ADF-SERIALS
 Australian, New Zealand & Papua New Guinea Military Aircraft Serials & History

RAAF Avro 679 Manchester Mk.I
460 Sqn, RAAF & 1656 Conversion Training Flight

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  Avro Manchester

     
 

Avro Manchester Image Gallery

  
     
  From November 1941 to September 1942, 460 Squadron RAAF operated the Vickers Wellington from RAF Molesworth, Huntingdonshire, RAF Breighton, Yorkshire and from 14 May 1942  RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire.

By this time, the unit had been earmarked for conversion to four engined heavy bombers - initially the Handley Page Halifax but then changed to the the Avro Lancaster.

Limited numbers Handley Page Halifax B.Mk.II and Avro Manchesters were attached to 460 Squadron's CTF (Conversion Training Flight) between August and October 1942 to aid it's transition to the Halifax and then Avro Lancaster.

The Halifaxes and Manchesters were not used operationally by 460 Squadron and little has been recorded about this chapter in the unit's history.

From October 1942, the Conversion Flights of both 460 Sqn, RAAF and 103 Sqn, RAF were merged to form 1656 CTF which was later renamed as 1656 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit). Many 460 Sqn personnel continued their conversion training with 1656 CTF/HCU and 460 Sqn's  Manchesters and Halifaxes were also  transferred to 1656 CTF at this time.

At this point, Manchester L7464 is the only one to have been positively identified as being issued to 460 Sqn charge apart reference to another Manchester erroneously recorded as "R5474" which is not in fact a Manchester serial.

In addition,  RAAF aircrew also served in RAF squadrons equipped with the Avro Manchester (including 50, 97 & 207 Sqn, RAF) and some known losses from their ranks are noted below.

  
     

460 Sqn RAAF Avro Manchesters
     
 
Aircraft Serial Type Aircraft History
L7464 Mk.I Built by A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd., Chadderton,
Issued to 61 Sqn RAF,
To 50 Sqn RAF ,
To 57 Sqn RAF,
To 460 Sqn RAAF Used by 460 Sqn during their conversion from the Vickers Wellington to the Avro Lancaster,
March 1943 To 1 Air Armament School (AAS) RAF,
Became Instructional Airframe 3624M.
"R5474" Mk.I Noted on 460 Sqn charge, but this would appear to be an error as the range R5273 - R5477 refers to a serial block for a cancelled order and was never allotted.

 
 
     
 

Avro Manchesters operated by 1656 CTF

  
     
 
Aircraft Serial Type Aircraft History
R5780 Mk.I Built by A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd., Chadderton,
Issued to 8 Sqn RAF,
To 106 Sqn RAF,
To 49 Sqn RAF,
To 57  Sqn RAF,
??/10/1942 To 1656 CTF.
19/10/1942 Temporarily stationed at RAF Breighton, on a short flight air firing practice,
Hit trees flying too low, dived into the ground and was destroyed by fire,
Crashed 2kms ENE of RAF Lichfield, Staffordshire.

Crew:
P/O R.D.Horner. (RAF) † (Captain & Pilot)*,
404146 F/O D.M.Murphy. (RAAF) † (2nd Pilot),
408768 /FO R.W.Wood. (RAAF) † (Navigator),
405580 F/O L.Forrester. (RAAF)  † (Wireless Operator Air Gunner),
AC2 Dobell. (RAF) † *,
AC1 Hodges. (RAF) † *.

*Members of 1656 Conversion Training Flight, RAF.
R5793 Mk.I Built by A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd., Chadderton,
Issued to 25 OTU, RAF,
To 49 Sqn, RAF,
To 83 Sqn, RAF,
To 1656 CTF,
To 39 MU,
??/05/1943 SOC.
R5830 Mk.I Built by A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd., Chadderton,
??/01/1942 Issued to A&AEE,
??/02/1942 To 83 Sqn, RAF,
To  1656 CTF,
??/11/1943 SOC.

Avro Manchester 1a R5830. Damage incurred while serving with 83 Squadron, RAF. Later served with 1656 CTF. Via Brendan Cowan
R5845 Mk.Ia Built by A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd., Chadderton,
Issued to 97 Sqn, RAF,
To  166 0CU,
To 3 LFS,
To 90 Sqn, RAF,
To 1656 CTF,
To 1667 HCU, RAF,
??/09/1945 SOC.
 
     
 

RAAF Members known to have been lost on Manchester operations with other RAF units

  
     
 
Aircraft Serial Type Aircraft Loss and Crew
L7322 Mk.I

Built by A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd., Chadderton,
Delivered to 207Sqn (EM-B) (EM-Q) during March 1941.
The aircraft took off from Bottesford at 0354 on the 9th January 1942 on a raid to Brest.
The aircraft was hit by flak and believed to have crashed in the sea in the vicinity of Crozon (Finistere), on the northern shores of the Baie de Douarnenez.

Crew:
F/O G.R.Bayley. (RAF) †,
Sgt N.M.Toohill. (RAAF) †,
Sgt A.G.Harris. (RAF) †,
Sgt R.V.Griffiths. (RAF) †,
F/S J.E.Jones. (DFM) (RAF) †,
Sgt P.C.H.Goldie. (RAAF) †,
Sgt W.R.Seymour. (RAAF) †.

F/O Bayley, Sgt Goldie and Sgt Seymour are buried in Crozon Communal Cemetery.
L7396 Mk.I Built by A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd., Chadderton, 
03/01/1942 Avro,
21/01/1942 61 Sqn, RAF,
31/01/1942 Missing, Departed from RAF Woolfox Lodge on a mission to Brest, Last heard transmitting distress signals after mission. Two RN destroyers on convoy escort duties in the Channel were detached to make a search of the area, but nothing was found. Later the body of Flt/Lt Page was washed onto the Scillies. Aircraft presumed lost approximately 50 miles south of Plymouth, Devon.

Crew:
Pilot:F/Lt (41315) Harry Charles Shaw Page (DFC) (RAF)  †,
P/O (62694) Denys Lowe Atkinson (RAF)  †,
P/O (400408) Alan Gladstone Burt (RAAF)  †
Sgt (913939) Thomas Alfred Evans (RAF)  †
Sgt (929868) Leonard William Dann (RAF)  †
F/Sgt 645043 Harry Edward Turner (RAF)  †
Sgt (645045) Ronald Sidney Jones (RAF)  †
Sqn Ldr (84274) Thomas Noel Challoner Burrough (DFC) (RAF)  † - Observer.

L7466 Mk.I Built by A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd., Chadderton,
26/09/1941 Delivered to 97 Sqn, RAF (OF-N),
08/11/1941 The aircraft took off from Coningsby at 1320 on the afternoon of 8th November 1941 on an air sea rescue operation to search for crews reported missing from the previous night’s operations.
It was last seen at 1600 in the search area over the North Sea.

Crew:
F/L C.F.D.Price. (DFC) (RAF)  †,
P/O G.H.J.Pickering. (RAF) †,
Sgt N.J.Weston. (RAAF) †,
F/Sgt C.Stanley (DFM) (RAF) †,
Sgt A.R.A.Dexter. (RAF) †,
Sgt C.R.Bronson (RCAF) †,
Sgt F.W.Manners (RAF) †.

All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
F/Sgt Stanley gained his award of a DFM for service with 44 squadron.
L7471 MK.Ia Built by A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd., Chadderton,
09/08/1941 Delivered to RAF,
09/11/1941 Issued to 61 Sqn, RAF as "QR-V",
To 50 Sqn, RAF,
19/04/1942 Redelivered as "VN-B",
06-07/06/1942 Airborne at 23:16 from RAF Skellingthorpe on a mission to Emden.
Last heard on W/T calling for help, but did not acknowledge signals.

Crew:
F/O 403104 Argyle.Donald.Beatty (RAAF) † 22 Died from his injuries 10/09/42,
Sgt 403856 Ronald.Garnet.Burton (RAAF) † 22,
P/O 400362 F.W.R.Allen (RAAF) PoW No.42819,
Sgt 404646 R.G.Buchanan (RAAF) PoW No.486,
Sgt 402615 A.F.Scanlan (RAAF) PoW No.524,
Sgt 402472 A.C.Tebbutt (RAAF) PoW No.531,
Sgt 400342 R.F.Davies (RAAF) PoW No.495.

Although not unique, an all RAAF crew on an RAF Squadron at that time was unusual. 
 
 

Avro Manchester
 

Page Author: Brendan Cowan.

Source: National Archives, British Military Aircraft Serials 1911-1979 - Bruce Robertson, Australian War Memorial, Air Britain, http://www.lancaster-archive.com/manc_hist.htm , http://www.sonsofdamien.co.uk/ , https://aviation-safety.net/ , https://www.ozatwar.com/460sqdn/halifaxandmanchesterlosses.htm ,

Emails: Kym Manuel, Gordon Birkett, Kas Grigonis, Martin Edwards,

Updated 19 February 2020
 

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