The WW2 Diary of Lancaster Pilot Bruce Johnston

DIARY NOTES

Location
RAF Bomber Command, 115 Squadron at Witchford, near Ely

“U” for Uncle - Lancaster bomber, with “U” as the final code letter

Lyon - French city 350 kms southeast of Paris

Scrubbed - Planned flights were cancelled

Kirsch - Canadian pilot and friend, who trained with Johnston, and was later posted to 90 Squadron at Tuddenham

Bob - Livingstone, Johnston’s bomb aimer

July 31, 1944 (Monday)

I was to be on “U” for Uncle tonight, just ten of us going to Lyon I understand – just ten aircraft in all! Quite a trip I guess! It was scrubbed about six however.

Kirsch phoned about noon and we had a bit of a talk. He’s doing fine – I gave him the bad news about our friends. He wanted me to come over today, but I couldn’t of course.

We had quite a feed in the barracks tonight – boy what a spread!

Heard from Mom this morning saying Dad is out of the hospital. Bob went into hospital this afternoon with a strained back – got jumping a fence.

Contemporary photo of three Nissen huts at Witchford that during the war were used for crew accommodations and as administrative buildings

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