Diary of John Reginald Dodds, 1941-1944

Dodds, John Reginald (Flight Lieutenant, b.1917 - d.1944)

Places	Europe: Germany, Baden-Wurttemberg, Stuttgart Europe: Germany, Berlin Europe: Gibraltar Europe: Italy, Turin Europe: United Kingdom, England Europe: United Kingdom, England, Dorset, Bournemouth Europe: United Kingdom, England, Dorset, Dorchester Europe: United Kingdom, England, Lincolnshire Europe: United Kingdom, England, Lincolnshire, Blyton Europe: United Kingdom, England, Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, Scunthorpe Europe: United Kingdom, England, Oxfordshire, Harwell North & Central America: Canada, Nova Scotia, Halifax
Accession Number	AWM2019.22.25
Collection number	AWM2016.70.1
Collection type	Digitised Collection
Record type	File
Item count	1
Object type	Diary
Physical description	398 Image/s captured
Maker	Dodds, John Reginald
Place made	At sea, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom: England
Date made	1941-1944
Conflict	Second World War, 1939-1945
Source credit to	This item has been digitised with funding provided by Commonwealth Government.

Description

Diary relating to the Second World War service of 403838 Flying Officer John Reginald Dodds, 460 and 156 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force. This file consists of a diary consecutively numbered, written by Dodds in 27 separate installments. The installments cover the dates between 13 November 1941 to 27 April 1944 and were sent home to his mother and father in Australia.

Installments 1 - 7 range between November 1941 and September 1942 (pages 1 - 164) and mention:
His embarkation from Sydney and his trip to Canada via the Pacific Islands; his departure from Canada and arrival in the north of England and describes different cities in England as he travels south to Bournemouth; sightseeing in London, and training in RAF Cranwell; his arrival at RAF Harwell station; lectures and flight training; sightseeing, move to RAF Mount Farm station for practice bombing raids with a Wellington plane; flying to Gibraltar where they crash landed; his stay in Gibraltar while waiting for the plane to be repaired; other crash landings he hears about; the breaking up of the crew; the long and troubled flight back to the UK.

The 8th and 9th installments (pages 165 to 185) are missing.

Installments 10 - 16 range between November 1942 and June 1943 (pages 186 - 278) and mention:

The newspaper reports of his crew moving to using Arvo Lancaster planes; Bombing raids over various places including Stuttgart, Turin, Hamburg, Cologne, Turin, Lorient, Munich, Duisberg, Wilhelmshaven, Milan, Nuremberg, the U-boat base at St Nazaire, the naval base at La Spezia, the Skoda arms and ammunition works near Pilsen and Berlin; the raid over Mannheim where they became lost on the return flight, ran out of fuel and had to parachute to safety; leave in Scotland and Manchester; lack of flying due to the weather; the operations and outcomes of other crews in 460 squadron; His flight onboard the Lancasters H for Harry and G for George; the end of his first tour; the squadron being stationed at Binbrook and his being posted to Blyton.

Installments 17 - 25 range between June 1943 and February 1944 (pages 279 - 404) and mention:

Training at Blyton in signals; leave in Scotland; his promotion to Flying Officer; the celebration for the 1000th Lancaster sorties by the squadron; his efforts in obtaining a commission; a flight over Ireland; a trip to Scotland; being fitted for his new officers uniform; possible future work with Pathfinder Force; a move to another base; allocation of new plane and beginning flying missions again; a special visit by the King and Queen; an attack on Frankfurt (a feint for an attack on Berlin) and a bombing attack while staying in London.

The 26th installment (pages 405-414) is missing.

Installment 27 ranges between March and April 1944 (pages 415 - 434) and mentions:

Bombing raids over Frankfurt, Nurenberg, Cologne, the marshalling yards Laon (a feint for an attack on Dusseldorf), Karlsruhe, Berlin where their plane was hit and leave in Scotland.