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Fred Watts

Name : Fred Watts Died : 6th August 2007 Awards : Distinguished Flying Cross

Fred Watts joined the RAF in 1940, and qualifying as a pilot was posted to 630 Squadron in 1943 flying 15 operations on Lancasters out of East Kirby. He joined 617 Squadron in April 1944 and took part in many of the precision operations that the Squadron was renowned for, including raids on V1 sites, V2 rocket bases, and all three attacks on the Tirpitz. He left 617 Squadron in March 1945 to join 83 Pathfinder Squadron for Far East deployment with Tiger Force but VJ-day brought disbandment of the Force before it could be despatched. He stayed on in the RAF after the end of the war, retiring in 1964. He died 6th August 2007.

Artwork signed by this Pilot or Aircrew

Strike and Return by Robert Taylor (C)

Target Bearing 270 by Robert Taylor (B)

Legends of the Air by Philip West.

A Lincolnshire Sunset 1944 by Gerald Coulson.

The Sinking of the Tirpitz by Frank Wootton.

Aircraft for : Fred Watts
A list of all aircraft associated with Fred Watts. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
Aircraft	Info
Lancaster Click the name above to see prints featuring Lancaster aircraft. Manufacturer : Avro Production Began : 1942 Retired : 1963 Number Built : 7377	Lancaster The Avro Lancaster arose from the avro Manchester and the first prototype Lancaster was a converted Manchester with four engines. The Lancaster was first flown in January 1941, and started operations in March 1942. By March 1945 The Royal Air Force had 56 squadrons of Lancasters with the first squadron equipped being No.44 Squadron. During World War Two the Avro Lancaster flew 156,000 sorties and dropped 618,378 tonnes of bombs between 1942 and 1945. Lancaster Bomberss took part in the devastating round-the-clock raids on Hamburg during Air Marshall Harris' Operation Gomorrah in July 1943. Just 35 Lancasters completed more than 100 successful operations each, and 3,249 were lost in action. The most successful survivor completed 139 operations, and the Lancaster was scrapped after the war in 1947. A few Lancasters were converted into tankers and the two tanker aircraft were joined by another converted Lancaster and were used in the Berlin Airlift, achieving 757 tanker sorties. A famous Lancaster bombing raid was the 1943 mission, codenamed Operation Chastise, to destroy the dams of the Ruhr Valley. The operation was carried out by 617 Squadron in modified Mk IIIs carrying special drum shaped bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis. Also famous was a series of Lancaster attacks using Tallboy bombs against the German battleship Tirpitz, which first disabled and later sank the ship. The Lancaster bomber was the basis of the new Avro Lincoln bomber, initially known as the Lancaster IV and Lancaster V. (Becoming Lincoln B1 and B2 respectively.) Their Lancastrian airliner was also based on the Lancaster but was not very successful. Other developments were the Avro York and the successful Shackleton which continued in airborne early warning service up to 1992.

Squadrons for : Fred Watts
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Fred Watts. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
Squadron	Info
No.617 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 23rd March 1943 Apres mois, le deluge - After me, the flood Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.617 Sqn RAF	No.617 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available.
No.630 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 15th November 1943 Fate : Disbanded 18th July 1945 Nocturna mors - Death by night Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.630 Sqn RAF	No.630 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available.
No.83 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 7th January 1917 Fate : Disbanded 31st August 1969 Strike to defend Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.83 Sqn RAF	No.83 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available.

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