The very sad news that Queen Elizabeth has died brings to mind the several photographs of her, linked to the Pathfinders, which we have in the Archive. Although it is slightly out of focus, our favourite has always been this one taken during the ceremonial Royal visit to RAF Oakington, […]
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Feature for September 22
Bennett was strongly averse to publicity, unlike his great rival Cochrane in 5 Group who had his own PR specialists, one of several reasons why the Dambusters became so enduringly famous. The Feature Page for September picks up on Bennett’s dislike of publicity and 5 Group’s expertise in it. See also […]
PFF Squadrons in 5 Group
A question which comes up perennially about the Pathfinders is why some of them were flying with 5 Group as opposed to 8 Group (as the Pathfinders had become in early 1943) and why they continued to be awarded PFF badges and certificates. This page provides the answer: PFF Squadrons […]
Robert Murray Buchan, Navigation Staff Officer
In the earliest days of the Pathfinders, the PFF had a Staff Officer contingent of only five, of whom William Anderson was one. Another was Robert Murray Buchan, the Navigation Staff Officer. Sadly, Buchan went missing on 25 August with an 83 Squadron crew, a mere ten days after the PFF was […]
Anderson Logbook, 1st PFF Op
Further to our post yesterday on Bill Anderson’s Logbook and the first PFF sortie, we have since learned that “Jacko” was William Grierson Jackson, RCAF, who was a close friend of Bill Anderson. Jackson, who served at PFF NTU, was a pretty amazing character. Anderson describes him affectionately in his […]
80th Anniversary: One Last Gem
William Anderson was one of the handful of Staff Officers at PFF HQ who was in at the very beginning. Anderson was an outstanding navigator, and there is much more come about him; however, in this month which celebrates the 80th Anniversary of the formation of the Pathfinders, we simply […]
80th Anniversary of the PFF: Today
To all our friends, supporters, and generous donors over the years – We celebrate the formation of the Path Finder Force on 15 August 1942 and remember with great gratitude what they did for us. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY.
Bennett’s Messages to his Force
During his time commanding the Path Finder Force, Donald Bennett only sent two direct personal message to the men, women, squadrons and stations under his command. The first was 0n 22 August 1943, one year after the Path Finder Force was formed; it was a slightly belated First Anniversary message. […]
80th Anniversary: PFF Losses in First Month, 1942
Amongst the Pathfinders’ early losses was Leslie Barr of 7 Squadron. Other losses in the early days included the Savage crew of 156 Squadron, who were shot down on a Kassel operation on 27/28 August 1942. They are buried at Reichswald Forest Cemetery. See this page: PFF Losses First Month, […]
80th Anniversary: Early Months of the Path Finder Force
A cautious approach was taken towards the creation of the Path Finder Force in summer 1942, reflecting the controversy about whether it was required at all and whether it would manage to live up to its supporters’ expectations. It was given ‘lodgings’ with 3 Group, and a hotch-potch of squadrons with […]
80th Anniversary: Harris’s Attitude to the PFF
Sir Arthur Harris, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Bomber Command, had been strongly opposed to the setting up of a separate elite target-marking force, believing this would leave to rivalry and jealousy within the non-Pathfinder squadrons (known as Main Force) who would inevitably resent having their best crews taken away from […]
80th Anniversary: Bennett chosen to lead the PFF
Donald Bennett was Harris’s personal choice for the command of the Path Finder Force; he took up his post on 15 July 1942, one month before the PFF officially came into existence. Bennett , right, with one of his top officers, John Searby, 1944 At 32 years of age, Bennett […]
80th Anniversary: Harris Opposition to PFF
As part of our 80th Anniversary celebrations, a reminder of just how controversial the creation of the Pathfinders was. When the formation of the Path Finder Force was first being discussed in the first half of 1942, the name used in RAF memoranda and papers was the ‘Target Finding Force’. […]
Bennett and the Tirpitz
In April 1942, Donald Bennett was shot down attacking the feared German battleship, the Tirpitz, which was holed up in a Norwegian fjord. After many trials and with the assistance of the Norwegian people, he escaped from Occupied Norway to neutral Sweden. He was back in the UK in late […]
80th Anniversary of the Pathfinders
The 80th Anniversary of the formation of the Path Finder Force is fast approaching, and to celebrate we are running a series of features about the Force, its leadership and its history. The PFF was officially formed on 15 August 1942, but its leader, Donald Bennett, took up his post […]