B-17 CC Additional Material by Robert M Stitt

Ken Brailsford’s War
This photo essay is based on two photo albums and a logbook belonging
to Royal Air Force pilot Kenneth Hartle Brailsford. It documents Brailsford’s
service career and his association with a handful of Boeing Fortress Is that
served in Egypt with detachments of 90 and 220 Sqns.
The essay complements the chapter Middle East Side Show, pages 18–23.
With special thanks to researcher and author Matt Poole and to Ann
Lyons, great niece of Kenneth Hartle Brailsford.
Ken Brailsford began his flying training on Miles Magisters in February 1939 when he joined 30
E&RFTS, run by Air Schools Ltd at Burnaston Airport near Derby. He subsequently transferred to
5 EFTS located at Hanworth in May 1940 and 2 SFTS at Brize Norton for multi-engine training
on Airspeed Oxfords. A navigation course on Avro Ansons followed at St Athan and Cranage with
operational training subsequently completed with 16 OTU at Upper Heyford on Ansons and Handley
Page Hampdens. Brailsford was posted to Avro Manchester-equipped 207 Sqn at Waddington
between March and June 1941, during which time he participated in ten operational flights. He
transferred to 90 Sqn at Polebrook on August 17, 1941, as second pilot to Plt Off James C Stevenson.
The unit’s Fortress Is were withdrawn from operations before Brailsford could participate in
any operational flights. Photo via Gary Shenton. (All other images via Ann Lyons.)
Fortress I AN532 ‘WP-J’ of 90 Sqn while detached to Kinloss, Scotland, during September 1941, for a series of raids against the German battleship Admiral Sheer,
moored in Oslo harbour. AN532 was the only Fortress I to survive a disastrous four-aircraft operation on September 8. The type was withdrawn from the high-level
bombing role following a single-aircraft raid on Emden on September 25.
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