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.