No Moon Tonight
Encyclopedia
No Moon Tonight is a World War II autobiographical book by Halifax
/Lancaster/Wellington bomber navigator
Don Charlwood
. Born in Melbourne
, Australia
, in 1915 Charlwood joined the Royal Australian Air Force
in 1940 and was trained in Canada
via the Empire Air Training Scheme. The book covers his training and his experiences as part of the RAF's Bomber Command
, and his crew's ordeal completing their tour of operations. The book's title is derived from a line in the song Tristesse that was often played in the mess before a mission.
In the autumn of 1942 he crewed up with a fellow Australian pilot Geoff Maddern from Western Australia
and a British crew to fly a single combat mission to Bremen
in a Wellington bomber from RAF Lichfield
on 13th September, 1942. Subsequently posted to No 103 Squadron
at RAF Elsham Wolds
his crew converted to fly Lancaster bombers for the rest of their tour. Whilst at Elsham, Charlwood recounts the mounting losses being suffered by Bomber Command's air offensive against the strongly defended cities such as Essen
, Dusseldorf
and Duisburg
in Germany
and the thoughts of the crew as they approach the end of their 30 missions after seven months at Elsham.
Throughout the narrative, Charlwood details how his training group of navigators - The Twenty - are killed, injured or taken prisoner. Only a handful manage to survive the war.
After completing his tour of operations, Charlwood became an instructor with No 103 Squadron, and was then posted back to Australia. Whilst heading home via Canada, he became reacquainted with Nell East, a girl he had courted whilst training in Canada, and married her. He was demobbed from the RAAF on 31st July, 1945 and subsequently worked for 30 years worked for the Department of Civil Aviation, initially as an Air Traffic Controller, and later as a trainer.
A companion book to No Moon Tonight appeared in 1991 and was entitled Journeys Into Night.
to conceal the identity of several men in the origianl book. The true names were used in the paperback edition published in 1984.
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
/Lancaster/Wellington bomber navigator
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
Don Charlwood
Don Charlwood
Donald Ernest Cameron Charlwood OAM is an Australian author. He has also worked as a farm hand, in air traffic control, and most notably as an RAAF navigator in Bomber Command during the Second World War....
. Born in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, in 1915 Charlwood joined the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
in 1940 and was trained in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
via the Empire Air Training Scheme. The book covers his training and his experiences as part of the RAF's Bomber Command
Bomber Command
Bomber Command is an organizational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. Many countries have a "Bomber Command", although the most famous ones were in Britain and the United States. A Bomber Command is generally used for Strategic bombing , and is composed of bombers...
, and his crew's ordeal completing their tour of operations. The book's title is derived from a line in the song Tristesse that was often played in the mess before a mission.
In the autumn of 1942 he crewed up with a fellow Australian pilot Geoff Maddern from Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and a British crew to fly a single combat mission to Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
in a Wellington bomber from RAF Lichfield
RAF Lichfield
Royal Air Force Station Lichfield also known as Fradley Aerodrome, was an operational training station from 1940 until 1958. It was situated in Fradley, 2 miles north east of Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. The airfield was the busiest airfield in Staffordshire during World War II. The airfield...
on 13th September, 1942. Subsequently posted to No 103 Squadron
No. 103 Squadron RAF
No. 103 Squadron was a Royal Air Force bomber squadron during World War I, World War II and the Cold War, switching to helicopters in the late 1950s until it was disbanded for the last time in 1975.-Formation in World War I:...
at RAF Elsham Wolds
RAF Elsham Wolds
RAF Elsham Wolds is a former Royal Air Force station in England, which operated in World War I and World War II. It is located just to the north east of the village of Elsham in north Lincolnshire.-World War I:...
his crew converted to fly Lancaster bombers for the rest of their tour. Whilst at Elsham, Charlwood recounts the mounting losses being suffered by Bomber Command's air offensive against the strongly defended cities such as Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
, Dusseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
and Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
in Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and the thoughts of the crew as they approach the end of their 30 missions after seven months at Elsham.
Throughout the narrative, Charlwood details how his training group of navigators - The Twenty - are killed, injured or taken prisoner. Only a handful manage to survive the war.
After completing his tour of operations, Charlwood became an instructor with No 103 Squadron, and was then posted back to Australia. Whilst heading home via Canada, he became reacquainted with Nell East, a girl he had courted whilst training in Canada, and married her. He was demobbed from the RAAF on 31st July, 1945 and subsequently worked for 30 years worked for the Department of Civil Aviation, initially as an Air Traffic Controller, and later as a trainer.
A companion book to No Moon Tonight appeared in 1991 and was entitled Journeys Into Night.
Pseudonyms
Charlwood originally used pseudonymsPseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
to conceal the identity of several men in the origianl book. The true names were used in the paperback edition published in 1984.
External links
- "Don Charlwood's Twenty Men" details what happened to the men Don Charlwood trained with.