Flight Lieutenant Alfred Mullins - 61 Squadron  
   

Flight Lieutenant Alfred Mullins (DFM)   - RAFVR

 

 Flight Lieutenant Alfred George Mullins RAFVR, DFM known as Fred, was born in Bristol on the 4th of March 1922.He was a keen rugby player and played for the Bristol old boys rugby team before enlisting in the RAF where he become the Flight Engineer in the Parsons crew,receiving the Distinguished Flying Medal  from the King at Buckingham Palace on the 14.9.1943.

 F/Lt Mullins flew on operations from February 1943 to July 1943 in QR-Q & PR-L ,completing 30 missions during his time in 61 squadron. One such mission was Operation Bellicose, the shuttle-bombing raid on Friedrichshafen on the 20th of June 1943.

 The crew consisted of:

Name Service Trade
P/O Ward C. Parsons  RAFVR Pilot
Sgt  Alfred G. Mullins  RAFVR Flight Engineer
F/Sgt Robert Dyson  RAFVR Navigator
F/Sgt Frank Poole  RAFVR Bomb Aimer
Sgt “Nobby” Clark  RAFVR W/Op/AG
Sgt George Isaacs  RAFVR M/U  Gunner
Sgt G Touse  RAFVR Rear  Gunner

Record of Service

Enlisted as No 652352 Aircraftman 2nd Class/Aircraft hand/Fitter mechanic or Fitter Rigger in the Royal Air Force-9.8.1939

Aircraftman I(Fitter Mechanic)-24.2.1940

Leading Aircraftman-1.8.1940

Aircraftman I(Fitter II E)-15.10.1941

Leading aircraftman-9.1.1942

Temporary Sergeant-22.11.1942

Temporary Flight Sergeant-23.11.1943

Discharged on appointment to a commission-8.12.1943

Appointments and Promotions

Granted an Emergency Commission as Pilot Officer(on probation) in the General duties Branch of the Royal Air Force-9.12.1943

Confirmed in appointment and promoted to Flying Officer(War substantive)-7.6.1944

Promoted to Flight Lieutenant(War Substantive)-9.12.1945

Released from the service-4.2.1946

Relinquished his commission, retaining the rank of flight Lieutenant(Navy, Army and Air Force Reserves Act 1954 & 1959)-1.7.1959

Postings

1 Depot,Uxbridge –9.8.1939

3(T) Wing,Cosford-10.9.1939

6 Flying Training school-8.12.1939

455 (Australian) Squadron,swinderby-12.7.1941

3 School of Technical training,Blackpool-15.8.1941

408 squadron,Lindholme-16.10.1941

422 Squadron-30.7.1942

4 School of technical Training-21.9.1942

1660 Conversion unit,Swinderby-4.12.1942

61 squadron-3.2.1943

81 Operational training unit-23.7.1943

School of Air Sea rescue,Calshot-29.3.45-12.4.45

No4 S of TT St.Athan-29.8.45-2.10.45

1380(T)Conversion unit(a)-2.10.1945

No 100 Personnel Dispersal centre-4.2.1946

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Parsons Crew

The crew is mentioned in the book “Thundering through the clear air” by Derek Brammer with P/O “Nobby” Clark DFC mentioned in the chapter “Air crew volunteered” Sergeant Towse and  F/Sgt Poole were later to lose their lives on their second tour of ops. in 1944.

In 1945,Fred Mullins married Audrey May Downing

Sadly Fred Mullins passed away in August 2008 aged 86

 

Photos courtesy of Colin Mullins (son of Alfred Mullins) , research by Linda Ibrom