The Workhorse by Anthony Saunders

The Workhorse by Anthony Saunders   Of the 7,377 Lancasters built during the Second World War, it’s sobering to think that only a tiny handful managed to complete more than 100 missions. But it is perhaps not surprising given the average life expectancy of a new bomber joining an operational squadron was no more than a couple of months. The outlook for the crews was almost as bleak, Bomber Command casualty rates were appalling: 55,573 of 125,000 men who served were killed, 8,403 were wounded whilst another 9,838 were captured and taken prisoner. All things considered perhaps it’s no wonder that the 35 Lancasters to achieve the 100 mission target were considered ‘lucky’.Designed by Avro’s chief designer Roy Chadwick, the mighty Lancaster entered service in 1942 and soon became the mainstay of Bomber Command, able to deliver a greater payload than any other bomber in World War Two and arguably the finest piston-engine bomber of its time. Crewed entirely by volunteers mainly from Britain