Groups and Single Decorations for Gallantry
Knilans’ first sortie with 617 was in Lancaster ME 561, ‘R-Roger’ to attack a V-weapon site in the Pas de Calais area on 25 January 1944. The sortie went without a hitch, but as described in the introduction above, ‘R Roger’ was to prove a cumbersome steed. In February, Knilans’ participated in the attack on the Gnome-Rhone engine works at Limoges, a highly successful raid captured on film by an R.A.F. photographer in Cheshire’s aircraft; so, too, on the Antheor Viaduct, a heavily defended target that loomed up on 617’s horizon on several occasions. On the occasion of Knilans’ visit on the 12th, Micky Martin’s Bomb Aimer, Bob Hay, was killed by a 20mm. flak shell - on seeing Martin’s aircraft caught in the searchlights, Knilans’ rear gunner, Roy Learmouth, did his best to take some of them out.
On the night of 2-3 March, Cheshire led 15 of 617’s Lancasters to the aircraft factory at Albert. In common with the Gnome-Rhone raid, and as described in No Passing Glory, by Andrew Boyle, it was a notable success:
‘Within a quarter of an hour the two factories were enveloped in flames. Every bomb but one had struck home; and this exploded harmlessly well away from the town. Nearly a year later Allied bomb damage experts examined the broken shells of the buildings. The machine-tool section had been so badly smashed that the Germans had not even attempted to restore it, while output in the aircraft engine department was still only a tenth of what it had been before that one attack by 617. Cheshire wrote in his diary: ‘This factory will produce no more engines for the Hun’.’
Knilans heard afterwards that the Germans had posted a notice offering a reward of £250 for any captured members of 617 Squadron; apparently the Gestapo were keen for an interview.
Having then attacked further precision targets at St. Etienne (10 March), Metz (15 March), and Clermont Ferrand (16 March), Knilans participated in the strike on the Michelin Tyre Works at Clermont-Ferrand on 16 March. Such was the success of the operation that Cheshire was able to signal base: ‘Michelin’s complexion seems a trifle red.’
Similar targets were attacked at Bergerac and Lyons in the second half of the month - on the 18th and 28th - while in April Knilans was detailed to attack Toulouse (5th); St. Cyr (10th) and La Chapelle (20th).
Secret mission: “Operation Taxable”
In May, the Squadron was taken off operations to rehearse for a secret mission to cover the imminent Allied invasion of Normandy - “Operation Taxable”. Fellow 617 pilot Les Munro summarised the operation thus:
‘I have always considered that “Operation Taxable”, designed to deceive German radar by dropping aluminium strips - or ‘window’ - as one of the most important missions ever undertaken by 617 Squadron.’ The pilots had absolutely no latitude for deviation from ground speed, compass bearing, rate of turn and timing: ‘flying in oblongs so precisely demanded all our skills as pilots and while we didn’t bomb anything it confirmed what precision flying could do.’
The ploy does indeed appear to have succeeded in giving the Germans the impression that the invasion fleet was sailing towards the Pas de Calais, an ambition assisted by No. 218 Squadron, flying Stirlings in a parallel mission: the second wave of 617’s force observed German shore batteries engaging the ‘ghost’ invasion fleet.
The Saumur Tunnel
At length, the causes of R Roger’s terrifying tendencies were ascertained. On 1 June Avro experts fitted new automatic pilots in the Lancasters for the D-Day operation, and Nicky Knilans at last found out why his much-cursed ‘R Roger’ flew like a lump of lead. They found it needed longer elevator cables than the others, inspected to find out why and discovered that the elevators had been put on upside down at the factory. Knilans had been flying it for months like that and, as Cheshire said, “Only you and God, Nicky, know how you stayed up.” “Not me, sirrrr,” Knilans said in his American drawl ... “Only God. I didn’t know.” At any rate he was very relieved, but not so much as his crew. ‘R Roger’ had so often frightened them.’ (The Dambusters, by Paul Brickhill refers).
On 8 June, 617 was ordered to attack on the Saumur Tunnel in the South of France, which, if successful, would stem the flow of vital German reinforcements bound for the Normandy invasion area - the operation had been called at very short notice because of reports of a German Panzer Division moving up from the south.
Stemming the advance of enemy reinforcements aside, the raid was also significant because it was the first time 617 used Barnes Wallis’s 12,000lb Tallboys - the bomb bays of the Squadron’s Lancasters had to be modified in order to accommodate the 21-feet-long monster, ‘an almost aerodynamically perfect bomb capable of maintaining perfect trail angle and of penetrating solid masses of concrete before exploding.’
The force was supported by three Mosquitos flown by Cheshire, Fawke and Shannon and 10 Lancasters of No. 83 Squadron for flare marking purposes. The results were spectacular and the tunnel was still under repair when the area was liberated in August 1944.
Smashing the E-Boat Pens
Again in support of the Normandy operations, 617 was next ordered to attack the E-Boat pens at Le Havre on 14 June - the Squadron’s first daylight operation. With Cheshire marking in one of three Mosquitos, 617’s 22 Lancasters met heavy flak - several aircraft were hit and some of them compelled to turn for home on three engines. Knilans’ mid-upper gunner was among the resultant casualties, hit by flak shell fragments in his leg. Nonetheless, as revealed by post-raid photographs, the operation was a complete success, causing considerable damage to the pens and surrounding installations.
As a result, 617 were ordered to attack the E-Boat pens at Boulogne the following day. Once again heavy flak met them and at least seven Lancasters were damaged.
Post-raid photography revealed a scene of devastation below: the two raids had accounted for 133 E-Boats and removed a major threat to the Allied invasion armada. On this occasion, Knilans and his crew had another narrow escape after one of the attacking Lancasters dumped its 1,000 lb bombs above them. Knilans made a steep diving turn to port but Roy Learmouth, his rear gunner, still reckoned he could have reached out and touched one of the bombs that hurtled past his turret.
Smashing the V-weapon sites
On 19 June Knilans dropped a 12,000 lb Tallboy bomb near the V-weapon site at Watten - ‘near’ because the bomb had hung up; a similar mission to Wizernes on the following day was aborted but Knilans successfully attacked St. Leu d’Esserent in the Pas de Calais on 4 July; owing to a faulty bomb sight, he had to abandon his attack on Mimoyecques on the 6th.
“Willie” Tait now took command of 617 Squadron, one of his first missions being to renew an attack on the V-weapon site at Wizernes on 16 July; owing to the fact Knilans ‘Tallboy’ fell just 50 yards from the tunnel entrance, it transpired a second visit to the site on the 20th was unnecessary; on the 25th, during an attack on the site at Wattem, Knilans scored a direct hit.
Another close-call developed over the site at Rilly La Montagne on the 31st. Bomber Barons takes up the story:
‘Just as Knilans was concentrating on his instruments for the drop, his flight engineer tapped his shoulder and pointed upwards. One hundred feet higher, directly above Nick, another Lancaster had its bomb bay doors open, about to release its 12,000 lb Tallboy! Nick immediately skidded R-Roger sideways and then resumed his run. Below him another Lancaster from 617 was not so lucky, as a Tallboy struck the mid-section of ME557, S-Sugar, skippered by Bill Reid, V.C. Reid's aircraft broke up - only Reid and his wireless operator, Luker, survived. Meanwhile, Knilans had his starboard outer engine hit by flak and had to feather it - ultimately making his sixth three-engine landing to date at base.’
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