Lancaster Bombers Used for Humanitarian Aid

The history of the Avro Lancaster as a bomber during WW2 is well known. It continued in service with the RAF until 1956 and even later with some overseas air forces. Following WW2 many Lancasters were converted into the passenger carrying Lancastrians. Others, including the BBMF Lancaster, were used for aerial survey work or as testbeds for engine development.

However, just before the end, and just after WW2, Lancasters were used in what were some of the first ever airborne humanitarian aid operations. The most famous is food supply drops over Holland known as Operation Manna. In December 2023 the Avro Heritage Museum was proud to host the Dutch Air Attaché to the UK who made a special medal award presentation to John Monaghan from Poynton of the unique 'Thank You Liberator Medal' for his participation in Operation Manna.

Operation Manna's aim was to make urgently needed food drops to relieve famine in the still German-occupied Netherlands. A special truce had been arranged with the German army to allow RAF Lancasters to fly unopposed at low level to drop the sacks of food. John's stories of those trips are incredible. He tells of seeing the jubilant Dutch citizens cheering and waving flags in appreciation as they flew over. He also told of how the crew members also took their own supplies of chocolate and threw them through the door of Lancaster. Click on the QR code for the full story.


But Operation Manna wasn't the only humanitarian operation that Lancasters were used on. Instead of dropping bombs which caused death and destruction, or for dropping food supplies the four-engine bombers were used for various other relief flights.

After the end of WW2 some Lancasters were converted into troop transport with simple seats installed to carry up to 20 soldiers. These were used in Operation Liberty to return former axis Prisoners of War (POWs) to Germany. In Operation Exodus to repatriate former allied POWs from around Europe back to the UK, and in Operation Dodge to bring home British soldiers from the Mediterranean area.

In addition, Lancasters were used on the flippantly named Cook's Tours, a name used out of reverence for forgotten holiday's abroad and were used to review bomb damage around Europe. They were also used on Operation Spasm on flights to inspect the devastation around Berlin before eventually taking part in the Berlin Airlift.

(Monochrome Photograph Middle Right) - Operation Exodus

(Monochrome Photograph Bottom Right) - Cook's Tour