CAPTAIN COOL COURAGE

This story chronicles the experiences of my father Flight Lieutenant H.J. 'Johnny' Musselman RCAF, DFC, as Captain of a heavy bomber crew during World War II. Assigned to No. 166 Squadron, RAF Kirmington, Lincolnshire from September 1944-March 1945, Johnny and crew would fly the most lethal bomber in the RAF Bomber Command arsenal, the AVRO Lancaster.
The stark reality of war-time operations quickly set in, as they face dicing with death in the air and contending with life on the ground. An epic challenge, as missions become longer, taking them deeper into Germany against heavily defended targets, and the wintry cold of the Lincolnshire Wolds begins to tighten its grip. Endeavoring to complete the required thirty ops for tour completion, the squadrons motto of 'Tenacity' personifies their resilience and heroic action while flying over heavily contested enemy skies.
The crew, after surviving ten combat operations and deemed experienced receive a kite to call their own. Nicknamed 'Roger Squared' the aircraft happens to be the oldest aircraft on the squadron. They repeatedly come to count on the old girl to see them through mission after mission.
Defying staggering odds, each time they flew they knew they had somehow eluded death and survived to tell the tale. Convinced the 'Grand Dame' either had a guardian angel, lady luck on her side, or blessed by Almighty God. With Johnny at the controls the aircraft achieved the distinction of becoming a 'Ton-Up' Lanc. One of only thirty-five Lancaster bombers out of the 7,377 built to reach the milestone. The Musselman crew accounted for a quarter of her missions by the time they became tour expired on March 13th, 1945.
Their duty done, it was time to bask in the light of goodness and no longer dwell in the darkness of evil. Their one last mission now, to seek a life worthy of all those that had sacrificed everything for freedom.