K for Kitty Operations

War-time operations of the crew of K for Kitty as logged by Flight Engineer Harry Parkins (Ackney Arry).

K for Kitty were a mixed commonwealth crew of an Avro Lancaster of 630 Squadron stationed at RAF East Kirkby in Lincolnshire during World War Two.

K for Kitty crew: Pilot Joe Lennon, Flight Engineer Harry Parkins, Bomb Aimer Jimmy Hurman, Navigator Bruce Reece, WOP Jimmy Marriot, Mid Upper Gunner Joe Malloy, Rear Gunner Joe Pollard.

The crew carried out 34 wartime operations. Prior to serving with the crew of K for Kitty, Harry Parkins carried out two operational missions with a different crew.

Ops date Lancaster location bomb load night/day duration
1 10/04/44 G Tours 9,000 lbs night 5 hr 45 min a b
2 18/04/44 N Paris 'Juvisy' 9,000 lbs night 4 hr 40 min
note a: Harry Parkins carried out two ops with a different crew before joining the crew of K for Kitty
note b: Pilot Officer Jackson
Ops date Lancaster location bomb load night/day duration
3 20/04/44 K Paris 'La Chapelle' 11,000 lbs night 5 hr 25 min
4 22/04/44 K Brunswick 8,000 lbs night 6 hr 15 min
5 24/04/44 K Munich 7,200 lbs night 10 hr 25 min 1
6 09/05/44 X Annecy 8,500 lbs night 9 hr 20 min
7 11/05/44 X Burg Leopald 12,000 lbs night 4 hr 10 min
8 19/05/44 X Amiens 13,000 lbs night 4 hr 30 min
9 21/05/44 X Kiel Bay 9,000 lbs
6 mines
night 6 hr 10 min
10 22/05/44 X Brunswick 8,500 lbs night 5 hr 40 min
11 24/05/44 X Antwerp 13,000 lbs night 3 hr 15 min
12 27/05/44 X St Valery 13,000 lbs night 3 hr 45 min
13 01/06/44 X Saumur 13,000 lbs night 5 hr 45 min
14 04/06/44 X Maisy 11,000 lbs night 3 hr 50 min
15 06/06/44 Y Caen 9,000 lbs night 4 hr 50 min 2
16 07/06/44 Y Balleroy 9,000 lbs night 4 hr 25 min
17 09/06/44 X Etampes 9,000 lbs night 4 hr 35 min
18 12/06/44 X Caen 13,000 lbs night 4 hr 40 min
19 16/06/44 X Beauvoir 9,000 lbs night 3 hr 30 min
20 21/06/44 X Wesseling 12,000 lbs night 4 hr 20 min 3
21 24/06/44 X Pamereval 9,000 lbs night 3 hr 10 min
22 27/06/44 X Mimoyecques 13,000 lbs night 2 hr 50 min
23 12/07/44 X Chalindrey 9,000 lbs night 8 hr 25 min
24 15/07/44 X Nevers 9,000 lbs night 7 hr 15 min
25 18/07/44 X Caen 13,000 lbs day 3 hr 35 min
26 19/07/44 Q Thiverny 9,000 lbs day 4 hr 05 min 4
27 20/07/44 V Courtrai 13,000 lbs night 3 hr 00 min
28 24/07/44 N Kiel 9,000 lbs night 5 hr 10 min
29 25/07/44 N Donges 9,000 lbs night 5 hr 20 min
30 26/07/44 X Givors 9,000 lbs night 9 hr 00 min
31 28/07/44 X Stuttgart 9,000 lbs night 8 hr 15 min 5
32 30/07/44 X Cahagnes 9,000 lbs day 5 hr 10 min
33 31/07/44 X Joigny 9,000 lbs day 6 hr 15 min
34 03/08/44 X Trossy St Maximin 13,000 lbs day 4 hr 25 min
35 06/08/44 X St Hell 13,000 lbs day 4 hr 00 min
36 09/08/44 X Chatterllerault 9,000 lbs night 6 hr 20 min
note 1: longest war time flight of a Lancaster
note 2: D-Day
note 3: attacked by a JU88
note 4: fired at 17 holes in plane
note 5: mid-air collison - H3S cupola and tail wheel broken
note 6: Joe Lennon 33 ops, Joe Pollard 34 ops, Harry Parkins 36 ops (two were with a different crew)

Harry Parkins went on to serve with a different crew in 576 Squadron stationed at RAF Fiskerton where he carried out three more bombing operations, plus six operations dropping food to the starving Dutch as part of Operation Manna.


Lincolnshire ~ Harry Parkins ~ 630 Squadron ~ RAF East Kirkby ~ K for Kitty
(c) Keith Parkins 2006 -- April 2006 rev 1