Enemy Coast Ahead May 16, 2024 – Posted in: Blog Articles

16th May 2024 – Enemy Coast Ahead

Today we are featuring a very personal piece by J J Adams –  ‘Enemy Coast Ahead’. It is a tribute to the Dambuster’s Raid which took place on the 16th May 1943. Both J J’s great Uncles died aged 21 flying Lancaster and Wellington Bombers and one, Sgt JJ Cooper, served in 106 Squadron with Wing Commander Guy Gibson . Read J J Adams story below.

Enemy Coast Ahead is available as a signed limited edition print .

This unique new title celebrates the original ‘Dambusters’ movie, as well as the men in the original 617 Squadron who bravely carried out the infamous dam raid. It also commemorates the celebrated and heroic members from J J’s own family who served in Bomber Command.

Both JJ’s Great uncles on either side of his family died aged 21 while flying in Lancaster and Wellington bombers. Both men,  ‘Sgt Wilfred Adams’ and Sgt JJ Cooper’, are featured in the credits at the bottom of the artwork.

Sgt JJ Cooper was an experienced flight engineer and the loss of both his bomber and crew are the main focus of the piece and the aim was to give them their own film poster along with their rank and crew title. The crew had the distinction of serving alongside Wing Commander Guy Gibson (who led the Dambusters raid) in the famous 106 Squadron shortly before the Dambusters were formed. Gibson ran 1106 Squadron bfore forming 617 Squadron known as ‘The Dambusters’. He took many of his men from 106 Squadron, especially those he trusted most. J J firmly believes that his Great Uncle’s crew would have made the cut for 617 Squadron – if they had survived.

The pilot of the Lancaster R5748 ZN-R F.H. Robinson, who JJ’s Great Uncle say next to and helped fly the bomber, was the Squadron Leader and in charge of ‘A Team’ and a close friend of Guy Gibson – having trained and flown together and joined 106 Squadron at the same time. Gibson mentions him fondly several times in his book ‘Enemy Coast Ahead’ as well as expressing sadness at the loss of his bomber.

Lancaster R5748-ZN-R was lost on the night of the infamous Hamburg raid on the 27th July 1942. The bomber had 8 hours flying time and was a brand new machine having been delivered to RAF Coningsby just a few days earlier. They took off in formation at 8.30pm and after reaching the enemy cast discovered their rear guns had stopped working. Pushing on towards their target and upon almost reaching Hamburg they discovered the hydraulics for the bomb bay doors had malfunctioned and so had to turn back for home – fully loaded. The crew intended to ditch the bomb over the North Sea somehow , however they were shot down by a German hotshot pilot called ‘Lothar Linke’ in a JU-88 Night Fighter over Holland and they crashed near the village of Opeinde. The crash destroyed several houses and buildings nearby, due to the huge bomb blast from the fully loaded Lancaster.

The pilot died on impact as did the Mid Gunner and Radio Operator. Sgt J J Cooper bailed out at the last minute but his body was found the following morning in a field on top of his parachute. It is believed his parachute did not open in time. The body of Bomb Aimer , Sgt Fuller, was sadly never found. The other three crew survived and became prisoners of war ending up in Stalag Loft III.

The pilot, wirelass operator and Sgt JJ Cooper are buried in a small cemetry in Opeinde in Holland. There is a small memorial to themin the town centre and also at Metherington airfield in the UK. They are also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial.

JJ Adams’ other Great Uncle Sgt Wilfrid Adams, also 21, died during a training exercise in 23 OTU while he was training Canadian Aircrew. Flying low in cloud another Wellington bomber flew too close and they collided mid air killing both crews.