Avro Manchester Mk. I

The Avro 679 Manchester was a British twin-engine heavy bomber developed and manufactured by the Avro aircraft company in the United Kingdom.

The Avro design used the Rolls-Royce Vulture 24-cylinder X-block engine, which was two Rolls-Royce Peregrine Vee cylinder blocks mounted one on top of the other, the bottom one inverted to give the "X" shape. When developed in 1935, the Vulture engine had promise but it proved woefully unreliable. Avro's prototype Manchester L7246, was assembled by their experimental department at Manchester's Ringway Airport and first flew from there on 25 July 1939, with the second aircraft following on 26 May 1940.

On 5 August 1940, the first production Manchester, L7276, was delivered to RAF Boscombe Down in advance of service acceptance trials. In November 1940, the Manchester officially entered service with the newly reformed No. 207 Squadron of RAF Bomber Command.

Due to high number of engine failures and additional issues being encountered production of being halted in November 1941, by which point a total of 209 aircraft had entered service with the RAF.

The Mk III Manchester (serial number BT308) which first flew on 9 January 1941, was essentially the first Lancaster, featuring a longer wing fitted with four Rolls-Royce Merlin’s although initially retaining the three fins and twin outboard rudders of the Manchester I.

BT308 received the "Lancaster" name immediately after its first flight. The second prototype Lancaster DG595 featured the twin, enlarged fins and rudders of the Manchester IA.

By November 1941, Manchester aircraft still in production were completed as Lancaster’s.

Avro Manchester I (L7301 VN*D)
No. 50 Squadron, RAF Bomber Command
31 May 1942

Fg. Off. Leslie Manser (RAFVR)
20 yrs. old (B: 11 05 1922 KIA: 31 05 1942)

On a raid over Cologne on the night of 30 May 1942, his aircraft was caught in searchlights and though successfully bombing the target from 7,000 ft, it was hit by flak. To escape the anti-aircraft fire, he took evasive action; reducing his altitude to only 1,000 ft but he did not escape the flak until clear of the city. With crew injured, the front cabin full of smoke and the port engine overheating, Manser tried to get the aircraft and crew to safety. The port engine then burst into flames, burning the wing, and dangerously reducing airspeed. Manser ordered the crew to bail out over Belgium but refused a parachute for himself. He remained at the controls and sacrificed himself to save his crew. As the crew parachuted down, they saw the bomber crash in flames into a dyke at Bree, Belgium.

The Citation Read:
“Flying Officer Manser was captain and first pilot of a Manchester aircraft which took part in the mass raid on Cologne on the night of May 30th, 1942. As the aircraft was approaching its objective it was caught by searchlights and subjected to intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire. Flying Officer Manser held on his dangerous course and bombed the target successfully from a height of 7,000 feet. Then he set course for base.

The Manchester had been damaged and was still under heavy fire. Flying Officer Manser took violent evasive action, turning and descending to under 1,000 feet. It was of no avail. The searchlights and flak followed him until the outskirts of the city were passed. The aircraft was hit repeatedly, and the rear gunner was wounded. The front cabin filled with smoke; the port engine was over-heating badly. Pilot and crew could all have escaped safely by parachute. Nevertheless, Flying Officer Manser, disregarding the obvious hazards, persisted in his attempt to save the aircraft and crew from falling into enemy hands. He took the aircraft up to 2,000 feet. Then the port engine burst into flames. It was ten minutes before the fire was mastered, but then the engine went out of action for good, part of one wing was burnt, and the air speed of the aircraft became dangerously low.

Despite all the efforts of pilot and crew, the Manchester began to lose height. At this critical moment, Flying Officer Manser once more disdained the alternative of parachuting to safety with his crew. Instead, with grim determination, he set a new course for the nearest base, accepting for himself the prospect of almost certain death in a firm resolve to carry on to the end. Soon, the aircraft became extremely difficult to handle and, when a crash was inevitable, Flying Officer Manser ordered the crew to bail out. A sergeant handed him a parachute, but he waved it away, telling the non-commissioned officer to jump at once as he could only hold the aircraft steady for a few seconds more. While the crew were descending to safety they saw the aircraft, still carrying their gallant captain, plunge to earth and burst into flames. In pressing home his attack in the face of strong opposition, in striving, against heavy odds, to bring back his aircraft and crew and, finally, when in extreme peril, thinking only of the safety of his comrades, Flying Officer Manser displayed determination and valour of the highest order.”

Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 20 October 1942. 23 October 1942, Numb. 35755, p. 4593