Flight Sergeant Ronald Marlow

Rear Gunner
28 June 1943. No.11 Air Gunnery School at RAF Andreas. 
20 September 1943. C-Flight 16 Operational Training Unit, RAF Barford St John
23 October 1943. C flight 16 OTU  RAF Upper Heyford.
28 January 1944. 1485 Gunnery Flight at RAF Syerston.
16 February 1944. 1654 conversion unit RAF Wigsley.
9 April 1944. No. 5 Lancaster Finishing School. RAF Syerston.
5 May1944 Sergeant Ronald Marlow was posted in to 50 Squadron from 51 Base (RAF Syerston).
 
11 May 1944 was his first op with 50 squadron was in VN-B on a mission to "Bourg-Leopold Base" taking off at 22:10 and being in the air for 4 hours 25 mins. This aircraft was LL744 which subsequently failed to return from a raid to Braunschweig, whilst being flown by Fl/Lt G C Startin and crew.
 
He then completed 11 ops on VN-K before going back to a new VN-B, LM591 on 3 June 1944 and then between that date and 9 August 1944 he completed 34 operations, during that time he flew 5 ops in different lancasters as VN-B must of been US, He flew VN-H(2) VN-F(1) VN-C(1) VN-T(1)
 
Throughout his entire tour with 50 squadron his pilot was P/O (later F/O) Pethick.
he finished a tour with 50 squadron in 44, then went onto teaching gunnery to students/new gunners.

Sergent Ronald Marlow posted in to 50 Squadron on 5 May 1944 from 51 Base (RAF Swinderby).Crew were; 

  • P/O L W Pethick - Pilot.
  • Sgt J Potter - Flight Engineer.
  • F/O J D Bald - Navigator.
  • Sgt W V Wallace - Wireless Operator.
  • Sgt L Taylor - Bomb Aimer.
  • Sgt R Marlow - Mid Upper Gunner.
  • Sgt T R McKenley - Rear Gunner.
DATE AIRCRAFT T.O. LAND TARGET
11/12.5.44 Lanc.I LL744 "B" 22.18 02.40 Bombing attack on 
        Military Camp- Bourg Leopold
19/20.5.44 Lanc.I DV363 "K" 22.00 05.07 Bombing attack on
        Marshall Yards- Tours
21/22.5.44 Lanc.I DV363 "K" 22.16 03.22 Bombing attack on 
        Duisberg
22/23.5.44 Lanc.I DV363 "K" 22.34 05.00 Bombing attack on 
        Brunswick
3/4.6.44 Lanc.III LM591 23.08 02.51 Bombing attack on 
        Ferme D'Urville
5/6.6.44 Lanc.III LM591 03.02 07.00 Bombing attack on 
        Coastal Battery. St. Pierre Du Mont
6/7.6.44 Lanc.III LM591 23.36 03.30 Bombing attack on 
        Argentan
8/9.6.44 Lanc.III LM591 23.05 05.10 Bombing attack on 
        Rennes
10/11.6.44 Lanc.III LM591 22.38 03.38 Bombing attack on 
        Marshalling Yards. Orleans
12/13.6.44 Lanc.III ED588 "G" 22.42 04.29 Bombing attack on 
        Poitiers
14/15.6.44 Lanc.III LM591 22.35 03.04 Bombing attack on 
        Aunay
15/16.6.44 Lanc.III LM591 21.19 03.45 Bombing attack on 
        Chatellerault
19/20.6.44 Lanc.III LM591 22.21 01.18 Bombing attack on 
        Constructional Works. Watten
21/22.6.44 Lanc.III LM591 22.55 04.12 Bombing attack on 
        Gelsenkirchen
23/24.6.44 Lanc.III ND987 22.28 05.15 Bombing attack on 
        Marshalling Yards. Limoges
24/25.6.44 Lanc.III LM591 22.38 02.23 Bombing attack on 
        Prouville
27/28.6.44 Lanc.III LM591 22.02 05.32 Bombing attack on 
        Vitry
29.6.44 Lanc.III LM591 12.11 15.56 Bombing attack on 
        Beauvoir (Day Light)
12/13.7.44 Lanc.III LM591 21.31 05.53 Bombing attack on 
        Culmont Chalindrey
14/15.7.44 Lanc.III LM591 22.00 04.49 Bombing attack on 
        Villeneuve
15/16.7.44 Lanc.III LM591 22.22 05.22 Bombing attack on 
        Railway Junction. Nevers
18.7.44 Lanc.III LM591 03.49 08.06 Bombing attack on 
        Caen (Day Light)
20/21.7.44 Lanc.III LM591 22.48 04.46 Bombing attack on 
        Courtrai
23/24.7.44 Lanc.III LM591 22.58 04.09 Bombing attack on 
        Keil
24/25.7.44 Lanc.III LM591 21.47 05.52 Bombing attack on 
        Stuttgart
25.7.44 Lanc.III LL922 "T" 17.53 21.39 Bombing attack on 
        St. Cyr (Day Light)
28/29.7.44 Lanc.III LM591 22.12 05.50 Bombing attack on 
        Stuttgart
30.7.44 Lanc.III LM591 05.58 11.07 Bombing attack on 
        Cahagnes (Day Light)
31.7.44 Lanc.III LM591 17.45 22.53 Bombing attack on 
        Joigny/La Rouche (Day Light)
1.8.44 Lanc.III LM591 16.54 21.29 Bombing attack on 
        Mont Candon. (Day Light).
2.8.44 Lanc.III LM591 14.35 19.05 Bombing attack on 
        Bois-de-Cassan. (Day light).
5.8.44 Lanc.III LM591 10.35 15.25 Bombing attack on 
        St. Leu D'Esserent
7/9.8.44 Lanc.III PA994 "H" 21.24 01.42 Bombing attack on 
        Secqueville
9/10.8.44 Lanc.III PA994 "H" 20.50 02.48 Bombing attack on 
        Chattelerault
         
24.8.44   Posted to No.14 Operational Training Unit.

 

Ron Marlow proudly shows his Legion D’Honneur.

The picture shows VN-B the aircraft flown in by Ron Marlow. It also show VN-Z in which his best friend George Taylor was flying. This and the following picture were commissioned by Ron's Grandson James Foster and was painted by piotr-forkasiewicz.

 

 

VN-B "Crewing up"