大象传媒

No.7 17.9.44 Target Ammunition Dump at THE HAGUE, Holland Daylight.

Aircraft allocated PM-B, Bomb load I5OOOlbs Gen.Purpose bombs. This was an attack by 27 Lancasters of 103 Squadron only and was carried out without loss.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No.8 24.9.44. Target CALAIS. Close support for the Army. Daylight. .

Allocated aircraft PM-B Bomb load 15000 Ibs GP Bombs. 103 and 576 Squadrons were chosen to attack this target, gun emplacements, at low level (2000 ft) in the interests of accuracy The weather was atrocious, almost as soon as we got off the runway we were in cloud.
However we set course for Calais flying at around 1000 ft so as to keep the ground in view. As we approached the Channel the cloud lifted a bit and we were able to climb to 2000 ft but as we approached the target the cloud base lowered again and we had to descend again to 1000 ft for the bombing run
As we approached the aiming point, I was lying in the nose and could see everything on the ground, and being in the best position to see what was going on. could see where I thought the worst of the anti-aircraft fire, and indeed small arms fire was coming from.. I therefore 'suggested' to skip that when I say "bombs gone" you put her over hard to port and get down on the deck. Bugger the target photograph, we'll have a picture of the sky!
George did this and where we would have been if we had gone straight on whilst the camera operated, were shell bursts. We got out of that unscathed. Of the 27 aircraft that started that attack, one was lost, 8 landed away with various degrees of battle damage and of the remainder only 3 aircraft returned to base undamaged. "B" was one of them. As Ron recorded in his notes "Opposition -everything".
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No.9 26.9.44. Target Gunsites at Cap Gris Nez Daylight..

Allocated aircraft PM-B Bomb load 15000 Ibs GP Bombs.
This was a highly concentrated and successful attack with very little opposition.
Obtained a very good aiming point photograph.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No.10 27,9,44.

We were briefed to bomb in the Calais area again on 27th. Sept but this operation was aborted due to the bombsight being unserviceable.
This ended our operational career at 103 Squadron. Only two of our 9 operations had been at night.
Ourselves and one other crew from 'A' flight were transferred to 166 Squadron at
Kirmington, one of the three stations forming 13 Base, to form a new 'A' flight at 166.Squadron..

As a matter of interest, Kirmington is now South Humberside Airport..
Before moving on to the next phase I should explain that operational aircrew were given six days leave every six weeks which will explain some of the gaps in the story.

'This story was submitted to the People's War site by Rod Aldwinckle of the CSV Action Desk on behalf of John Derek Bailey and has been added to the site with his / permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.