircrew History | History Notes | Engine | Factory |
PB-E | 26/05/1939 | |||||||
| Aircraft for : Larry Donnelly | ||
| A list of all aircraft associated with Larry Donnelly. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | ||
| Aircraft | Info | |
Whitley 
Manufacturer : Armstrong Whitworth Production Began : 1937 Retired : 1942 Number Built : 1814 | Whitley The Whitley first entered service with No. 10 Squadron in March 1937, replacing Handley Page Heyford biplanes. By the outbreak of the Second World War, seven squadrons were operational, the majority flying Whitley IIIs or IVs, as the Whitley V had only just been introduced. ] With the Handley Page Hampden and the Vickers Wellington, Whitleys bore the brunt of the early fighting and saw action on the first night of the war, when they dropped propaganda leaflets over Germany.[8] Among the many aircrew who flew the Whitley in operations over Germany, was Leonard Cheshire who spent most of his first three years at war flying them. Unlike the Hampden and Wellington—which met specification B.9/32 for a day bomber—the Whitley was always intended for night operations and escaped the early heavy losses received in daylight raids on German shipping, early in the war. With Hampdens, the Whitley made the first bombing raid on German soil on the night of 19/20 March 1940, attacking the Hornum seaplane base on the Island of Sylt. Whitleys also carried out Operation Haddock the first RAF raid on Italy, on the night of 11/12 June 1940. As the oldest of the three bombers, the Whitley was obsolete by the start of the war, yet over 1,000 more were produced before a suitable replacement was found. A particular problem with the twin-engine aircraft, was that it could not maintain altitude on one engine. Whitleys flew 8,996 operations with RAF Bomber Command, dropped 9,845 tons (8,931 tonnes) of bombs and 269 aircraft were lost in action. From April 1942, the Whitley was retired as first-line bomber. It continued to serve as glider tug, paratroop trainer, transport, or radio countermeasures aircraft. It also played an important role in Coastal Command . No. 100 Group RAF used Whitleys to carry airborne radar and electronic counter-measures. In February 1942, Whitleys carried the paratroops who participated in the Bruneval raid (Operation Biting) in which German radar technology was captured from a German base on the coast of France. The British Overseas Airways Corporation operated 15 Whitley Mk Vs converted into freighters in 1942. Running night supply flights from Gibraltar to Malta, they took seven hours to reach the island, often landing during air attacks. They used large quantities of fuel for a small payload and were replaced in August 1942 by the Lockheed Hudson, with the 14 survivors being returned to the Royal Air Force. Long-range Coastal Command Mk VII variants, were among the last in front-line service, with the first kill attributed to them being the sinking of the German submarine U-751, on 17 July 1942, in combination with a Lancaster heavy bomber. | |
| Squadrons for : Larry Donnelly | ||
| A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Larry Donnelly. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name. | ||
| Squadron | Info | |
No.76 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 15th September 1916 Fate : Disbanded 31st December 1960 Resolute | No.76 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
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