No.630 Squadron RAF was a Lancaster heavy night bomber squadron serving within No. 5 Group, RAF Bomber Command. It was formed at a vital phase in the wartime service of Bomber Command as the offensive against Berlin was due to begin and the preparations for the liberation of Europe were gaining momentum. "Six-thirty" was based at East Kirkby in Lincolnshire at what is now the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre. Its Lancasters took off on 2,515 sorties to attack enemy targets and the stark figures show that of the 162 crews who flew operationally on its strength, 64 were lost serving with the squadron and 10 were lost later flying with other squadrons. 46% of these 162 crews this being the reason that 630 Squadron veterans spoke of their squadron having a "heavy chop rate" A total of 1,199 airmen, mostly aged 18 to 24, flew operationally on the strength of 630 Squadron, 99 earned awards for bravery and distinguished service during their time with the squadron. Of these operational aircrew, 436 were killed or are missing, 69 became prisoners of war, 29 evaded capture in occupied Europe of whom 2 pilots evaded capture and later returned to ops to complete their tours and 6 aircrew were interned in neutral Sweden. A further 15 airmen were killed in flying accidents before commencing operations. These young lads came from Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, the USA and one man of Basque origin. Men of the squadron had sailed from across the world to join, the South West Pacific, East Africa, Jamaica and South America. Due to the losses sustained by 630 Squadron none of their assigned Lancasters flew 100 ops, the closest was ME739 which took off for 90 before it was lost. This book is a tribute to the brave aircrew of Six-thirty who flew the Lancasters, the hard working ground crews who kept their bombers serviceable and to the staff of RAF East Kirkby who ran the station at which Nos 57 and 630 Squadrons were based.
