576 Sqn Warrant Officer Frederick Taylor, DFM

These pictures and documents were supplied by Frederick's son Peter. Many thanks to Peter for his valued contribution on his Late fathers wartime service with the RAF. Fred Taylor was a Rear Gunner with the crew of Flt/Lt Sleight. This crew were all on their second tour of Operations. The First Tour of 30 Operations was with 100 Squadron at RAF Grimsby (Waltham). The second Tour was with 576 Squadron, however the crew only did four operations with 576 Squadron as Flt/Lt Sleights promotion to Sqn/Ldr meant the crew being posted to 101 Squadronat RAF Ludford Magna, The Commands Special duties Squadron equipped with Lancasters fitted with radio counter measures equipment manned by a German speaking operator, These Lancasters known as 'Airborne Cigar' flew among the mainforce Lancasters with the special radio operator sending signals to confuse and jam German night fighter communications.
Fred taylor,Picture taken in 1944 To view these documents, Double click on your mouse
Testimonial from Peter Taylor on his Fathers service with the RAF.Fred completed Two Tours of duty with Bomber Command completing 47 operations against some of the most heavily defended German Targets.



No 7 Air Gunner’s School, April / May 1943.Fred Taylor back row, 2^nd from left.Bernard Heaton back row, 3^rd from right.Bernie Phillips front row, 2^nd from right.
	No 7 Air Gunner’s School, April / May 1943. L to R Bernard Heaton, (WOP/AG), killed 16^th December 1943. Fred Taylor, (Rear Gunner), Bernie Phillips, (Mid-Upper Gunner).
576 Squadron picture March (?) 1945
	Detail from Squadron picture. Fred Taylor, is the man circled in blue. The man circled in yellow may be Vivian Hazell. This would date the picture to between 1^st – 8^th March 1945.

	Log Book showing Fred's Operations on his second Tour with 576 Sqn. The crew flew in ME801 N-Nan² the Lancasters 95th operation. This Lancaster Centurion had 115 Operations to her Credit.
ME 801 N-Nan² Lancaster Centurian with 115 Operations completed.The Lancaster is seen here at the eastern Head (28) of RAF Fiskertons main runway a few days after completing its 100th operation on 12th March 1945 against the German city of Dortmund.The pilot on this operation being Flt/Lt Leyton-Brown. The Lancaster is seen displaying her 100 Bomb tallies and the DFC badge below the pilots port side window.
	Order of Battle for 2/3 March 1945 against the German city ofCologne. Flt/Lt Sleight and Crew shown allocated ME801 N-Nan²
7377 Lancaster airframes were made from 1942 to 1945. Only 35 Lancasters achieved or exeeded 100 operations. Of these 576 Sqn had on charge 3 Centurions. ED888-147 Operations, 83 Operations with 576 Sqn, 64 with 103 Sqn at RAF Elsham Wolds. ME801- 115 Operations LM594-109 Operations Source F.K.Mason, The Avro Lancaster