Danny Kaye's written comments on the WW II Squadron diary.

with thanks to his son Michael who shared this information.

Note: Danny Kaye had a copy of the Squadron Diary and annotated several of his 19 operations. He also had made comments in his Pilot Logbook. These comments are all posted on this page and have also been added to the Wartime Logs on the appropriate date. They have not been added to the Complete War Diary which is in a PDF format and which has a link on the Wartime Log - Monthly Operations page. Any comment below in red is an entry by Michael Kaye, his son; any comment headed by Log is from Danny Kaye's logbook.

It would be my real hope that others who have logs or records could get them seen to add context or fill out the story. Of Dad’s crew I have only found the kids of Bill Lugg, who like my Dad, rarely spoke of the war to family, returning to school and onto civilian life.

Pg 16: [ 31/3/43 Commissions; Sgt White V.N. appointed to P/O…] “ Vern White attended on the occasion of G/C Burnside’s retirement June 20~22 1996”

Pg 40: [ 3/9/43 Wing Commander R.S. Turnbull, DFM is coming to take over…] “My Boss SASO at air div HQ 1 1955 & 1956” - at Metz

Pg 48 [ 17/10/43 The periodic “Flarepath” …] “also new “ops crews” were flying “chandeliers” in mess in undies while sun mates tossed beer and lighter fluid soaked paper lit aflame”

Pg 48 [ 20/10/43 … rank of Temporary Wing Commander ante-dated to 6/11/42] “Bob Turnbull Flt Sgt to Temp Wing Co in 9 months”

Pg 57 [ 10/11/43 Following this parade , the long awaited M.G.M. medalions (sic) …] “Lion Badge” I don’t know that I ever saw one -- ed. note See here

Pg 98 [ 4/4/44 …Two new crews reported…CAN. J20191 P/O Murphy and crew] “ I did 2nd Pickle trip to Stuttgart with Murphy { when?} shot down Feb ’45 but lived in Russian C.P.W. (?) camp in the Ruhr

Pg 109 [ 24/5/44 …F/L STEPHEN was attacked…] “ Bill Stephen now ’96 lives in Kingston”

Pg 110 [ 25/5/44 …F/L STEPHEN returned from WOODBRIDGE…] “ Rec’d DSO 'without DFC first !’ “

Pg 155 9/9/44-circled date “I was in Stratford with crew celebrating 20th birthday”

Pg168 [ … in the Oxford flown by ….& F/O E.C. Mayo “ Good to join you on the occasion of Dudley Burnside’s landing over parade. - Earl Mayo 20 Jun 1996"

Pg 172 [ 2/11/44 …piloted by F/O WAGAR…] “Claude”

Pg 190 [ 6/1/45 … F/O GERALD V.J.P ( J.26347) Bomb Aimer was hit… nose removed...…bullets extracted from the wings were mk. 303…] “ Brit bullets”

* [10/1/45 F/O GERALD V.J.P…remodeling his nose]

Pg 192 [16/1/45... Operation Order came through….] “ Madgeburg - I was second Dickie to F/O Mulholland, arrived from Wombleton (Ed note:Heavy Conversion Training Unit) just in time for briefing."

* From Flight Log: attached certificate form 414 (A) Summary of Flying Assessments for Year Commencing Course 54 dated Jan 16/45 Note date signed, We then were trucked to Leeming where I jumped out of the truck to learn I was on an Operation that evening ! My duffle with flying gear was lost enroute in cargo lorry!

From logbook: Hally III ZL-N OPS Magdeburg 19000’ 8000lbs cookie, intend (Ed note: sic. Prossibly incendiaries). Lots of searchlights, flak + fighter flares marshaling yards and oil. 6:20 .

-what a first day on the job !

Dad commenced flight training on May 6, 1943. One must appreciate the investment in these crews who had over a year and a half training before the first operation.

Family lore is that Grandfather took Dad to get the date changed on his Birth Certificate by a neighbour so that Dad could join at age 17. Grandmother stepped in and Dad signed up himself when he was 18.

The following link has the above photo as well as many more 427 and other squadrons crews.Some photos are searchable by pilot's name. I(Michael) have suggested that they add other crew names as well.

The International Bomber Command Center

Pg 193 [ 17/1/45 …A new arrival to this Squadron F/O KAYE and his crew had a check out flight today…] Arrival of Danny Kaye and Crew from Wombleton Yorkshire! Lost a kit bag with flying gear and other Items. Checked out by F/O WAGAR

"Logbook: see entry for may 28 1952, WAGAR gave me a blip in Lancaster

Logbook: 28/5/1952 Lancaster AGF173 1st Pilot F/O WAGAR 2nd pilot SELF - target for Sabres"

Pg 193 [ 19/1/45 …Three crews took part in night flying exercises}
Hally III ZL-K we were one of the three 4 hrs 30 min. -Log says ZL-U

Pg 194 [ 22/1/45 Ten aircraft carried out Sim Bombing and H2X X-Country exercises ...]
We were one of the 10 ZL-S 3 hrs 40 mins

Pg 195 [ 28/1/45 Operation came through this morning with same detail as yesterday ] Flew 2nd Dickey with F/L Murphy (see pg 98 note) Stuttgart- Jet Factory 7 hrs 45 min. Log: Hally III ZL-P Ops Stuttgart 18000’ cookie. incend. Flak & Flare

pg 196 [ 29/1/45 …all aircraft landed at Blackbush around 03:25 hours] t-these three entries underlined

[ 30/1/45 Our aircraft are still away at Blackbush ]

[ 31/1/45 …returned from Blackbush around noon…] We flew back from Hartford Bridge 1hr 10 mins

Pg 197 [ 2/2/45 Operations called for today. Seventeen aircraft…] “Wanne-Eikel first trip with my Crew oil refinery

pg 197 [ 4/2/45 …Briefing for bombing was at 13:15 …] Osterfeld ( Ruhr) Coking Benzol Plant intense flak

Pg 200 [13/2/45 ... Battle Order issued this morning detailing fourteen aircraft...]

[14/2/45 … Thirteen of our aircraft on operations last night landed at EYE …] ZL-U T.O. EYE Wen South of Leipzig 8 hrs 35 min ZL-U slight flak Germans used their false target indicator away from the oil refinery. Landed at EYE USAAF base 1 hr 15 min to base Log: Feb 13 Hally III ZL-U Ops to BOHLEN ( Stn Leipzig) 4-1000lbs 10-500lbs Slight Flak German T.I.'s Oil Refinery 8:25

Pg 201 [ 16/2/45 Quiet most of the day but very late in the afternoon…] Air to sea gunnery ZL-X 2 hrs 45mins Std beam ( illegible; Ap…rds) to find runway in fog

[ 17/2/45 ...the target was WESSEL…] Daylight to Wesel but called off Allied troops too close. ZL-G landed Middleton St George 6 hrs 30 min

[18/2/45 Our aircraft diverted at Middleton St George returned…] 10 mins at 500ft

Pg 202 [ 20/2/45 …Take off around 21:45 hours…] "L-Q ( Hally III) to Monheim 6:45 bomb doors stuck so had to orbit over target. Heavy flak. Fighters PetrolRefinery target"

[ A/C “X” NP941 encountered an U/I T/E enemy fighter. MU/AG opened fire and the starboard engine of the enemy aircraft...] “US”

[ Captain F/L J.M. MURPHY did not return]-“ see Jan 28 and Feb 20”

[Another battle order was issued at noon detailing eleven aircraft] ZL-R 7hrs 10 min searchlights guided fighters. Heavy flak over target Railroad transportation target

[ A/C “R” MZ755 encountered an unidentified enemy single engine fighter. MU/AG and R/AG opened fire and lots of hits were claimed. the enemy aircraft burst into flames and broke into two pieces and fell to the ground ( sic) ]

“ Us- last trip in Hally III “ Logbook: newspaper clipping pasted “Lion Gunners Handle Nazis” identifies Sgt J.S. Dalling Westmount Que. and Sgt M.E. Thompson Manitoulin Island Ont as Rear and mid upper gunners respectively.-also pasted pic of an ME-109F, clipping: “ City Man’s Bomber Bags Nazi Fighter "

Pg 203 [ 24/2/45…] “ Check out in Lancaster I QB-A 15 minutes local flying with crew 15 mins plus 3:40 H2S X-Country 9500 ZL-N

Pg 204 “ On leave with Doreen ( Later married, our Mother) in Newcastle”

[ 28/2/45 Casualties: 14/15.2.45…] Dad notes:
J86214 F/O V.S. Roy
R1996508 F/S Williams, A.R.
R198441 Sgt Morrison, A.L.
R187219 F/S Scorah, A.N
R279178 Cybilskie, A.J.
R274821 Sgt Gallagher, H.
R225219 Sgt Mayer, H.L.C.

“bought the farm on first trip”

[ 20.2.45…] "Murphy landed in camp for Russian prisoners in the Ruhr”

Pg 205 [ 7/3/45 Training still taking place…] “Night Training ZL-C 3:50 X-Country and bombing”

Pg 206 [ 8/3/45 ...The eighth day of Lancaster conversion…] “ZL-U day 2:50 ZL-P night 5:15”

[ 11/3/45 Aircraft got away to a good start around 1130 hours…]
“ZL-R Essen City took gunnery leader as R.G.. Gee {radio navigation} caught on fire looked bad for awhile. landed with 2 ton cookies. (had tried to chop it off but )… best landing ever “ logbook: “Quiet Trip”

Pg 207 [13/3/45 gardening aircraft returned to base…] "ZL-W 3:50 local map reading and low flight over Newcastle ( buzzing Doreen?)

[ 14/2/45 (sic) Operations order No. 358… “ZL-R Roads and Rail target in centre of city (Zweibrücken) To open path for Patton’s armour 7 hours night”

Pg 208 [ 18/3/45 Three crews were detailed on Operations order no. 361 …] “fighter affiliation 20 attacks ZL-N”

[ 21/3/45 ...Hemmingstedt…] "ZL-T Oil Refinery 5:15 night fighters flares flak"

[ 22/3/45 …Hildesheim…] "ZL-D city daylight raid gaggle- smoke up to 22000' took photos"

Pg 209 [ 24/3/45 … Target ( BONITROP )-(Michael suggests Bottrop. ed note: I agree Bottrop is ~15km North of Essen and ~5km West from Mathias Stinnes a heavily bombed area.) MATHIAS STINNES.] “ ZL-T daylight gaggle hit by flak W/O Proudlove R.G. wounded for 3rd time oil refinery 5hrs 40mins “

[ 25/3/45 …Hanover… Proudlove…wounded…]“ APPS(Flight Engineer CB Appleby) wounded on this trip. Station Commander gave a weeks leave. Apps to hospital then repatriated to Canadian hospital."

Logbook: went to visit Terry (Brother CDN Army Medic Terrance Insley Kaye)in military hospital at Horsham Southern England. Terry was wounded and taken prisoner. He stole a Walther P38 and forced his captors to carry him to Canadian lines. The Walther is on display at the Canadian War Museum

Pg 211 [ 4/4/45 ...Mersburg…] “ZL-T new F/E Norm Wilde temp RG D. Broadfoot city and oil 9 hours

Pg 212 [ 8/4/45 …HAMBURG…] “ZL-T Docks and Industry Cam { C.S. Cameron} ( WAG) sick so Danluck replaced him. R/G Dalling back 5 hrs 55 min landed at Pershore USAAF base”

Pg 213 [ 9/4/45 crews returned from diversion at Pershore…] "ZL-T 55 minutes day”

[10/4/45 …Operations Order No. 382…] “ZL-A Daylight Marshalling Yards 8hrs 25 minutes Gaggle”

Pg 214 [13/4/45 …and No. 384 detailed ten aircraft crews on bombing] “ZL-T night 6 hrs heavy and light flak docks and city landed USAAF Ridgewell”

[14/4/45 …All crews returned safely…] Dad writes Some crews… “Flew 55 mins to Leeming”

Pg 215 “on leave in Newcastle”

Pg 218 [ 3/5/45 …Operations Order No. 392…] "ZL-P Kiel surrendered while we were enroute Saw 2 mid-air collisions of 4 Lancs ahead of us we were all between low clouds and sea terrible weather special sophisticated mines “ Logbook: returned to bad weather car headlights guided us over moors in rain and fog -This was Dad’s #19 Operation

5/5/45 [ Twelve crews were detailed for training…] “ ZL-T Day local flying Newcastle and Whitley Bay " { near Newcastle has Spanish City dance hall and resort hotels}

Pg 220 [ 10/5/45 …another Exodus Operation… ( repatriating POWs Juvincourt France ) ] “ZL-T Daylite trip 2 hrs 35 min Stuck in sand all day. Fly back at night 2:15

[15/5/45 Eleven kites were detailed this afternoon for Cross Country to France…] “ZL-T 5hrs 40 mins 'Sightseeing’ “

Logbook:Sightseeing Tour Cherbourg, Caen- LeMans- St Nazaire- St. Malo- Chan Is. B’M’TH ( Bournemouth ?) Deck Do Ground Crew Duck Rodgers, Ivan Reynolds, Danny Dancyt.

Pg 221 [19/5/45 Nine aircraft detailed for flying this afternoon…] ZL-T took 3 ground crew and Buff, Delalla, Cam, Norm. Flew low over Lake District and Blackpool 10 feet !!! 1 hr 50 min “

Pg 222 [ 24/5/45 Ten aircraft were detailed for a tour…] “ZL-T sightseeing”

Logbook: Sightseeing Tour Cherbourg, Caen- LeMans- St Nazaire- Mount St Michel- Chan Is. B’M’TH 1000’ 5 Ground Crew Nav. B.A. W/OP. F.E. 6 hrs

25/5/45 “on leave Newcastle”

Page 224 “ My last flight was June 1 ZL-T day bombing exercise X-country flew over Dingle Bay Ireland -( from where his father had emigrated) Some of us are ready for the Tiger Force against the Japanese

-Dad shipped to Dartmouth with the intent of crossing Canada to continue the War, and was still in Dartmouth when the Japanese surrendered.

The aircraft Dad flew most often was ZL-T. The photograph below is 427 Lancaster ZL-T ME501