page_title: RAF Bomber Command aircrew of World War II
section_title: Homeward flight
hierarchical_section_title: RAF Bomber Command aircrew of World War II / Typical operational sortie / Homeward flight
caption_attribution_description: English: Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. Flight Lieutenant A Carey, Captain of Handley Page Halifax Mark II, 'B for Beer', of No. 102 Squadron RAF, leads his crew to the interrogation room at Pocklington, Yorkshire on their return from a night raid on Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany. The raid of 4/5 October 1943 was the first serious attack on Frankfurt, causing widespread destruction in the eastern half of the city and in the docks on the River Main.
context_page_description: The aircrews of RAF Bomber Command during World War II operated a fleet of bomber aircraft carried strategic bombing operations from September 1939 to May 1945, on behalf of the Allied powers. The crews were men from the United Kingdom, other Commonwealth countries, and occupied Europe, especially Poland, France, Czechoslovakia and Norway, as well as other foreign volunteers. While the majority of Bomber Command personnel were members of the RAF, many belonged to other air forces – especially the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force. Under Article XV of the 1939 Air Training Agreement, squadrons belonging officially to the RCAF, RAAF, and RNZAF were formed, equipped and financed by the RAF, for service in Europe. While it was intended that RCAF, RAAF, and RNZAF personnel would serve only with their respective "Article XV squadrons", in practice many were posted to units of the RAF or other air forces. Likewise many RAF personnel served in Article XV squadrons.
  A total of 126 squadrons served with Bomber Command.
context_section_description: After making their attack the crew would head away from the target area, making as much speed as possible on the track for home while avoiding known flak concentrations and fighter hot-spots. Night fighters continued to hunt along the returning bomber stream, claiming victims back towards the North Sea and out to sea. Vigilance had to be maintained or even increased; at a time when tiredness was beginning to increase some airmen would have taken their issued Benzedrine "wakey wakey" tablets to keep them vigilant. On several occasions the Luftwaffe mounted night intruder raids and followed the bombers home over England, shooting them down before they were able to land.
caption: Halifax bomber crew heading for debriefing.
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