SGT. PETER JAMES DALY
TAIL GUNNER WITH
460 SQUADRON RAAF

Sgt. Peter James Daly

Subject:   460 Squadron
Date:           Sun, 26 Dec 1999 16:59:02 +0000
From:          Steve Daly <reddragon@stevedaly.netlineuk.net>

Dear Mr. Dunn,

I discovered your website quite by chance. However, my father served with 460 Squadron between 6th January 1944 and 8th June 1944 as a tail gunner. This brought him to the end of his first tour of ops and he then went to 1699 C.U. at Oulton in Norfolk.

While on 460 Squadron, his regular "skipper" was W/O M. Stafford.

I am currently putting the finishing touches to an account of Dad's war service so if you have any information that might be of interest to me I would love to hear from you.

Steve Daly

Subject:   460 Squadron
Date:           Mon, 27 Dec 1999 20:26:39 -0000
From:          "Steve Daly" <reddragon@stevedaly.netlineuk.net>

Hi Peter,

Thank you for your response. The 460 website is great, but then I tend to come over all misty eyed at anything to do with Avro Lancasters! The greatest aircraft ever - they must be, they took Dad to some dangerous spots and back again safely. If they hadn't I wouldn't be here!!!

Incidentally, I can find very few references to aircraft that Dad flew in coming under attack and Dad never spoke about shooting down any enemy aircraft. Is this unusual?

I have had the rare priviledge of going on board the R.A.F. BBMF Lancaster. I am a police officer at Stansted Airport and had the opportunity when it was overnighting during the display season one time.

Dad, Sergeant Peter James Daly (some records spell his surname incorrectly as DALEY), Service No. 1319213 was posted to 460 Squadron from 3rd January 1944.

His first op with 460 Squadron was to Brunswick on 13th January. The aircraft was 'H Squared'. The pilot was F/Sgt. Petney. His next op and the first with W/O Stafford as pilot was on 20th January to Berlin. this op was aborted and they landed back at Waddington after only 3 hours and 10 minutes. The aircraft was JB734 identification letter 'P'.

Stafford was the regular pilot, the only op he was replaced for was Aulnoye on 16th April 1944, when F/S Cullen was Dad's pilot.

Dad's last op and the last op of his first tour was to the Cherbourg Peninsula on 6th June '44 in LL905 'O' piloted by W/O Stafford. In total Dad clocked up 187 hours 45 minutes operational flying time while with 460 Squadron. While on the squadron he was promoted to Flight Sergeant (10th April '44).

From 460 Squadron, Dad went to 28 O.T.U. While he was there he was Commissioned and returned to flying duties in January 1945 with 1699 Conversion Unit at R.A.F. Oulton in Norfolk, as a Pilot Officer. From 1699 C.U. he went to 199 Sqdn. at North Creake in March 1945 and after the cessation of hostilities in Europe was posted to the Middle East as a Photographic Interpretation Officer.

Dad left the R.A.F. in 1946 with the rank of Flying Officer. He relinquished his Commission in July 1957.

I have very few photographs of 460 Squadron and would welcome any scanned copies that you could let me have. I have a photo of Dad in uniform, taken after he was Commissioned. You are welcome to a scanned copy if you would like it.

I can supply you with a list of all the aircraft that he flew in on both ops and on training sorties if you want it.

Steve

Subject:     460 Squadron
Date:              Tue, 28 Dec 1999 19:40:02 -0000
From:            "Steve Daly" <reddragon@stevedaly.netlineuk.net>

Hi Peter,

Thanks for your two messages. Some additional information on my Dad.

His time in the Middle East was spent at R.A.F. Deversoir in Egypt (at the head of the Great Bitter Lake). While there he was also Acting Station Adjudant.

I have attached details of the flying he did with 460 Squadron.  Ops have the target shown. Also shown are the pilot's name and what details I have of the aircraft.

I have also attached details of what crew names I have been able to gleen.

I will send you the scanned copy of Dad's photo later in the week.

Happy landings!

Steve

460 Squadron - Peter Daly's Crew Details

Below is a list of 460 Squadron aircraft he flew in, with dates, all as rear gunner. Those that were on ops, I have shown the target.

Subject:   460 Squadron
Date:       Thu, 30 Dec 1999 19:59:27 -0000
From:      "stevedaly" <reddragon@stevedaly.netlineuk.net>

Hi Peter,

Well, here it is, as promised - Pilot Officer 183094 P.J. Daly, No.28 O.T.U. R.A.F, latterly Sergeant 1319213 P.J. Daly, No.460 Squadron R.A.A.F.

The photograph was taken on his receiving his Commission, for his mother (my grandmother), in 1944.

Steve

Sgt. Peter James Daly

Subject:   Sergeant 1319213 Peter James Daly
Date:      Sat, 11 Mar 2000 07:26:27 -0800
From:  stevedaly <reddragon@stevedaly.netlineuk.net>

Hi Peter,

Before Christmas I promised you that I would write a piece on my father, for your site, to accompany the photograph. My apologies for the delay, but here it is.

FLIGHT SERGEANT 1319213 PETER JAMES DALY
Peter Daly volunteered for the RAF in 1941 and commenced his aircrew training as an Air Gunner in February 1943. He attended No.4 AGS at RAF Morpeth passing from there to No.81 OTU at RAF Sleap and then No.1662 CU at RAF Blyton.

His first operational Squadron was No.103 at RAF Elsham Wolds, where he arrived in September 1943 and took up post as rear gunner on Lancasters. In November 1943 No.576 Squadron was formed with 'C' flight of No.103 Squadron forming the nucleus, thus Peter Daly found himself posted to the fledgling squadron. Operations during his time at Elsham Wolds included sorties to Hagen, Munich, Ludwigshafen, Kassel, Dusselfdorf, Leipzig and Berlin. On 31st December 1943, Peter Daly was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.

On 3rd January 1944, Peter Daly was posted to No.460 Squadron RAAF at RAF Binbrook joining the crew of Warrant Officer Maurice Stafford. Operations with No. 460 Squadron saw him going to targets at Brunswick, Berlin, Leipzig, Schweinfurt, Augsburg, Frankfurt, Nuremburg, Aulnoye, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Karlsruhe, Essen, Freidsrichshafen, Maintenon, Lyon, Duisberg, Dortmund, Le Treport, Vire and Crisbecq. There were also two Gardening sorties to lay mines in Stettin Bay and Kiel Bay.

Peter Daly also took part in the raid on Mailly-le-Camp, subject of Jack Currie's book, 'Battle under the Moon'.

On 14th August 1944, he was commissioned in the General Duties Branch of the RAFVR and was posted to No.28 OTU as a Instructor Pilot Officer. After a period at No.5 Radio School he went to No.1699 CU at RAF Oulton on 15th January 1945, flying as rear gunner on B-25 Flying Fortresses. On 15th February 1945 he was promoted to Flying Officer and on 27th March 1945 was posted to No.199 Squadron at RAF North Creake, flying as rear gunner on Halifaxes.

In July 1945 he commenced a series of Intelligence courses before being posted to the Middle East to carry out photographic interpretation work at the Middle East Intelligence Unit, RAF Deversoir, Egypt. While at Deversoir he also undertook the duties of Station Adjutant. He was finally released from the RAF in July 1946.

On returning to civvy street he went to work with his stepfather's removal firm, before training as an engineering draughtman. On the nationalisation of Britain's electricity industry he went to work for the Eastern Electricty Board. He married in 1953 and after taking early retirement from Eastern Electricity, died of cancer in 1984.

Steve Daly

Subject:    Sergeant Peter James Daly - 460 Squadron
Date:             Wed, 22 Mar 2000 21:54:12 -0000
From:           "stevedaly" <reddragon@stevedaly.supanet.com>

Hi Peter,

Well, it's finished!! I have finally finished writing the account of my late father's wartime service with the RAF, which as you know, included some time with 460 Squadron. It runs to over 150 pages of A4, so I won't offer it to you for the site!!    :o)

Of course, the account of Dad's ops with 460 is just a small part of the story, although a rather large "small part"!

Many thanks for your encouragement over the past few months, you probably didn't realise that you have given me any, but your website did!! I look forward to further developments to the site, including the permanent posting eventually of the details that I sent you.

Steve Daly

Subject:    460 Squadron site updates
Date:             Sat, 25 Mar 2000 13:08:09 -0000
From:           "stevedaly" <reddragon@stevedaly.supanet.com>

Hi Peter,

Many thanks for the latest updates to the site. I am really pleased with how you have dealt with the section on my late father. Once again, thank you.

Steve Daly

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 28 December 1999

This page last updated 22 February 2020