Episode Description
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The Lancaster is probably the most recognisable aircraft associated with RAF Bomber Command. But what did an ordinary 24 hours actually look like on a Lancaster squadron?
In this episode of Never Mind the Dambusters, Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by military aviation historian and author Michael Napier to explore the Lancaster not simply as an aircraft, but as the centre of a vast organisation of people, preparation and expertise.
Mike's new book, Lancaster: Twenty-Four Hours on a Squadron, takes us through a complete operational cycle on a wartime Lancaster station — from the daytime preparation and maintenance of the aircraft, through briefing and pre-flight preparations, to the night raid over Germany and the return home.
Drawing on more than 200 first-hand accounts, Mike brings together the experiences of aircrew, ground maintenance personnel, mission planners and the many other people whose work was essential to putting a Lancaster into the air. The book also explores the dangers faced by the crews during the operation and concludes with a poignant reflection on their achievements and sacrifices.
But Mike has another perspective on the subject. Before becoming a military aviation historian and author, he was an RAF pilot who flew the Tornado GR1, including operational flying from RAF Brüggen and operations over Iraq following the first Gulf War. He subsequently became a Boeing 787 captain with British Airways.
So, what similarities — and differences — are there between the experience of a Lancaster crew in the Second World War and that of a Tornado crew several decades later? And does having experienced military flying himself change the way Mike approaches the experiences of Bomber Command aircrew?
In this episode we discuss:
- Why Mike chose to structure the book around a 24-hour operational cycle rather than a conventional squadron history.
- What happened on a Lancaster station during the hours before a raid.
- The vital contribution of ground crews, engineers, armourers, planners and other support personnel.
- What more than 200 first-hand accounts reveal about the reality of flying Lancaster operations.
- The dangers faced by Lancaster crews during night operations over Germany.
- Mike's own experiences as a Tornado GR1 pilot and how they have influenced his approach to aviation history.
- The similarities and differences between operating a Lancaster in the 1940s and a Tornado during the Cold War and Gulf War era.
- Whether the legendary status of the Lancaster has sometimes obscured the reality of the people and organisation behind it.
About Michael Napier
Michael Napier joined the RAF in 1978 and qualified as a Tornado GR1 pilot. He flew in the strike/attack role from RAF Brüggen during the final years of the Cold War and subsequently took part in operations over Iraq following the first Gulf War.
After leaving the RAF in 1997, Mike began a second career as an airline pilot with British Airways, eventually becoming a Boeing 787 captain. He is the author of 18 books on military aviation history.
About the book
Michael Napier – Lancaster: Twenty-Four Hours on a Squadron
Published by Evro Publishing
Hardback, 288 pages
ISBN: 978-1-918070-01-9
Published: 6 August 2026.
Buy Lancaster: Twenty-Four Hours on a Squadron from Evro Publishing
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