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RAF PATHFINDERS ARCHIVE

RAF PATHFINDERS ARCHIVE

The Pathfinders & the World they Knew

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  • FEATURE ARTICLES
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    • Christmas 1944 in a POW Camp
    • New Year’s Eve, Stalag IVb, 1944-45.
    • Lancaster Gunners “Hotting Up”
    • Leslie Barr and P/O Prune
  • The Night of the Fog, 16/17 December 1943 (Black Thursday)
    • The Night of the Fog, 16/17 December 1943 (Black Thursday)
    • Why the Archive Began
    • Pathfinder Losses on 16/17 December 1943
    • 97 Squadron Aircrew Flying on 16/17 December 1943
      • De Wesselow Crew
      • Kirkwood Crew
    • 16/17 December 1943: FIDO & Landing Aids
  • Library
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    • “A CHANCE ENCOUNTER” by Dr Olav Heinemann, Duisburg-Essen University
    • “AN AUSTRALIAN PATHFINDER OVER GERMANY”, by Professor Tim Willasey-Wilsey, King’s College, London
    • GEOFF BAKER, RAAF Pilot with 97 Squadron, by Stan Hurd
    • MARK GLEED, Navigator with 139 Squadron, by Len Gleed
    • The Loss of the Robertson Crew – German Reports
    • THE DANISH SHOULDER FLASH, by Mikkel Plannthin
  • Archived Articles
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    • Pathfinders in Civvie Street
    • The Dangers of the Weather – Icing
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  • Tag: Black Thursday

  • 16/17 December 1943: RAF Wyton Display

    Posted by RAF Pathfinders Archive on December 16, 2020

    For more details of the display at RAF Wyton Heritage Centre, see this page.

    97 Squadron, PFF REMEMBRANCE
  • 16/17 December 1943: Remembering the Thackway Crew

    Posted by RAF Pathfinders Archive on December 16, 2020August 17, 2021

    The Archive has its roots in a tragedy which occurred on 16/17 December 1943, afterwards known as Black Thursday. At that time, the crew of Ted Thackway were serving with 97 Squadron, which was stationed at …

    97 Squadron, ARCHIVE NEWS, PFF REMEMBRANCE, Significant Events: Black Thursday
  • 16/17 December 1943: FIDO & Landing Aids

    Posted by RAF Pathfinders Archive on December 15, 2020February 9, 2023

    One of the reasons why 16/17 December 1943 was so disastrous was the extreme limitations of landing aids. The only facilities available for such severe bad weather conditions were FIDO and a system known as SBA. Read the …

    Significant Events: Black Thursday, Technical Aids
  • The Night of the Fog: 16/17 December 1943:

    Posted by RAF Pathfinders Archive on December 15, 2020July 9, 2022

    The disastrous night of 16/17 December 1943 came just one month into the Battle of Berlin,  Bomber Command’s all-out attempt to win the war by attacking the German capital and other key cities. But it was not …

    PFF REMEMBRANCE, Significant Events: Black Thursday
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