
This crew flew on BLACK THURSDAY in Lancaster JB356, X-XRAY – they landed without incident at RAF Station Graveley in the early hours of 17 December 1943.
The crew all survived the war except for the Flight Engineer Tommy Hope, who was killed on 12 June 1944 when flying with the Ash crew (see below).
CREW (Black Thursday)
Pilot: P/O Jim, or Jimmy, Billing
Flight Engineer: Sgt Thomas William Hope, ‘Tommy’ – Killed 12/6/44 with the Ash crw
Navigator: P/O James Edward, Moriarty, ‘Mort’, RCAF
Bomb Aimer: P/O Erwin Osler, RCAF
W/Op: Sgt Jock Campbell
Mid-Upper Gunner: F/S Bud Findlay, RCAF
Rear Gunner: W/O Doug Curtis, RCAF

Tommy Hope

Flight Engineer Tommy Hope is buried in Pont-du-Cens Communal Cemetery at Nantes. It is thought that he was on his last operation (to Nantes) before he finished his tour. He had transferred to 635 Squadron, along with Flight Engineer Stewie Edwards, who had been with the Billing crew for their first five or so operations before then transferring to the Ash crew. All the Ash crew were killed on 12 June 1944.