February 15, 1945 - A 'Typical' Day

From the Operations Record Book:  

The Squadron was stood down from operations and most of the day was devoted to flying and ground training. Lectures, discussion and clay pigeon shooting took place.

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Two days previously, the Harris Crew experienced their first live operation on a raid to Dresden.  550 Squadron Flight Lieutenant and Distinguished Flying Cross recipient Jim Cassidy (a member of the crew of 550’s famed Lancaster, ‘The Phantom of the Ruhr’) would describe that evening as a typical day for an operational air crew of Bomber Command.

Read Cassidy's description of a Typical Day at Bomber Command on the 550 Squadron website.

Cassidy refers several times to his crew’s pilot, Flight Commander (later Squadron Leader) William Caldow. Caldow would later be called upon to write to Harris' wife and Nicol’s parents (and likely those of the other crew members) on March 8th notifying them their husband or son was missing in action when the Harris crew failed to return the evening before.