大象传媒

For the first two weeks of February 1944 bad weather and a full moon prevented any operations being flown, the squadron was limited to some local flying and H29 training. Crews were alerted for an operation on the 13th but this was cancelled in the late afternoon. The following day the squadron was stood down, but at 10.00 hrs on Tuesday 15th February orders came through detailing 18 aircraft for the "Big City".
As previously, this rest period enabled Bomber Command to re-equip the battle depleted squadrons; the result was the largest number of aircraft ever sent to Berlin. A force of 826 bombers, including the new Mk 111 Halifaxes, set out on the northern route over Denmark bound for the German capital.
W/C Adams put together a scratch crew and borrowed A-Able to lead the squadron away from Fiskerton. Two new crews were flying,F/S Greig's (ND 536) in F-Fox and P/O Clark's (ND 492) in R-Roger. They like the rest of the force found Berlin as usual blanketed by cloud. A total of 2,642 tons of bombs were dropped mainly in the centre and south-western parts of the city.
The small diversionary attack on Frankfurt failed to draw the fighters away and, as a result, 26 Lancasters and 17 Halfaxes were lost. All of 49 squadrons Lancasters returned to base unscathed. For one crew, this was their final operation of a tour that began back in August 1943 and included 10 trips to Berlin: F/L Eric Hidderley (J8399) and crew left their faithful H-Harry in the trusted hands of "A" Flights ground crew and said their good-byes to 49 Squadron, J8399 would soldier on with the squadron until being retired in October 1944 having "survived" a long and distinguished career.

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