大象传媒

RAF Wickenby (1 Group), Lincolnshire, England

F/O Bob Bennet 鈥� Operations Record May/Aug 1944 and further writings from the Navigator, Mid-Upper gunner and Bomb Aimer of the crew of Bennet鈥檚 Beavers.

F/O Bennet/Crew posted to RAF Wickenby: 626 Squadron - 10 May 1944

Pilot - F/O Bennet (Bob)
Engineer 鈥� Sgt. Johnson (Johnny)
Bomb Aimer 鈥� Sgt. Robson (Robbie)
Navigator 鈥� Sgt Hayton (Harry)
Wireless Op 鈥� Sgt Scales (Tommy)
Mid Upper Gunner- Sgt Thatcher (Jim)
Rear Gunner 鈥� Sgt Smallshaw (Gerry)

Bennet鈥檚 Beavers 鈥� approx 20th July 1944
20 ops completed 鈥� Farm House in distance. UM-R2 dispersal pad -
showing UM-S2 in immediate distance

Back row: Johnny Johnson, Gerry Smallshaw, Tommy Scales, Jim Thatcher
Front Row: Harry Hayton, Bob Bennet (with dog - Beaver), Robbie Robson

The following schematic of RAF Wickenby airfield shows the probable dispersal positions of Lancasters UM-R2 and UM-S2: according to the photograph evidence above consisting of the two pictures - showing Bennet鈥檚 Beavers with the Farm House in the background and the other picture showing the dispersal pad of UM-R2 with bombs in the foreground and UM-S2 in the immediate distance.

In the letter which follows, Mr Harry Hayton (Navigator) indicates that UM-R2 was positioned in one of a set of three dispersal pads shown where I have placed UM-R2 and UM-S2. The probable position of UM-R2 was then positioned according to the actual photographic evidence above.

The following letter is a faithful copy of a letter sent to me (Robert Bennet Jr.) from Harry Hayton (Navigator) on Feb 2004:
Dear Bob
Thank you for your letter and enclosure, of early Jan (2004) and I now return your sketch plan of Wickenby, suitably annotated. Your dispersal point for Roger two was incorrect. I am absolutely certain that our dispersal point was one of two which I have indicated close to the hedge. We were only about 20 yards from the adjoining fields and the farm was about half a mile? to the South-West of where we were sited.

I have also shown various places such as our 鈥榣iving鈥� sites. The main bomb dump (which exploded during late 1944 or early 1945 鈥� after we had left) was as shown and not very far from a large hanger which was used as a Maintenance Unit.
To explain a few things at the outset - The training of Pilots and Navigators usually took about two, to two and a quarter years. An 鈥楢ir Bomber鈥� (the correct term for Bomb-Aimer) was about 18 months. Wireless Ops and Air Gunners took about 9 months to one year, and an Engineer usually took from 6 to 9 months.
I was accepted for pilot training in Sept 1941, at the age of 18 years. After Initial Training, which all Pilots, Navigators and Air Bombers (under the P.N.B. scheme) underwent, I attended Elementary flying Training School (E.F.T.S.) at Anstey, near Coventry, during May/August 1942. I was taught to fly in Tiger Moths.
Whilst awaiting Service Flying School, I was based at a Holding Unit at Harrogate, where I was told that there was a desperate shortage of Air Navigators, and as my Maths and Nav results at Initial Training Wing were very good, would I consider going forward for training as an Air Nav? I really enjoyed Maths and Navigation, Meteorology and the other subjects involved; so I agreed. I then sailed for South Africa, where I attended both Navigation Ground School and the Air Navigation School at East London and Port Elizabeth respectively. I was in South Africa from October, 1942 to September 1943 and passed out as an Air Navigator with the rank of Sergeant. Unlike the R.C.A.F., in the R.A.F. (Volunteer Reserve) exceptionally few of our pilots and navigators, and air bombers were commissioned immediately on qualifying. In the event I was a Flight Sergeant (crown above the three stripes) when we commenced operations in May 1944, but I was commissioned as a Pilot Officer after leaving the Squadron 鈥� and when I left the services in July 1946. I was then a substantive Flying Officer (but acting as a Flight Lieutenant) after completing the specialist Nav. Course at the Staff College at Shawbury; serving as a Navigation Instructor and then as Officer i/c Nav. Training Organization at the main Navigation School, which was then at Bishopscourt in Northern Ireland.
I first met your Dad, and all the crew (except for Johnson, the Flight Engineer, who joined us much later in Lindholme) during early December 1943 at R.A.F. Peplow.
We all somehow got together as a crew to train at the Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Peplow in Shropshire. I recollect that Alfred Robson (we knew him as 鈥楻obbie鈥�) said that he had met Bob and asked if I would like to join the crew. I agreed and then we sorted out the gunners 鈥� then Tommy Scales got involved as our W/Op. Hey Presto! We were a crew as quickly as that. It was usual for air crew members to sort out their own crews.
I recollect that we had a good Christmas at Peplow, and after a couple of weeks involved in ground training, 鈥榙inghy drills鈥� etc, we began flying 鈥� circuits and landings 鈥� in the Wellington Bomber. Our first cross-country exercise was on 30th January 1944 where we also allowed Robbie to drop his first 10 lb practice bomb, and the gunners had a little experience of air-to-air firing. On 9th February we had fighter affiliation experience undergoing attacks by a Mosquito fighter. Night flying started on the 16th February, and on March 13th we made our first operation over enemy territory. We dropped leaflets (known as 鈥楴ickel Raid鈥�) on Melun, just south of Paris. We saw a ME410 over the target area but quickly lost him and there was a small amount of light flak. The duration of this op was nearly five hours.
The 鈥榮canned鈥� return was displayed on a cathode ray tube 鈥� towns and built-up areas (and unfortunately iron deposits in hills) were seen as bright returns. Land was a medium bright return and the sea had no return, so a dark image was displayed. We were the first crews to use H2S which was in its infancy, so it was very difficult to read and operate. In fact during our attack on the German city of Brunswick (12th August 1944) I actually dropped the bombs from my Nav. position acting on a run heading as displayed on the H2S Cathode Ray tube. It was in general not a satisfactory attack.

I include Mr. Harry Hayton鈥檚 comments and recollections in the following documentation of the operations in which Bennet鈥檚 Beavers contributed.
Note: Incidental comments below are quoted from the Bomber Command War Diaries.

24 May 1944: Op 1: Lancaster X2: Pilot: P/O Henty - F/O Bennet 2nd dickie to Aachen
Incidental: 442 aircraft 鈥� 264 Lancasters, 162 Halifaxes, 16 Mosquitoes of all Groups except 5 Group to attack 2 railway yards at Aachen 鈥� Aachen-West and Rothe Erde (east of the town). These were important links in the railway system between Germany and France. 18 Halifaxes and 7 Lancasters lost. The Aachen report duly reports that the 2nd railway yards were the targets attacked, with the railways East of Aachen being particularly hard hit. But because this was a German town, Bomber Command sent more aircraft than normal for railway raids and many bombs fell in Aachen itself and in villages near the railway yards. The Monheim war-industry factory and the town鈥檚 gas works were among many buildings destroyed. 207 people were killed in Aachen and 121 were seriously injured. 14800 people were bombed out. Several villages near the railway yards also incurred casualties; Eilendorf, near the Rothe Erde yards, had 52 people killed. The Aachen report comments on the great number of high-explosive bombs and the small number of incendiaries dropped. There were only 6 large fires. 288 high-explosive bombs were found to be duds, approximately 10 % of those dropped.
Aachen Marshalling Yards

27 May 1944: Op 2: Lancaster Y2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Aachen. Combat with JU88 鈥� Awarded DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) as a result of this trip. (JU88 shot down having attacked it while it was attacking another Lancaster that was damaged) 鈥� Several close calls but all returned in our crew unwounded.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Aachen, Germany: Railway Marshalling Yards; Bomb Load 13000 lbs H.E. Time airborne 4 hours 55 mins. I recollect that our return flight, we saw fires burning on the ground, south of Brussels, at Bourge Leopold, a large Germany Infantry Barracks, which had been attacked by other aircraft of Bomber command. Near Dunkirk, as we crossed the enemy coastline, we were attacked by a night fighter. I was standing in my astro-dome at the time and I clearly observed heavy machine gun and cannon fire storming towards us. In my minds eye, I still see the trace as being red, blue, mauve and green. Bob started to 鈥榗orkscrew鈥� violently, and the fighter swerved away to port. Our Mid-Upper and Rear Gunners had opened fire and I saw fire being returned by another Lanc above us. I was hanging on in the astro-dome when he came in for a second attack and I recollect seeing the fire from our turrets clearly hitting the fighter, which I thought was either a ME210 or ME410. Our corkscrew gyrations were so violent at this time, that I was thrown to the floor and crawled back into my seat. I heard the gunners shout over the intercom that they had hit the fighter, which was not seen again, and which they claimed as a 鈥榩robable鈥�. We had no damage to our aircraft (which was UM-Y2 as we had not taken delivery of UM-R2).
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Aachen, Germany. This was our first operational sortie. Bombed at 14000鈥� - Carried 14000 lbs of H.E. Objective was a marshalling yard and what I saw of the target it was well and truly plastered. The flak in this area was really intense, half the time I couldn鈥檛 see because of the numerous flashes. About sixty miles from the target we were attacked twice by a JU88. Although he didn鈥檛 get us the experience sort of shook the crew. Both Gerry and I fired about 150 rounds a piece at him. We were credited with a probable in this engagement. Crew in our hut was shot down. We lost two on this raid.
Bomb Aimer鈥檚 recollections: We were attacked by an enemy fighter from behind, and as I was up in the nose, I was helpless and could only watch, as great streams of green (German, ours were red) tracer bullets passed under our wings. It seemed to last an eternity but could only have been seconds really before Bob threw the plane into a violent dive and by means of weaving sharply from side to side managed to shake the fighter off. (Big sighs of relief all round!!) A huge photograph of the raid was stuck up on the wall of the mess but disappeared soon. I think our gunners snaffled it.
Incidental: The railway lines at the yards, which were not seriously hit in the raid of two nights earlier, were now seriously damaged and all through traffic was halted. A large proportion of delayed-action bombs were dropped. The bombing also hit the nearby Aachen suburb of Forst which, in the words of our local expert Hubert Beckers, 鈥榳as raized to the ground鈥�. The local hospital, an army barracks, an army stores office, 2 police posts and 21 industrial buildings were hit, as well as 603 houses. 167 people were killed and 164 injured. The local people were impressed that the whole raid only lasted 12 minutes.
_____________________________________________________________________
31 May 1944: Ferried R2 from 101 Squadron.
Comment: F/O Bennet accompanied F/O Foote when R2 was ferried from 101 Squadron to 626 Squadron.
Lancaster PA990 UM-R2 was manufactured by A.V.Roe (Chadderton)
MK.-B3 ENG.-38

2 June 1944: Op 3: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Berneval W/T station. Bomb load 12000 lbs H.E. Slight flack and Searchlights.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Berneval, We bombed a radar station with 12000 lb of H.E. This was on the coast of occupied France between Bolougne and Calais. Slight flak (A.A. fire) and searchlights but no fighters seen.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Berneval Le Grand, France - Bombed at 9000鈥� Carried cookie plus 1000 pounders H.E. Objective was a radar station reported to have been interfering with our radar controlled mosquitoes. Opposition was practically nil. Light flak. Three hours and forty five minutes. A/C all back.
Incidental: 103 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and 8 Groups attacked a radar-jamming station at Berneval with great accuracy and without loss.

4 June 1944: Op 4: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Calais heavy gun batteries. Bombed through 10.10 cloud, Load 8000 lbs. Port outer started to ice-up.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Sangate: Bvombed an 11鈥� gun battery with 9000 lb of H.E. Bombed from above cloud 鈥� used radar. This was in the Cap de gresne near Calais. 3 hours 20 minutes duration.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Sangatte, France 鈥擳arget: coastal batteries 鈥� 11鈥� guns. Bomb load 11 鈥� 1000 pounders. Bombed at 12000 through clouds with instruments. Engine cut-out on us but re-started. Flak was very light. Trip was 3 hrs 20 minutes. All A/C back.
Incidental: 259 aircraft - 125 Lancasters, 118 Halifaxes, 16 Mosquitos - of Nos 1, 4, 5, 6 and 8 Groups to bomb 4 gun positions; 3 of these were deception targets in the Pas de Calais but the fourth battery, at Maisy, was in Normandy between what would soon be known as Omaha and Utah Beaches, where American troops would land in less than 36 hours' time. Unfortunately, Maisy was covered by cloud and could only be marked by Oboe skymarkers, but it was then bombed by 52 Lancasters of No 5 Group. 2 of the 3 gun positions in the Pas de Calais were also affected by bad weather and could only be bombed through cloud but the position at Calais itself was clear and was accurately marked by the Mosquitos and well bombed by Halifaxes and Lancasters of No 6 Group. No aircraft lost on these operations.

5 June 1944: Op 5: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Crisbecq Coastal guns to be silenced for invasion of Europe in this area. D.C.O. load 13000 lbs H.E. Invasion force sighted while crossing the channel.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Crisbeck: Another 11鈥� gun battery at or near to Isigny at the point where the American 鈥淯tah鈥� and 鈥淥maha鈥� beach heads were to exist later that day. Although we took off on the 5th June, we actually bombed at 12:10 am on the 6th June, and thus commenced 鈥極verloard鈥� or the Invasion of Europe. Bomb load was 13000 lb H.E.
Navigator鈥檚 recollections: After bombing an 11鈥� gun battery near Isigny, Normandy, we were flying along the North coast of Jersey when light flak was fired towards us. We had been briefed that no other friendly aircraft would be near our track as we crossed the Cherbourg Peninsula; the Channel Islands, and then out on a westerly course to make landfall at Lands End. We were not allowed to fly northwards across the Channel because, as we were only too well aware, the first units of the Invasion Fleet were already between mid-Channel and the Normandy coast. This was indeed the start of 鈥極verlord鈥�.
Our briefing for the attack on the four-gun naval battery at Martin de Varreville, near Isigny, was first carried out during the afternoon of 4th June 1944 until our re-briefing during the late afternoon of 5th June. No personnel were permitted to leave our R.A.F. Station. I recollect that Service Police and Guards seemed to be everywhere.
The attack at 12:10 am on the 6th June was carried out by 110 Lancaster Bombers of No 1 Group of Bomber Command, each aircraft carrying thirteen 1000 lb bombs (none of which had delay fuses incorporated). This particular gun battery was a highly important target as it was sited exactly at the junction of what was to become later that morning the 鈥楿tah鈥� and 鈥極maha鈥� Landing beach-heads, where U.S. forces fought their way ashore. Although severe loses were experienced during the landings, had not this gun battery ceased to exist at 12:10 am on that day, the subsequent casualties would, without any doubt, have been much higher.
Navigator鈥檚 Logbook entry: Night Operation: St Martin de Varreville, Crisbeck, Normandy (near Isigny): 11鈥� gun battery. Bomb Load 13000 lbs. Heavy Flak. No fighters seen. Commenced the invasion of Europe. Leading elements of invasion force sighted crossing Channel (on Radar) well to the North. Time airborne 5hr 30 mins.
The duration of this particular operation was more than double what it should have been as our route was to fly from Lincoln to Beachy Head; crossing the Channel towards Fecamp; along the French coast north of Le Harve and then keeping about 10 miles North of the Normandy coastline to the target at the point where the Cherbourg Peninsula 鈥榯urns northwards鈥�. After our bombing run at 11000 鈥�, we flew westwards across the Peninsula; passing along the North coast of Jersey; South of Guernsey; and then on a due westerly track, until we turned North to make a landfall at Lands End. We returned to base up the British Channel crossing the country to land back at Wickenby about3:30 am. The flak from Jersey caused no damage to any of our aircraft as it burnt well below our operational altitude. It was quite a change for us because, on this occasion, all Lancasters returned safely.
I recollect seeing the photo Recc. Units photographs of the target area, during the evening of the 6th Jun, and the view of the over-lapping craters revealed that nothing was left. On the ground this must have been reminiscent of what the Somme area must have looked like in November 1916.
I also remember, on awakening during the afternoon of D-Day the radio was telling us that initial reports indicated that 鈥極verlord鈥� had been successful in most areas along the Normandy coastline..
My crew and I then believed that we would have more 鈥榚asy鈥� targets from then on 鈥� like D-Day had been for us 鈥� but this was not to be. My log book indicates that our next operation was to the Rhur of Germany and our Command continued thereafter to suffer atrocious losses. The Rhur was always a fearful area for us!
My Operational Tour of 31 operations ended on the 18th August 1944. I still wonder with amazement how we ever survived. Prayer and good luck must have played their part. I was indeed far more fortunate than the 1080 of my air-crew colleagues who were killed, or were missing with no known graves, who flew in operations from R.A.F. Station Wickenby, between Autumn 1942 (when the Station opened) and May 1945.
When I viewed my Log Book and the record of a period nearly 60 years ago, my heart and prayers went out not only to the 56,000 of my air-crew colleagues who died in Bomber Command, but also to all the victims who suffered as a result of war.

Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: St-Martin-de-Varreville near Cherbourg, France. Target 鈥� coastal batteries in support of our invasion craft. Reported hundreds of ships on the water. Bomb load 12 鈥� 1000 pounders. Weather clear. Flak nil. Trip was 4 hours 30 minutes. All A/C back

Incidental: 1,012 aircraft - 551 Lancasters, 412 Halifaxes, 49 Mosquitos - to bomb coastal batteries at Fontenay, Houlgate, La Pernelle, Longues, Maisy, Merville, Mont Fleury, Pointe du Hoc, Ouisterham and St Martin de Varreville. 946 aircraft carried out their bombing tasks. 3 aircraft were lost - 2 Halifaxes of No 4 Group on the Mont Fleury raid and 1 Lancaster of No 6 Group on the Longues raid. Only two of the targets - La Pernelle and Ouisterham - were free of cloud; all other bombing was entirely based on Oboe marking. At least 5,000 tons of bombs were dropped, the greatest tonnage in one night so far in the war.

D-Day Landings

6 June 1944: Op 6: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Railway junction near Paris. M.C. ordered main force to return with bomb load. (9000 lbs). 10.10 cloud below. Jettisoned 2 bombs in North Sea.
Navigator鈥檚 comments:Paris;Achwere:Railway junction 鈥� Bomb Load 9000 lb. Master Bomber ordered us not to bomb as low cloud was rendering the target marking as almost impossible. We were ordered to drop our load (because there were long delay fuses on some of the bombs) just over 60 miles out into the North Sea. Our ground-crew thought we were missing because the whole operation took nearly five hours.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Acheres, France (near Paris). Target railway junction. Bomb load 11- 1000 pounders. Brought bombs back on instructions from Master Bomber. Jettisoned in North Sea the long delays. No flak. Trip 4 hours 55 minutes. All A/C back.

Incidental: 1,065 aircraft - 589 Lancasters, 418 Halifaxes, 58 Mosquitos - to bomb railway and road centres on the lines of communication behind the Normandy battle area. All of the targets were in or near French towns. 3,488 tons of bombs were dropped on targets at Ach猫res, Argentan, Caen, Ch芒teaudun, Conde sur Noireau, Coutances, St L么, Lisieux and Vire. Every effort was made to bomb accurately but casualties to the French civilians were inevitable. Cloud affected the accuracy of the bombing at many of the targets and, at Ach猫res, the Master Bomber ordered the raid to be abandoned because of cloud and no bombs were dropped. 10 Lancasters and 1 Halifax were lost in these raids; 6 of the Lancasters were lost in the No 5 Group raid at Caen, where the main force of bombers had to wait for the target to be properly marked and then fly over an area full of German units and guns at bombing heights below 3,000ft. Some details are available of the effects of the bombing. At Argentan, Ch芒teaudun and Lisieux, much damage was done to railways, although the towns, Lisieux in particular, were hit by many bombs. Important bridges at Coutances were badly damaged and the town centres of Caen, Conde sur Noireau, St-L么 and Vire were all badly bombed and most of the roads through those towns were blocked.

9 June 1944: Op 7: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Flers German fighter drome in invasion area. Weather bad in and out. Bomb load 9000 lbs.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: his was a 9000 lb bomb load dropped on a German Fighter Aerodrome in Normandy, south of the beach-head. Slight flak seen but no fighter activity.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Flers, France. Target airfield night fighters. Bomb load 11 鈥� 1000 pounders, 4 -500 pounders. Bombed at 7000鈥� Real good prang. Light flak. Lost one A/C from 12 Squadron. Trip 4 hours 35 minutes.
Incidental: 401 aircraft - 206 Lancasters, 175 Halifaxes, 20 Mosquitos - of Nos 1, 4, 6 and 8 Groups bombed airfields at Flers, Le Mans, Laval and Rennes, all situated south of the Normandy battle area. Bomber Command documents do not give any reason for these raids; it is possible that the intention was to prevent these airfields being used for German reinforcements being brought in by air because the railways were blocked. All the attacks were successful. 2 Halifaxes were lost on the Laval raid.
Navigator鈥檚 recollections: I was contacted about 1994 by G. Charpontier who had spent years in excavating the wreckage of our Lancasters shot down on this raid. Also, one of our Squadron aircraft was shot down and crashed about 5 miles from Verizon, near the home of a then 9 year old boy. He latter wrote a wonderful account of this raid (in French of course), under the title 鈥楲e Railes Viteaux鈥� or a title very similar. He later sent a copy of this book to me, but most unfortunately, I was giving a talk to a Rotary Club about Bomber Command and I apparently left this book at the venue, but I was never able to recover it. I cannot, for the life of me, recollect the name of the author. As one gets older, (I am nearly 82 years) some events come back with total recall whilst others seem to be completely lost somewhere in the mind.

12 June 1944: Op 8: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Gelsinkirchen Oil refinery 鈥� Rhur Valley. Heavy and light flak鈥� hit twice. Terrific fire and column of smoke seen at target. Bomb load 12000 lbs.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: (near Essen), in the Ruhr. Target was oil refinery in the heavily industrialized RUHR of Germany. We dropped 12000 lbs of H.E. Very heavy flak and searchlight activity. We sustained damage from flak. We viewed enormous fires and large columns of smoke over the target area. Duration 4 hrs 40 mins. WE HATED GOING TO THE RUHR!!!
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Gelsenkirchen, Ruhr Valley, Germany. Target synthetic oil plant in Happy Valley. Bomb load cookie (4000 lbs) plus 1000 pounders. Bombed at 20000鈥�. Very heavy flak barrage and intense fighter activity 鈥� a wonder we ever got back. Hit in two places by flak. Noted A/C going down in target area and as far as coast. Trip 4 hours 40 minutes. Lost 2 A/C from 12 Squadron - same station.
Bomb Aimer鈥檚 recollections: We were hit by flak and my size saved my life. I am only 5鈥� 51/2鈥� so sat fairly low in the front turret. A jagged piece of shrapnel about the size of an ostrich egg hit the plane and lodged about 3鈥� above my head.
Incidental: 303 aircraft - 286 Lancasters and 17 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3 and 8 Groups - carried out the first raid of the new oil campaign; the target was the Nordstern synthetic-oil plant at Gelsenkirchen (the Germans called the plant Gelsenberg AG). 17 Lancasters were lost, 6.1 per cent of the Lancaster force. The attack opened with exceptional accuracy owing to good work by the Pathfinders and to improved versions of Oboe sets now available. Later phases of the bombing were spoiled by the clouds of smoke from the burning target and by a rogue target indicator which fell 10 miles short of the target and was bombed by 35 aircraft. A German industrial report shows that all production at the oil plant ceased, with a loss of 1,000 tons of aviation fuel a day for several weeks, as well as the loss of other fuels.

14 June 1944: Op 9: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Le Harve 鈥楨鈥� Boat docks on target, in broad day light. Flak thick box barrage. Intercom U/S. Bombed by visual signals from Bomb Aimer. Fighter cover of Spits. Bomb load 13000 lbs.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: (Submarine Pens; Docks and Coastal ships). Bomb Load 13000 lb H.E. We had a fighter escort for the whole trip and actually bombed at dusk 鈥� up to this point all our ops were at night. We experienced light and heavy flak. Our inter-com was unserviceable for the whole flight 鈥� but we pressed on!!!!!. Duration 4 hrs.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Le Harve, France. Target harbour installations, ship and submarine pens. Bomb load cookie (4000 lbs) plus 1000 pounders. Bombed at 16000鈥�. Reports given stated that 60 ships were sunk in this engagement. Fairly heavy flak opposition. No fighters due to semi-daylight operation. Intercom went U/S ten minutes from target. B/A used sign language for bombing. Trip 4 hours. All A/C returned. Incidently referring to A.C from our station.
Incidental: 221 Lancasters and 13 Mosquitos of No 1, 3, 5 and 8 Groups carried out Bomber Command's first daylight raid since the departure of No 2 Group at the end of May 1943. The objectives were the fast German motor-torpedo boats (E-boats) and other light naval forces harboured at Le Havre which were threatening Allied shipping off the Normandy beaches only 30 miles away. The raid took place in 2 waves, one during the evening and the second at dusk. Most of the aircraft in the first wave were from No 1 Group and in the second wave from No 3 Group. Pathfinder aircraft provided marking by their normal methods for both raids. No unexpected difficulties were encountered; the naval port area was accurately bombed by both waves with 1,230 tons of bombs and few E-boats remained undamaged. No 617 Squadron sent 22 Lancasters, each loaded with a 12,000lb Tallboy bomb, and 3 Mosquito marker aircraft to attack the concrete covered E-boat pens just before the first wave bombed. Several hits were scored on the pens and one bomb penetrated the roof.
This raid was regarded as an experiment by Sir Arthur Harris, who was still reluctant to risk his squadrons to the dangers of daylight operations but both waves of the attack were escorted by Spitfires of No 1 Group and only 1 Lancaster was lost.
15 June 1944: Op 10: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Boulogne Docks in daylight against 鈥楨鈥� boats. Bomb load 13000 lbs. Flak thick. Cloud broken.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Docks and Shipping. Bomb load 13000 lb. Again we bombed as dark was falling. Light and heavy flak.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Boulogne, France. Target harbour installations and submarine pens. Bomb load cookie (4000 lbs) plus 1000 pounders. Bombed at 16000鈥�. Visibility good. Struck the whole harbour. Flak medium. Trip 4 hours 5 minutes. All A/C returned.
Incidental: 297 aircraft - 155 Lancasters, 130 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitos - of Nos 1, 4, 5, 6 and 8 Groups carried out attacks on German light naval vessels now gathering in Boulogne harbour. The tactics employed and the bombing results were similar to those at Le Havre the previous evening, although the visibility was not so clear. 1 Halifax lost. The only details from France are in a short civil report which describes this as the Worst raid of the war on Boulogne, with great destruction in the port and the surrounding areas.

17 June 1944: Op 11: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Aulnoye R.R. junction. Bomb load 9000 lbs. Ordered return to base with bomb load by M.C. (phooey). Flying bomb sighted crossing English South Coast.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Northern France 鈥� Marshalling Yards. Bomb Load 9000 lb. Again, because of low cloud and, in order to save the lives of innocent French civilians, the Master Bomber ordered us, by radio, not to bomb and to return to our bases. On this occasion, because we were allowed to do so, we dropped our long-delay bombs in the large estuary of the River Somme, at the enemy coast.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Aulnoye, Nr. France. Target railway junction. Bomb load 13 鈥� 1000 pounders. Flew at 10000鈥� but on instructions from Master Bomber we never bombed. Pilot got really sore 鈥� wanted to jettison bombs on Dieppe but didn鈥檛. Got back to base only to learn that 4 of the Squadron鈥檚 Lancs were missing. Bob certainly belted for home. Air speed 300, Ground Speed 400. Trip 3 hours 25 minutes. 4 A/C missing.

Incidental: 317 aircraft - 196 Lancasters, 90 Halifaxes, 19 Mosquitos, 12 Stirlings - of Nos 1, 3, 4 and 8 Groups attacked railway targets at Aulnoye, Montdidier and St Martin l'Hortier. 1 Lancaster was lost on the Montdidier raid. All targets were covered by cloud and the Master Bombers at Aulnoye and Montdidier ordered their forces to stop bombing after only 7 and 12 aircraft had bombed respectively. 87 aircraft of No 4 Group bombed their target at St Martin l'Hortier but no results were seen.

22 June 1944: Op 12: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Rheims Railway junction. Bomb load 9000 lbs.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Reims (Central France). Railway installations. Bomb Load 9000 lb. Intense search-light and flak in the Abbeville Belt area. Duration 4 hrs 45 mins.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Rheims, S. France. Target marshalling yards. Bomb load 11 鈥� 1000 pounders. Bombed at 6000鈥�. Quite a bit of heavy flak but entirely ineffective due to our windowing as a force. Very good trip. Trip 4 hours 45 minutes. All A/C back.
Incidental: 221 aircraft- 111 Lancasters, 100 Halifaxes, 10 Mosquitos - of Nos 1, 4 and 8 Groups attacked railway yards at Laon and Rheims. 4 Halifaxes lost from the Laon raid and 4 Lancasters from the Rheims raid. The bombing at both targets was successful.

Navigator鈥檚 recollections:
Note: We had used R2, a brand new Lancaster, for all our ops from 2 to 29 inclusive and I see that we used O2 for our 30th Op
For a few nights we had observed flickering lights racing at high speed northwards from France to the UK. They travelled at more than double our speed. We later learned that they were pilotless planes or p/planes as we then called them. Later they were named as V1 or flying bombs.

24 June 1944: Op 13: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Daylight raid Les Hayns - Buz bomb launching base. Bomb load 9000 lbs. Flak moderate.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Les Hayons (Northern France) P/Plane or V1 launch site. This was our first daylight operation. We flew through light flak and dropped 9000 lb H.E. on the launch sites. Duration 3hrs 30 mins.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Les Hanons, France. Target Buz bomb sight in the Paris de Calais area. Bomb load 1000 pounders and 500 pounders. Bombed at 7000鈥�. Weather fine 鈥� patchy sky. This was our first daylight trip and a real good effort too. Plenty of Lancs to be seen and thanks to crew we got through without any mishaps.
Incidental: 321 aircraft - 200 Halifaxes, 106 Lancasters, 15 Mosquitos - of Nos 1, 4, 6 and 8 Groups attacked 3 flying bomb sites in clear weather conditions. All targets were accurately bombed; no aircraft lost.

25 June 1944: Op 14: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Daylight raid on Liegenscourt Buz-bomb launching base. Bomb load 9000 lbs.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: (Liegenscourt 鈥� another V1 site). Again flew through light flak and dropped 9000 lb H.E. on the launch sites. Duration: 3 hrs 10 mins.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Ligescourt, France. Target Buz-bomb affair in Pas De Calais area. Load 13 鈥� 1000 pounders. Weather clear. Second daylight trip. 400 Lancs took part 鈥� a real nice sight too. Quite an early morning do 鈥� 7:15 AM. Flak light. Trip 3 hours 10 minutes. All A/C returned.
Incidental: 323 aircraft - 202 Halifaxes, 106 Lancasters, 15 Mosquitos - of Nos 1, 4, 6 and No 8 Group attacked 3 flying bomb sites. The weather was clear and it was believed that all 3 raids were accurate. 2 Halifaxes of No 4 Group were lost from the raid on the Montorgueil site. No 617 Squadron sent 17 Lancasters, 2 Mosquitos and 1 Mustang to bomb the Siracourt flying-bomb store. The Mustang was flown by Wing Commander Cheshire and used as a low-level marker aircraft. The Mustang had only arrived at Woodhall Spa that afternoon, by courtesy of the Eighth Air Force, and this was Cheshire's first flight in it. The Lancasters scored 3 direct hits on the concrete store with Tallboy bombs and no aircraft were lost. Cheshire had to make his first landing in the unfamiliar Mustang when he returned to his home airfield after dark.

27 June 1944: Op 15: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Paris railway yards. Ammunition train hit. Bomb load 9000 lbs.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Paris 鈥� Vaires: Railway Marshalling yards. Dropped 9000 H.E. Enormous explosion and large fires seen in the target area. Duation 4 hrs 15 mins.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Paris, France. Target Marshalling yard. Bomb load 8.800 鈥� 1000 pounders and 500鈥檚. Bombed at 7000鈥�. Visibility about 5/10th. Night trip but uneventful. Flak light. No fighter opposition. Trip 4 hours 15 minutes. All A/C returned.
Bomb Aimer鈥檚 recollections: We scored a direct hit on an ammunition train and in the midst of the huge red blazing inferno saw the locomotive hurtle up into the air and somersault over before falling back into the flames.
Incidental: 214 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 5 and 8 Groups attacked Vaires and Vitry railway yards. The No 8 Group raid on Vaires was particularly accurate; the Vitry yards were hit only at the western end. 4 Lancasters lost, 2 from each raid.

29 June 1944: Op 16: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Daylight raid on Buz-bomb launching base, Saintpol. Bomb load 13000 lbs. Flak thick over target.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Saintpol 鈥� Northern France. Another V1 launch site and this was also a daylight operation. Bomb Load 13000 lb. A Lancaster flying within a 100 yards of our port beam was it by flak and was last seen going down in flames over the target., Duration 3 hrs 10 mins
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Siracourt, France. Target Buz-bomb site in the Pas De Calais area again. Bombed at 7000鈥�. Weather fine. Flak light. We are reaching a record for the number of ops in one month. Our crew is getting pretty tired. Operating too much. Trip 3 hours 10 minutes.
Incidental: 286 Lancasters and 19 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 5 and 8 Groups attacked 2 flying-bomb launching sites and a store. There was partial cloud cover over all the targets; some bombing was accurate but some was scattered. 5 aircraft - 3 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitos - lost, including the aircraft of the Master Bomber on the raid to the Siracourt site, Flight Lieutenant SEC Clarke of No 7 Squadron, but Clarke survived.
Siracourt 鈥� V-Weapons site

Weather
Fair to cloudy with slight showers.
Operations
29 Lancasters were detailed against a flying bomb launching site at Siracourt. They were part of a force of 286 Lancaster鈥檚 and 19 Mosquitoes attacking flying bomb launching sites and stores.
12 Squadron
P/O Honour, F/O Landon, P/O Leuty, F/O Vernon, P/O Underwood, F/O Owens, P/O Pappas, P/O Trotter, F/S Turner, P/O Pollard, P/O Thompson, P/O Downing, P/O Hancox, F/S Lowry
626 Squadron
P/O Jones, F/O Hicks, S/L Ravenhill, P/O Wood, P/O Walbank, P/O Orr, P/O Gauvreau, F/O Hawkes, F/O Spruston, P/O Hewitt, P/O Smith, P/O Thorpe, W/O Tarbuck, P/O Bennett, F/O Bennet.

Take off commenced at 11.15hrs,
Weather
En route Good until within a few miles of the target.
Target. 5 to 7/l0ths cloud with tops about 14,000鈥�.

Bomb load. 13,000lbs. Mixed 1,000lb and 500lb H.E.

Fuel load. l,450galls.
Opposition
Intense and accurate heavy flak from French coast to the target. No enemy fighters (Escort - 11 Group Spitfires).
Marking and assessment of attack.
PFF Mosquito Oboe marking red T.I.'s cascading from 4,000鈥� on to the Master Bombers yellow T.I.'s cascading from 3,000鈥�.
The Master Bomber F/L Clarke was shot down dropping his yellow T.I.鈥檚 3 miles West of the target. This resulted in scattered bombing in the early stages of the attack.
Results were difficult to observe due to the weather, but an explosion was reported at 14.02hrs with smoke rising to 4,000鈥�.

Reported missing
12/A LL91O Crash site 鈥� Troisvaux. The aircraft was abandoned in the air on fire.
Pilot. P/O K.A. Underwood Killed
Nav. Sgt. H.J. Heavener Killed
W. T. Sgt. D.W. O鈥橞rien
B.A. F/O L.L. Boyes
Eng. Sgt. J.F. Marshall
M.U.G. Sgt. H. Hall
R.G. Sgt. G.H. Beevers Killed

30 June 1944: Op 17: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Viezon-ville railroad yard. 13200 lbs bomb load. Fighter and Flak activity strong. Ten aircraft seen to go down over target area. Returned in cloud all the way to base.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: (In the Gher area of central France) Railway marshalling yards. Out of just over 100 Lancasters of Bomber Command on this op, about 17 were shot down by fighters. There was massive fighter opposition all the way from our coast landfall at Dieppe, all the way to the target and back to the coast. Bomb Load 13000 lb. This was a very frightening op. I was logging aircraft going down all the time. I later visited this target when driving to Spain in 1963 and all the damage had, of course, been repaired. In 1994 I was invited by the Mayor of Vierson to attend a 50th anniversary celebration of the freeing of this town, but I was unable to attend.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Vierzon Ville, France. Target Railway Center. Bomb load 12 鈥� 1000 pounders and 2 鈥� 500 pounders. Bombed at 11000. Weather fair. This was our worst trip so far. Fighter opposition was terrific. Noted 15 of our A/C go down in flames. Station lost 3 A/C. Lucky to get back alive. Trip 5 hours 10 minutes. 3 A/C missing.

Incidental: 118 Lancasters of No 1 Group attacked railway yards at the small town of Vierzon, south of Orl茅ans and bombed with great accuracy, a success for No 1 Group's own marking flight. 11 Lancasters were lost, nearly 12 per cent of the force.

Weather
Fair to fine, becoming showery in the afternoon, visibility good.

Operations
31 Lancasters were detailed against railway yards at Vierzon. An important junction for through traffic to the Germans in Normandy. They were part of a force of 118 Lancasters

12 Squadron
F/L Gray, P/O Lowry, P/O Pappas, P/O Hancox, P/O Trotter, S/L Corry, F/O Vernon, P/O Thompson, W/O Dyre-Matthews, F/S Turner, P/O Honor, P/O Pollard, F/O Owens.

626 Squadron
P/O Wood, P/O Wallbank, F/O Hicks, P/O Dawson, F/L Shanley, P/O Orr, P/O Pocock, F/O Spruston, P/O Thorpe, F/O Hawkes, W/O Tarbuck, P/O Jones, S/L Nielson, F/L Breckenridge, F/O Bennet, P/O Whetton, P/O Gauvreau, P/O Collens.

Take off commenced at 2l.5lhrs.

Weather
En route. Cloudy with 10/10ths cloud on return.
Target. 3/10ths cloud with base at 10,000鈥�. Slight haze.

Bomb load. 13,000lbs mixed l,000lb and 500lb H.E.

Fuel load. l,450galls.

Opposition
Slight light flak with one searchlight which was shot out by the first marker. Several Gruppen of fighters had been assembled between Dieppe and Rouen for 15 minutes but they were given plots that suggested that the bombers were much further East. Consequently our aircraft reached the target without much opposition. After we had been over enemy territory for 54 mins the fighters were ordered to Orleans and apparently identified the target by the flares and fires. They made contact by moonlight and held the stream for 80 miles on the return route, when most of our losses occurred.

Marking and assessment of attack.
The aiming point was illuminated with flares and marked with impact Yellows backed up by red spot fires. The T.I.鈥檚 fell to the North East of the yards but the Red Spot fires were accurate and bombing was concentrated on them. The Master Bomber instructed the main force to bomb between two sets of T.I.鈥檚. At 01.19hrs a broadcast was heard on the R.T., not the Master Bombers voice but using his call sign, instructed the main force to cease bombing and go home. No code word for 鈥淪top Bombing 鈥� was used so the broadcast was ignored.
Note. A Canadian voice interjected over the broadcast telling the German what to do in a most ungentlemanly fashion.
Bombing appeared to be extremely accurate and results showed that all the through lines were cut, much of the rolling stock, and two thirds of the locomotive depot were destroyed.
Residential and business property to the East of the target was severely damaged.

Abortive
626/U2 P/O B.A. Collens Electrical failure.

Damaged
12/M W/O I. Dyre-Matthews Starboard rudder holed by light flak.

Combats
626/U2 P/O J.Y.N. Wailbank
0135 hrs 4752N/0108E Homeward
A ME109 was sighted on the Starboard bow, it passed astern and attacked from the Starboard quarter below from 400yds.
The M.U.G. Sgt. G.M. Derrington instructed corkscrew Port and fired 200 rounds. The enemy aircraft did not return fire, broke away and was lost to view.

12/Y P/O R.S. Hancox
0114 hrs 4712N/0155E 8,000鈥�.
Attacked by a single engine unidentified aircraft. Trace appeared from dead astern and the R.G. opened fire in the direction of the tracer and ordered corkscrew Starboard. There was an explosion in the vicinity of the enemy aircraft which was lost in the evasive action.

12/P P/O L. Pappas
1st Combat. 0121 hrs 4720N/0145E 9,000鈥�.
A JU88 was sighted at 500yds on the Port quarter down by the R.G. Sgt. B.C. Swanson. The enemy aircraft opened fire and the R.G. ordered corkscrew Port opening fire at the same time. The Port engine of the JU88 caught fire as it broke away, but it returned to the attack from the Starboard quarter level opening fire, The M.U.G. Sgt. R. K. Redmond ordered corkscrew Starboard and opened fire followed by the R.G. The JU88 was enveloped in flames and was seen to hit the ground by the Pilot and the Flight Engineer.

12/P P/O L. Pappas
2nd Combat. 0200 hrs 4925N/0035E 8,000鈥�.
In the vicinity of fighter flares attacked by a ME110 from astern up which opened fire from 400yds. The M.U.G. Sgt. R. K. Redmond ordered corkscrew Port at the same time opening fire with 50 rounds. Our A/C dived into clouds and the enemy A/C was not seen again.

Reported missing
12/K ND842 Crash site - Magny
Pilot P/O L.J. Honor Killed
Nav. F/S D.J. Evans Killed
W.T. Sgt. J.E. Xassey Killed
B.A. F/S J. Kawucha Killed
Eng. Sgt. T.W. Willis Killed
M.U.G . Sgt. J. Gill Killed
R.G. F/S G. Chaffe Killed

12/S JB462 Crash site - S.E.Laferte/S.W.Orleans
Pilot P/O D.H. Pollard Killed
Nav. W/O N.H. Wettlaufer Killed
W.T. Sgt. S.O. Reneau Killed
B.A. F/O F. H. Moxham Killed
Eng. Sgt. A.R. Alberry Killed
M.U.G . F/S D. Sebestyen Killed
R.G. Sgt. J.R. Cowell Killed

626/L2 ME774 Crash site - Vierzon
Pilot. P/O W.F. Pocock Killed
Nav. F/O L.J. Bernaski Killed
W.T. Sgt. N.D. Bishop Killed
B.A. Sgt. J.O. Smith Killed
Eng. Sgt. H.C. Greb Killed
M.U.G. Sgt. J.N. Gordon Killed
R.G. Sgt. A.C. Earker Killed

626/E2 ND952 Crash site - Theillay Loir-Et-Cher
Pilot. P/O A. Orr Killed
Nav. F/S B.G.J. Solberg Wounded P.O.W.
W.T . F/S W.G. Hammond Evaded?
B.A. Sgt. C.E.P. Fisher Wounded P.O.W.
Eng. Sgt. T. White Killed
M.U.G. Sgt. S. Stone Killed
R.G. Sgt. D.C. Brown Killed

The following report on the loss of 626/E2 was made by the W.T. operator on 20th January 1945, so it is assumed that he evaded.
The night was brilliantly clear with a half moon on the Starboard beam. A moderate amount of light flak with no searchlights was observed ahead as the aircraft flew straight and level at 7,000鈥� on the last leg into the target.

The W.T. operator was in the astrodome to keep a watch for other aircraft. No watch was being kept on 鈥淔ishpond鈥�.

As the Lancaster approached the point of bomb release It was struck by a stream of cannon shells, raking the underside of the fuselage from end to end.

The W.T. operator was wounded in the left thigh by two shell fragments, the bomb aimer was wounded in the scalp, and the navigator was wounded in the abdomen. It is not known if the remainder of the crew were wounded, but they did not appear to be immobilised. The intercom was still working, but there was no report of the origin of the cannon fire. The fragments removed from the W.T. operator鈥檚 leg were thought to be 30mm or greater, and considering the brightness of the illumination it was unlikely that a fighter attack would pass unnoticed. It was therefore thought that light flak was the most probable cause.

Immediately after the explosion flames began to stream into the fuselage through the bomb release slots in the floor. The covers having been blown off, the fuselage was soon full of flame and dense white smoke from burning hydraulic fluid, and the fire spread rapidly along the floor both above and in front of the bomb bay.

A few seconds after the aircraft was struck the pilot gave the order 鈥淧repare to abandon aircraft鈥�. It was obvious to the crew that the fires were beyond hope of being extinguished. The main turret supply was clearly torn, and the fire was as far forward as the pilot鈥檚 seat. In addition the Port undercarriage was hanging down. Within a short time the order 鈥淎bandon aircraft鈥� was given.

The controls and engines were apparently undamaged and the pilot was able to hold the aircraft in a gentle dive while the crew put on their parachutes. The bomb aimer, so far as known, made no attempt to jettison the bombs, but opened and threw out the front escape hatch.

The W.T. operator opened the rear door, where he was joined by the two gunners and the navigator, who had been badly burnt on the face trying to reach the front of the aircraft. The W.T. operator then removed his helmet and dived head first from the rear door. He was the first to leave the aircraft within two or three minutes of the onset of the trouble.

He made a good landing only a short distance from the target. He saw nothing further of the aircraft after leaving it. As it was burning furiously he assumed it had crashed soon after he had left it. He was told by the French that it was completely wrecked by the detonation of the bombs on crashing, and that four bodies had been removed from the wreckage.

Later he met the navigator and bomb aimer and they reported that the aircraft was still under control when they left it, and could not explain the failure of the rest of the crew to follow them. The navigator left by the rear door and the bomb aimer by the front hatch, both without difficulty despite being wounded.

The bomb aimer had the misfortune to lose both his boots and his false teeth in the descent.

Visiting aircraft
Oxford HN371 F/L Jackson Cranwell
Anson R3340 2nd/O Haseldina
Magister T6423 W/O Lampkin West Raynham
Oxford X729 W/O Kogan Defford
Spitfire 4E-L F/S Evans Ingham

4 July 1944: Op 18: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Orleons marshalling yards. Ammunition train hit. Flak slight. Bomb load 9000 lbs.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Again another attack on the railway marshalling yards. Bomb Load 9000 lbs I recollect that there was a terrific explosion in the target area, and our Baedeker Room (Intelligence) indicated that a train carrying ammunition had exploded there.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Orleans, France. Target Marshalling yards at Orleans. Bomb load 13000 lbs. Bombed at 10000鈥�. Weather fine over target. Predicted flak but not serious. Noted 4 A/C going down in flames due to fighter activity. They have been quite active lately. Another of our crew is missing. Trip 6 hours. 1 A/C missing of 626 Squadron. We are going on a weeks leave and thank heavens too 鈥� we really need the rest.
Incidental: 282 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 6 and 8 Groups attacked railway yards at Orleans and Villeneuve. Both targets were accurately bombed. 14 Lancasters were lost, 11 from the Villeneuve raid and 3 from Orleans.

Weather
Continuous rain, moderate visibility.

The crew of 12/R are coming back from Langford Lodge in Ireland. An American ferry plane will bring them as far as Burton Wood.

Operations
22 Lancasters were detailed against railway yards at Les Aubrais near Orleans. They were part of a force of 151 Lancasters plus 6 markers. 1 Group instruction 鈥淭hese aircraft are to be manned by the best crews鈥�.

12 Squadron
W/O Dyre-Matthews, P/O Thompson, S/L Corry, F/S Turner, P/O Trotter, F/O Owens, F/O Vernon, P/O Downing, F/O Landon, P/O Hancox, and W/O Holbrook.

626 Squadron
P/O Thorpe, P/O Jones, F/L Foote, F/O Bennet, P/O Wood, P/O Gauvreau, F/O Hicks, P/O Campbell, F/O Hawkes, P/O Dawson, and F/O Spruston.

Take off commenced at 21.47hrs.

Weather
En route 8/10ths to 10/10ths cloud over England, dispersing over the Channel and forming layer cloud with tops at 10,000ft and base at 8,000ft.
Target Conditions the same as en route, visibility good.

Bomb load 9,000lbs. 18 X 5001b H.E

Opposition
A good deal of light flak with fighter activity

Marking and assessment of attack.
Target illuminated by flares. Initial marking by green T.I.'s was considerably East of the aiming point. Red spot fires were then dropped and assessed by the Master Bomber to be within 100yds of the aiming point.
P.R.U. assessment. All through lines are cut, and a large quantity of rolling stock destroyed or damaged. Overhead electric cable standards were also destroyed.

Abortive
626/P2 F/O A.C. Hicks D.R. Compass U/S

Damaged
626/H2 P/O A. P. Jones Hit by flak

Combat
626/S2 P/O A.H. Wood
02.19hrs 14,000鈥� 4901N/0131W Homeward.
The rear gunner Sgt. D.A. Joss spotted a JU88 at 800yds on the Starboard quarter down. He instructed the pilot to corkscrew, and opened fire with a burst of 150 rounds when the enemy A/C was at 600yds. The fighter broke away on the Port quarter down at 400yds and was lost to view. The M.U.G. never sighted the enemy A/C so could not open fire.

Reported missing
12/U ND627 Crash site - Rue Eaciers. St Mark, Orleans.
Pilot F/S H. S. S. Turner
Nav. W/O E.E. Vipond Killed
W.T Sgt. H. Idle Killed
B.A. F/S E. Getty
Eng. Sgt. W. Marshall Wounded P.O.W. See M.I.9 report.
M.U.G. Sgt. J.P. Ewing Killed
R.G. Sgt. F.A. Forster Killed

M.I.9 report.
Sgt. W. Marshall Flight Engineer 12/U. Dated 26th September 1945.

I was shot down on my third operation during a night raid on Orleans. I baled out successfully in the outskirts of Orleans, although wounded. I never saw any other member of my crew until repatriation.

As I walked along the road I met a party of French people who had been watching the raid. A Frenchman and his wife took me to their house where I stayed until the morning of the 6th July 1044. Whilst there, a man called claiming to have liaised between the French and Americans during the last war. He provided me with an identity card and a bicycle.

A guide provided by the same man accompanied me to Orgeres on the Orleans-Chartres road. I stayed with a lady until the morning of the 10th July 1944. She had already housed Major Mahurin of the A.A.F. who subsequently got home.

A car driven by a young man accompanied by a red haired girl, both about 29, names unknown, took me to Chartres. En route we picked up two American airmen, Sgt. Horrigan and Lt. Smith. At Chartres we picked up F/O Scullion R.C.A.F. and Sgt. Watmough R.A.F. We were then taken to St. Cloud railway station.
We were then picked up by another car driven by a fattish man aged 45 to 50, wearing horned rimmed glasses and speaking good English with a German accent. He said he came from Pasedena. He drove us to a house in Paris where we joined six more airmen who moved out half an hour later. We were told that we would be moved out the next day.
The following day we were driven about two miles and placed in a lorry. The lorry was surrounded by civilians armed with sub-machine guns. The flaps of the lorry were let down and the man from Pasedena told us to keep our heads inside. We were then taken to Gestapo Headquarters. We were 16 in the lorry.

I feel that our betrayal went back as far as the young man and the red haired girl, but cannot be sure.

After being slapped and accused of being saboteurs, and warned that we would be shot, we were taken to Fresnes (Civil prison) at about 2230hrs on the 11th June. I was put into solitary confinement until the 15th August 1944. During this time I was interrogated three times down in the building.

I was moved to Buchenwald Concentration Camp from 20th August to 21st October. Then to Stalag Luft 3 from 21st October 1944 to 10th April 1945.

On the 27th January 1945 we marched from Sagan to Spremburg, thence by train to Tarmstedt.

We were rescued on 2nd May 1945 by the 11th Armoured Division.

Details of ill treatment at Fresnes and Buchenwalde were on separate reports
____________________________________________________________________

1 WEEKS LEAVE: F/O Hawkes - Canadian pilot on 626 Squadron, flies F/O Bennet to Perranporth, Cornwall on the 7 July 1944 and F/O Bennet marries Maureen at St Agnes church on 8 July 1944. (Sgt. Jim Thatcher is best man) Honeymoon at the Budock Vean Hotel near Falmouth, Cornwall for 5 days 8th-12 July.
Sgt Hayton (Harry) marries Ethel on 11 July 1944 at Shrewsbury, Shropshire 11th July 1944

18 July 1944: Op 19: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Caen battle area. Dawn attack on enemy lines. Very heavy gun barrage seen below. Bomb load 9000 lbs.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: (forward battle area). Our bomb load was 13000 lb H.E.
We took off at dawn and bombed in daylight. Our attack was against German armour and infantry in a large cement works to the east of Caen. I understand that a large number of our troops (Polish soldiers) were killed in this attack as some of the target markers went awry. The bombing was later described as concentrated and very good. Years later, I saw on television an interview with a German Regimental Commander, and he described this heavy bombing, and said 鈥楳y Regiment ceased to exist on that day鈥�. We saw no fighters. I often felt that the use of a strategic bomber force in close support of ground troops was not a correct role. Although more than 1000 Lancs and Halifax Bombers took part, I believe the same effects, with less danger to our troops could have been effected by rocket-firing typhoons and fighter-bombers. The duration was 3 hrs and 45 mins.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Caen, France. Target Troop concentrations in front of our lines. Bomb load 25 鈥� 500 pounder anti-personel bombs. Bombed at 6000鈥� in clear weather. No flak. This was the first real chance to help our boys in the front lines. Trip 3 hours 50 minutes. All A/C back.
Incidental: 942 aircraft - 667 Lancasters, 260 Halifaxes, 15 Mosquitos - to bomb 5 fortified villages in the area east of Caen through which British Second Army troops were about to make an armoured attack, Operation Goodwood. The raids took place at dawn in clear conditions. 4 of the targets were satisfactorily marked by Oboe and, at the target where Oboe failed, the Master Bomber, Squadron Leader EK Creswell, and other Pathfinder crews used visual methods. American bombers also attacked these targets and a total of 6,800 tons of bombs were dropped, of which Bomber Command dropped more than 5,000 tons. Elements of two German divisions, the 16th Luftwaffe Field Division and the 21st Panzer Division, were badly affected by the bombing, the Luftwaffe Division particularly so. Operation Goodwood made a good start. This raid was either the most useful or one of the most useful of the operations carried out by Bomber Command in direct support of the Allied armies. The aircraft bombed from medium heights, 5,000-9,000ft, but army artillery and naval gunfire subdued many of the flak batteries and only 6 aircraft - 5 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster - were shot down. No German fighters appeared. Allied air superiority over the battlefield by day was complete.

Weather
Cloudy, good visibility.

Operations
38 Lancasters were detailed against troops and armour East of Caen prior to an attack by British Second Army troops. They were part of a force of 667 Lancasters, 260 Halifaxes and 15 Mosquitoes.

12 Squadron
P/O Thompson, P/O Munson, P/O Magee, W/O Dyre-Mattews, Sgt Small, P/O Thompson, P/O Pappas, P/O Lowry, P/O Farfan, S/L Brown, F/L Thomas, P/O Hancox, P/O Leuty, P/O Downing, W/C Nelson, P/O Newman, P/O Trotter, W/O Watson.

626 Squadron
P/O Hewitt, P/O Gauvreau, P/O Collens, P/O Winder, P/O Bennett, P/O Wallbank, F/O Wood, F/L Foote, G/C Haynes, P/O Green, P/O Lofthouse, F/O Hicks, P/O Price, P/O Whetton, W/O Tarbuck, F/O Bennet, P/O Campbell, F/O Wilson, F/O Spruston, P/O Jones.

Take off commenced at 0322hrs.

Weather.
En route. Much low cloud over England with thick haze at English coast - clearing on Channel crossing.
Target. No cloud, excellent visibility.

Bomb load 13,000lbs, 11 X 1,000lb and 4 X 500lb.

Opposition
Flak negligible in the target area, but accurate predicted heavy flak was encountered leaving the target area. No enemy fighters were seen. Cover was supplied by 2 Group.

Marking and assessment of attack.
Marking was by low bursting Red T.I.'s from H-5 to H-1. Then by Yellow T.I.'s bursting at 4,000鈥� leaving a trail of white smoke. Markers were accurate and punctual, except for one which the Master Bomber identified as being 100 yards South. Bombing commenced 1 min. early and excellent concentration was achieved. The aiming point was soon obscured by dust and smoke, but the T.I.'s were still visible.

Damaged.
12/A W/C J.D. Nelson Hit by heavy flak outside the Starboard outer engine, in the target area.

12/H P/O J.F. Murison Hit by heavy flak in the target area, punctured coolant tank, cockpit perspex, and rear turret cartridge chute.

12/N Sgt. F.B. Small Hydraulic system hit by light flak in target area.

626/A2 F/O A.C. Hicks Hit by flak.

626/D2 F/O W.D. Wilson A live 1,000lb bomb was found rolling about in the bomb doors after leaving the target. It was jettisoned.

626/E2 P/O A.P. Jones Hit by flak.

626/S2 F/O A. H. Wood Hit by flak in bomb doors and Starboard wing.

18 July 1944: Op 20: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew/ P/O Cook as 2nd dickie
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Scholven oil refinery 鈥� Ruhr Valley. Flak and searchlights very active over target. Hit several times. Great fire at target. Bomb load 11200 lbs.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Scholven Burh Oil Refineries. On 18th July 1944 (We had attacked Caen in the morning, and had to return to the awful Rurh during the night of the same day). Bomb load 11000 lb. Very heavy flak and fighter defences. Large fires visible in target area. Quite a scary trip! Duration 4 hrs 15 mins.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Gelsenkirchen, Ruhr Valley, Germany. Target synthetic oil plant in the Happy Valley. Bomb load 1 cookie and 1000 pounders. Bombed at 18000鈥�. Very cold and clear. Flak is really deadly here and to make matters worse, fighters are after our blood. Hundreds of searchlights and many more flares light up the valley. Window is the only thing that gets us through that belt. Counted 6 A/C go down in flames. Trip 4 hours 15 minutes. 1 A/C missing 12 Squadron.
Incidental: 157 Lancasters and 13 Mosquitoes of 1 and 8 Group attack the oil plant at Scholven/Buer. 4 Lancasters lost. This was also a successful raid. The local report says that 550 bombs fell in the plant area, although 233 of them did not explode. Production came to 鈥榓 complete standstill for a long period鈥�. 5 people were killed in the plant and a further 25 died in nearby houses which were hit.
______________________________________________________________________
NOTE: On 19 July 1944 Sgt Thatcher acted as a spare gunman for P/O Collens鈥� crew. They flew to Orleans, France. Target marshalling yards. Bombed at 3000鈥�.
In his notes Sgt. Thatcher expresses the following: 鈥淎cted as a spare gunman for P/O Collens crew this night and didn鈥檛 like it.鈥� Trip 4 hours 10 minutes. All A/C returned.
______________________________________________________________________

20 July 1944: Op 21: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Courtrai marshalling yards. No flak but strong fighter opposition. Bomb load 13000 lbs.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Bomb load 13000 lb. Very little flak but severe fighter opposition. We were very lucky to survive this one. Duration 3 hrs 25 mins.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Courtrai, Belgium. Target railway junction. Bomb load 13000 lbs 7 -1000 pounders. Bombed at 10000鈥� in clear sky. Fighter opposition very intense. Counted 14 A/C go down in flames 鈥� two in the sea. Pretty jittery. Flak comparatively light. Trip 3 hours 20 minutes. All A/C returned.
Incidental: 302 Lancasters and 15 Mosquitoes of 1, 5 and 8 Groups attacked the railway yards and a 鈥榯riangle鈥� rail junction at Courtrai. The Bomber Command report states that both targets 鈥榳ere devastated鈥�. 9 Lancasters lost.

Weather
Cloudy, visibility moderate.

Operations
35 Lancasters were detailed against marshalling yards at Courtrai. They were part of a force of 302 Lancasters and 15 Mosquitoes.

12 Squadron
P/O Thompson, P/0 Munson, P/O Hagerty, W/O Holbrook, S/L Brown, P/O Downing, P/O Magee, W/O Dyre-Matthews, P/O Pappas, P/O White, F/L Vernon, P/O Thompson, P/O Newman, W/O Watson, P/O Farfan, Sgt Small, P/O Hancox.

626 Squadron
P/O Collens, F/O Bowen, P/O Winder, F/O Bennet, P/O Walbank, P/O Fitzsimmons, F/O Wood, P/O Walbank, F/O Hicks, P/O Oram, F/O Wilson, P/O Lone, P/O Gauvreau, P/O Price, P/O Bennett, W/O Tarbuck, P/O Cook, P/O Green, P/O Hewitt.

Take off commenced at 23.43hrs.

Weather.
En route 10/10ths cloud over England, clearing over the sea.
Target No cloud, some haze, fair visibility.

Bomb load 13,000lbs mixed 1,000lb and 500lb H.E

Opposition
Flak defences were light, but fighters were extremely active in the light of our marker flares, and near Ostend and over the sea on the homeward route.
At 00.42hrs NJG4 on a course to take them across the bomber route. It is also possible that NJG5 and IGJ3O1 joined in opposition.

Marking and assessment of attack.
P.F.F. marking was on time and accurate, and resulted in bombing being well concentrated on the target.
P.R.U. report that reception, forwarding, and sorting sidings were utterly destroyed. A large water tank was hurled from the centre of the track to property outside the yard. The main loco sheds, repair sheds, passenger station, and a bridge carrying S tracks across a road were all virtually destroyed.

Damaged
626/G2 P/O G.P. Price In collision with 12/A over base on return.

12/A P/O J.F. Murison In collision with 626/G2 over base.

Combat.
12/W Sgt. F.B. Small
02.l7hrs 7,000鈥� 5126N/0200E Homeward bound
The mid upper gunner Sgt Wilson sighted an enemy aircraft with an amber nose light approaching from the Starboard beam. He opened fire and the fighter broke away and was lost to view.

626/X2 F/O A.H. Wood
01.56hrs 10,000鈥� Target area.
The rear gunner Sgt. D.A. Joss sighted a ME210 approaching from the Port beam level at 600yds range. He instructed the pilot to corkscrew Port, opening fire with a burst of 150 rounds. The enemy aircraft broke away at 400yds on the Port quarter and was lost to view. The mid upper gunner did not sight the enemy aircraft at any time.

626/X2 F/O A.H. Wood
02.05hrs 10,500鈥� Leaving target.
The mid upper gunner Sgt. D. B. Wales sighted a single engine enemy aircraft approaching from the Starboard beam down at 500yds range, burning wing tip lights. He instructed the pilot to corkscrew Port. At the same time, he and the rear gunner opened fire with fairly long bursts. The fighter broke away on the Port quarter up at 200yds. It should be noted that after the gunners had opened fire the enemy aircraft switched off his wing tip navigation lights.

626/G2 P/O G.P. Price
02.00hrs 10,000鈥� 5048N/03l3E Homeward bound.
The wireless operator Sgt. B. Walley sighted a ME11O approaching from the Port quarter up at 600yds. The rear gunner Sgt. J. Lee had by this time sighted the enemy aircraft, instructed the pilot to corkscrew Port, and opened fire with a long burst. The fighter closed to 400yds and broke away on the Port beam up before the mid upper gunner could open fire.

626/G2 P/O G.P. Price
02.05hrs 10,000鈥� 5057N/0300E Homeward bound.
The rear gunner Sgt. Lee spotted a twin engine enemy aircraft on the Port quarter up preparing to attack another Lancaster. He instructed the pilot to corkscrew Port and opened fire with a burst of 250 rounds. The fighter broke away on the Starboard quarter and was lost to view. The gunner鈥檚 initiative probably saved the other Lancaster.

626/C2 P/O G.A. Green
02.05hrs 9,000鈥� 5209N/0245E Homeward bound.
The pilot sighted a D0217 on the Port bow. He informed the rear gunner F/S G.C. Newton who sighted the enemy aircraft approaching from the Starboard quarter up at 450yds. He instructed the pilot to corkscrew Starboard and he, and the mid upper gunner Sgt. W. Norman opened fire with short bursts. The fighter broke away on the Port quarter level at 350yds and was lost to view.

12/F W/O C.H. Watson
02.10hrs 11,000鈥� 5149N/O211E Homeward bound.
The wireless operator Sgt. R. J. Curnew received warning on 鈥淔ishpond鈥� of an approaching fighter on the Starboard beam. The M.U.G. Sgt. Murison saw the enemy aircraft with an amber light in the nose at 800yds, closing from the Starboard beam level. The pilot was instructed to corkscrew Starboard and both gunners opened fire at 600yds. Strikes were seen on the enemy aircraft and the amber light was extinguished.

Reported missing
12/H LM106 Crash site - unknown
Pilot. P/O N. B. Hagerty Killed
Nav. Sgt. B.H. Armitage Killed
W.T. Sgt. K.R. Shepstone Killed
B.A. Sgt. E.J. Humber Killed
Eng. Sgt. G. Perry Killed
M.U.G. F/S W.E. Edwards Killed
R.G. P/O J.R. MacKinnon Killed

626/D2 LM136 Crash site - at sea.
Pilot. F/O W.D. Wilson Killed
Nav. Sgt. H.L. Stevens Killed
W.T . Sgt. D.J.S. Clarke Killed
B.A. F/O. K.C. Binnie (Aus) Killed
Eng. Sgt. J. Meaney Killed
M.U.G. F/S F.L. Robertson (Aus) Killed
R.G. Sgt. W.T. Woodhouse Killed

626/T2 LM633 Crash site - Courtrai.
Pilot. F/O J. Bowen
Nav. F/S J. Clarke (Aus) Evaded
W.T. F/S W. A. Purnell (Aus)
B.A. F/S K.D. Ferguson (Aus) Evaded
Eng. Sgt. J.S.M. Fyfe Evaded M.I.9 Report follows.
M.U.G . F/S C.M. Beattie (Aus) Evaded M.I.9 Report follows.
R.G. F/S J.W. Houseman (Aus)

M.I.9 Report.
F/S C.M. Beattie. Mid Upper Gunner. 626/T2 Dated 14th Sept.1944.

Homeward bound about O300hrs we were attacked by a fighter and set on fire. The pilot gave the order to bale out.

I baled out successfully, landing in the vicinity of Oostkerk, and after hiding my equipment made my way across country. When it got light I approached a farm where the farmer aged about 45 gave me civilian clothes and directions how to cross the Belgian-French border.

A woman who spoke English and lived in a cafe at Leysele showed me how to cross the frontier through a farm. I walked straight through this farm which was situated on the frontier.
I then made my way to Hondschoote, and about 18.00hrs went a farm just outside the village to get food and information. Here I was put up for the night in a barn.

On the 22nd July I went to Warhem. Here I was aided by Maurice Coudville who belonged to the F.F.I. and was later captured about 6th September.

I was then taken to a woodworkers shop at Rosendael by another F.F.I. member. From there I went to the house of Marcel De Bel, Rue Paul Bert, Ecolenarcelin, Bertheloot, Rosendael. Here I stayed until 4th September 1944.

At about this time the Allies were mopping up the pocket at Falaise. De Bel sent a courier to the front lines with a packet of information and reports, together with aerial photographs (German) of the fortifications at Dunkerque.

On 4th Sept. I move to the Marie at Rosendael because some F.F.I. had been captured. Here I was fed by Mme. De Eel who worked as an interpreter at the local German Headquarters. She used to bring back to her husband advance information of all German movements and proposed house searches.

On 6th Sept. I move to the boot shop of another F.F.I. member, which was run by two French girls named Elise and Denise. There were also two Belgians here hiding from the Germans.

Men were ordered to evacuate the village on 10th Sept., so De Bel, a party of F.F.I., and myself went to a refugee camp at Teteghem posing as Red Cross, and staying there until 12th September.

On the 12th Sept. we left this camp to cross the lines as the Germans were conscripting labour to dig trenches etc.
Ye stayed the night at Ghyvelde and contacted a Canadian unit on the morning of the 13th September 1944.

M.I.9. Report
Sgt. J.S.M. Fyfe. Flight Engineer. 626/T2 Dated. 8th February 1945.

After the pilot had given the order to abandon the aircraft, I baled out and landed safely on the outskirts of Lampernisse.

I hid my parachute, harness, and mae west in a ditch and began to walk towards Dixmude. About half an hour later I met F/S K. D. Ferguson my bomb aimer, who had lost his flying boots when he baled out.

We walked to Oudecappelle where we met a Belgian. The remainder of my journey was then arranged for me.

I made contact with British forces in Armentiers on 9th Sept. I was sent to Lille where I was interrogated by a French officer. I was then sent by lorry to Paris where I was interrogated by I.S.9.

On the 13th September 1944, I was sent by air to the U.K.

Route
Base-Orfordness-5120N/0230E-Target-5046N/0320E-5044N/0312E-5120N/0230E-Orfordness-Base.

Visiting aircraft
Tiger Moth P/O Brown Brough
Spitfire 4E-L Lt. Stickdale Ingham

23 July 1944: Op 22: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Kiel harbour bombed through cloud on Wanganui flares. Bomb load 9000 lbs.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Submarine Works; (Canal; Harbours and Shipping) Bomb Load 9000 lbs H.E. There was very heavy cloud obscuring the target area., I recollect that we had to bomb on Wanganui 鈥楢ir-Burst鈥� Markers, which had been dropped by the then most secret Mosquito special target makers. The duration was 5 hrs 5 mins with long sea crossings.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Kiel, Germany. Target naval barracks and docks. Bomb load 14000 lbs H.E. Bombed at 18000鈥�. Visibility fair. Fighter opposition nil. Flak quite heavy but not serious. This target was attacked to create dissatisfaction among the German naval units in support of the German army鈥檚 uprising Trip 5 hours 5 minutes. No A/C missing.

Incidental: Kiel: This was the first major raid on a German city for two months. 629 aircraft - 519 Lancasters, 100 Halifaxes, 10 Mosquitos - were dispatched. The elaborate deception and RCM operations combined with the surprise return to a German target completely confused the German fighter force and only 4 aircraft - all Lancasters - were lost, a rate of 0.6 per cent. The city suffered heavily in this first RAF raid since April 1943 and its heaviest RAF raid of the war. The bombing force appeared suddenly from behind a Mandrel jamming screen and the local radio warning system only reported it as being a force of mine laying aircraft. 612 aircraft then bombed in a raid lasting only 25 minutes. All parts of Kiel were hit but the bombing was particularly heavy in the port areas and all of the important U-boat yards and naval facilities were hit. The presence of around 500 delayed-action bombs or unexploded duds caused severe problems for the rescue and repair services. There was no water for 3 days; trains and buses did not run for 8 days and there was no gas for cooking for 3 weeks.

Weather
Cloudy, good visibility.

Operations
33 Lancasters were detailed against Kiel Naval Base. They were part of a force of 519 Lancasters, 100 Halifaxes, and 10 Mosquitoes.

12 Squadron
P/O Pappas, W/O Holbrook, P/O Leuty, P/O Thompson, P/O Murison, P/O Downing, S/L Corry, F/O Watt, P/O Lowry, P/O White, P/O Thompson, P/O Farfan, F/O Crabb, W/O Dyre-Matthews, P/O Buchan, P/O Newman, P/O Hancox, P/O Shorney.

626 Squadron
P/O Green, F/O Collens, F/O Wood, F/O Hicks, F/O Hawkes, W/C Rodney, P/O Price, F/O Jones, F/O Lofthouse, P/O Oram, F/O Campbell, F/O Gauvreau, F/O Bennet, P/O Cook, F/L Foote.

Take off commenced at 22.24hrs.

Weather
There was 10/10ths thin cloud over the whole route, this persisted over the target with a base about 2,000鈥� and tops at 5,000鈥�. Good visibility above cloud.

Bomb load 9,000lbs 18 X 500lbs.

Opposition
Intense heavy flak and some light flak in the target area, some of which appeared to come from ships in the harbour. Few searchlights.
Some fighter activity over target and on homeward route. The first plot of the Main Force was passed to the night fighters at 23.20hrs and NJG1 became active at 00.11hrs. The first reference to Kiel was at 01.34hrs when fighters were ordered to the target area. Plots were then passed to the fighters at 01.34hrs when the Main Force was North West of the target on the way home.

Marking and assessment of attack.
P.F.F. marking was punctual but as the markers were only visible by glowing through the clouds it was impossible to assess accuracy of marking or bombing. The glow of fires was visible reflecting on the clouds for 100 miles. PRO. state that severe damage was caused to the North East of shipyards of the Deutsche Werke Keil. Buildings and hangars of the Kiel Holterau Airfield and seaplane base were partially destroyed. Considerable damage was caused to large barracks in the Wik area, and to 16 buildings in the Marine Artileria Depot.

Combats
626/U2 P/O G.A. Green
02.10hrs 16,000鈥� 5420N/0710E
The rear gunner F/S G. C. Newton sighted a ME110 astern level at 500yds. He instructed the pilot to corkscrew Port and opened fire with a burst of 400 rounds. The enemy aircraft broke away on the Starboard quarter up before the mid upper gunner could bring his guns to bear.

626/U2 P/O G.A. Green
02.12hrs 16,000鈥� 5428N/0700E
The mid upper gunner Sgt. W. Norman sighted a ME110 approaching from the Starboard quarter down. He instructed the pilot to corkscrew Starboard and opened fire with a burst of 300 rounds. Before the rear gunner could bring his guns to bear the enemy aircraft had broken away on the Port quarter up.

12/T P/O W.L. White
02.08hrs 10,000鈥� 5440N/0700E Homeward bound.
The mid upper gunner Sgt. Jones spotted a JU88 at 250yds on the Starboard quarter level. He ordered the pilot to corkscrew Starboard and opened fire with a burst of 300 rounds. The rear gunner Sgt. Dagg opened fire with a burst of 100 rounds. The fighter broke away on the Starboard quarter up at 100yds.

12/A S/L N.H. Oorry
01.10hrs 20,000鈥� 5430N/0835E Outward bound.
The rear gunner Sgt. F.B. Faulkner spotted a JU88 on the Port quarter level at 500yds. He instructed the pilot to corkscrew Port. Both gunners opened fire at 600yds with long bursts, and the enemy aircraft broke away on the Starboard quarter down at 400yds.

Route
Base-Mablethorpe-5405N/0400E--5440N/O700E-5437N/0950E-Target-5410N/1005E-5440N/0700E-5405N/0400E-Mablethorpe-Base.

Visiting aircraft.
Oxford N5345 S/L Boore Bircotes.

24 July 1944: Op 23: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew/F/Sgt Ryan 2nd pilot.
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Stuttgart engineering works. Strong fighter activity. Heavy flak. Bombed Wanganui flares. Bomb load 8000 lbs (6000 lbs incendairies)
Inserted note into logbook - F/Sgt Ryan went missing on his next trip!
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Bomb Load 4000 lb cookie and 6000 lb of incendiaries. Very heavy flak and severe fighter activity. We were a radar wind finder on this operation. We got quite a pasting over Karlsrhue and Mannheim but corkscrew and weaving tactics avoided the worst opposition. Again we had to bomb through cloud using air-burst markers. Duration was 8 hrs 10 mins. I recollect that we had to turn to starboard , just North of Basle in Switzerland (a neutral country), although some of our aircraft must have over-flown that country because the Ack-Ack of Basle opened up on them.
Note: You may have heard your Dad talk about his friend Bill Foote, who also hailed from B.C. (He was living in the USA when I last heard of him about 10 years ago). Bill鈥檚 Lanc was attacked by an ME410 when leaving the target, and his rear gunner was killed by enormous fire power. Bill was the recipient of an IMMEDIATE award of the DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER (DSO) and his mid-upper gunner, a Canadian Sergeant named Smith received an immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM). Young Smith who had been with us all from Peplow days, was apparently blown out of his turret. He was not injured and climbed back into his position and on the second attack opened fire on the fighter and it is believed that he shot it down.

Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Stuttgart, Germany. Target Industrial centre as a whole. Bomb load 1 鈥� 4000 lbs plus 10000 lbs incendiaries. Bomb at 19000鈥� through light cloud. Very heavy flak - well concentrated. Fighter opposition all the way and back. This was our longest trip 鈥� very tiresome and nerve-racking. Trip 8 hours 20 minutes.
2 A/C missing.
Incidental: 461 Lancasters and 5 Halifaxes. (17 Lancasters and 4 Halifaxes lost). This was the first of 3 heavy raids on Stuttgart in 5 nights and the only report available is a composite one for the 3 raids. The 3 raids caused the most serious damage of the war in the central districts of Stuttgart which, being situated in a series of narrow valleys, had eluded Bomber Command for several years. They were now devastated and most of Stuttgart鈥檚 public and cultural buildings were destroyed. The second of the 3 raids, on the night of the 25/26 July, was the most successful. Total casualties in Stuttgart during this series of raids were 1171 people killed and 1600 injured
Stuttgart Raid:

30 July 1944: Op 24: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Caumont - Military Target #3 Normandy battle lines. Bombing run made at 1400鈥�. Heard and felt explosions. Enemy seen taking cover. Attack made at 8:15AM followed up by infantry and tank forces. Break through successful.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Caumont (Normandy Battle Area). Our attack was against German armoured columns and infantry. Our bomb load was 9000 lb H.E. The Master Bomber brought us down from 15000鈥� to just over 1000鈥�. The lives of our troops in the front lines was not to be put at risk, so it was very frightening for us to keep descending into and through cloud. When we broke cloud at 1000鈥�, we had only a few seconds to carry out the bombing run. I recollect seeing hundreds of bombs exploding; The blast as it hit R2 was incredible. I saw whole tank turrets and tracks coming up into the air. I saw whole orchards and hedges just exploding upwards. R2 sustained severe structural damage (and it took a few days to repair her). The sight of expanding pressure waves of blast rushing up at us will remain with me all my days. I recollect that the newspapers a couple of days later, published an article from a front-line reporter with the troops, and it was head-lined 鈥楾he suicide boys of R.A.F. flew very low and bombed the enemy lines鈥�. Our hydraulic system was damaged, and to get the undercarriage and bomb bays closed, we had to use emergency air pressure.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Caumont鈥擡 France.Target Troop and tank concentrations. Bomb load 14000 lbs of H.E. 1000 and 500 pounders. Visibility good except on target. Had to descend from 6000鈥� to 1400鈥� on instructions from P.F.F. Explosions of bombs really jolted our aircraft 鈥� but it was worth it. Flak was moderate but wild. Trip 3 hours 30 minutes. All A/C back O.K.
Incidental: 692 aircraft - 462 Lancasters, 200 Halifaxes, 30 Mosquitos - were sent to bomb 6 German positions in front of a mainly American ground attack in the Villers Bocage Caumont area. The presence of cloud caused many difficulties and only 377 aircraft were able to bomb, on to Oboe markers, and only 2 of the 6 targets were effectively hit. 4 Lancasters lost.

2 Aug 1944: Op 25: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Foret De Nieppe - Buz bomb supply dump 鈥� North of Paris. Heaviest daylight raid. Bomb load 13200 lbs.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Creuil: Bomb Load 13000lb.on 3rd August 1944. R2 had by this day been repaired after day and night work at the M.U. (Maintenance Unit). This was a daylight operation with a Spitfire escort and our target was a large underground V1 dump. I recollect we sealed all the entrances and exits to this storage area. Duration 4 hrs 25 mins.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Crueil, Paris. Target Storage dumbs for flying bombs. Bomb load 12000 lbs H.E. Bombed at 10000鈥�. Visibility clear. 20 Squadrons of Spitfires as escort. No fighter opposition. Trip 4 hours 25 minutes. All A/C returned.
Incidental: 1114 aircraft 鈥� 601 Lancasters, 492 Halifaxes, 21 Mosquitoes carried out major raids on the Bois de Cassan, Foret de Nieppe and Trossy-St-Maxim (sometimes spelt Maximin) flying bomb stores. The weather was clear and all raids were successful. 6 Lancasters lost, 5 from Trossy-St-Maxim raid and 1 from the Bois de Cassan raid. 1 Lightning and 1 R.C.M. aircraft accompanied the raid.

5 Aug 1944: Op 26: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew/ Sgt Farley 鈥� F/Engineer
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Blaye oil refinery (North of Bordeaux). Low flying just off the water from Lands End to target. Fighter cover by Mosquitoes and Spits. Very slight flak over target. Bomb load 13000 lbs.
On return to base was diverted to Sturgate due to bad weather (low stratus).
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Blaye (near Bordeaux in southern France) - oil refineries. Bomb Load 13000 lb. This was a long trip of 8 hrs 15 mins. There was flak over the target, but most of our route was over the sea 鈥� (Bay of Biscay). Wickenby had thick fog on our return and we were diverted to R.A.F. Sturgate near Gainsborough.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Blaye (North of Bordeaux) Target Synthetic oil plant near Bordeaux. Bomb load 12000 lbs of H.E. Bombed at 16000鈥� in very clear weather. Flew over Cornwall at 4000鈥� and descended to about 5 or 10鈥� above sea level. This was something new and quite exciting. All other A/C (240) doing the same. Maintained this height for 2 and a half hours. Regained height 90 miles from French coast and bombed at 16000鈥�. Had fighter escort up to Cherbourg after leaving target. Trip 8 hours 25 minutes. All A/C safe.
Bomb Aimer鈥檚 recollections: The plane in front of us went too low and disappeared into the drink 鈥� then his bombs exploded underwater and a huge column of water and blast of air rose under us. R2 sat on its tail and I thought we would slip backwards into the water. But Bob gave the engines full throttle. They were screaming as he fought to get the plane level again, and lucky for us all he succeeded.
Incidental: 306 Lancasters of Nos 1, 3 and 8 Groups attacked oil storage targets on the River Gironde at Blaye, Bordeaux and Pauillac with excellent results. 1 Lancaster was lost from the Pauillac raid. 30 Mosquitos of No 100 Group escorted these forces without loss.

8 Aug 1944: Op 27: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Aire oil storage depot in Pas de Calais area. Heavy oil explosion and fires at target.Terrific Cum Nimb clouds over base. Air speed indicator went U/S for a while. Slight flak. Bomb load 13000 lbs.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Air-Sur-Lys (Northern France 鈥� oil storage depot)
Bomb Load 13000 lb. Slight flak along route and over target. Large fires and explosions at target. Duration 3 hrs 15 mins.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Aire, France. Target Synthetic oil plant near Belgium border. Bomb load 14000 lbs H.E. Bombed at 12000鈥�. Avoided flak area on coast. Huge explosions noted. Good trip 3 hours 15 minutes. All A/C back.Incidental: 170 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3 and 8 Groups attacked depots and storage dumps at Aire sur Lys and the For锚t de Lucheux. Both raids were successful. 1 Lancaster lost from the For锚t de Lucheux raid.

11 Aug 1944: Op 28: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Minelaying at mouth of Gironde off Grave Point. Flak encountered predicted light at target. Bomb Aimer made run from visual pinpoint while Navigator checked with H2S. Total force 6 aircraft. All-out weight 65800 lbs. Minelaying 6 鈥� 2000 lbs mines.
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Mouth of the river Gironde 鈥� South Western France. Mine laying operation for the Royal Navy. We carried 6 x 2000 lb acoustic/magnetic sea mines 鈥� deadly things to carry! The weather was so bad that only three aircraft (the other two were with us) were operating in the whole of Western Europe. We flew out into the Bay of Biscay and then had to go down to 400鈥� to get a very accurate 鈥榩in-point鈥� fix on the Island of Rayonne, in the wide estuary of the river Gironde. The mines had to be dropped on a timed run, two seconds apart, and each mine had three parachutes attached.. From memory, I think that one of the other aircraft involved crashed in the Bristol Channel, but I cannot now be certain. We encountered a little flak from the coast area of Cognac. Time engaged was 6 hrs 35 mins.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Cadolian, S. France. Target Mine laying effort in the Gironde tributary. Bomb load 8 mines at 1100 lbs. Laid mines at 6000鈥� in clear weather. Only 6 aircraft took part in this trip. Trip 6 hours 35 minutes. All A/C returned.
Incidental: 12 Lancasters minelaying off Biscay ports, 8 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.

12 Aug 1944: Op 29: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Brunswick 鈥� bombed with H2S. (no P.F.F.) Lots of flak, fighters and searchlights. Nearly rammed by fighter over target. Bomb load 2000 lbs H.E. 8000 lbs Incend. Night fighters are still damm active!
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Brunswick (Central Germany) Bomb Load 2000 lb H.E. (Small Cookie) and 8000 lb incendiaries. I actually dropped the bomb load from my Nav position on H2S. There was very heavy and light flak throughout 鈥� and very severe fighter opposition over the target area. We were flying above cloud throughout and were nearly rammed by a ME410 over the target area. Good work Bob, you managed to get out of his way. There were large fires seen through the cloud. In the event, that this was not a successful attack, as it seems that Greater Germany was bombed this night, rather than Brunswick. Time engaged 6 hrs 15 mins.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Brunswick, Germany. Target Saturation bombing of the whole city. Bomb load 1 鈥� 4000 lbs plus new type incendiaries. Bombed at 19000鈥�. Heavy flak and terrific fighter activity. Bombed with H2S and really saturated the place. Had a close shave with a JU88 鈥� passed 10鈥� over our starboard wing. Counted 14 A/C go down in flames 鈥� pitiful sight to see. Lost 2 good crews on this trip. Bob really belted for home which was probably the only thing that saved us. Trip 5 hours 15 minutes. 2 A/C missing.
Incidental: Brunswick: 242 Lancasters and 137 Halifaxes. 17 Lancasters and 10 Halifaxes lost, 7.1 per cent of the force. This was an experimental raid. No Pathfinder aircraft took part and there was no marking. The intention was to discover how successfully a force of aircraft could carry out a raid with each crew bombing on the indications of its own H2S set. The raid was not successful and there was no concentration of bombing. The Brunswick report calls it a 'heavy raid' but only states that bombs fell in the central and Stadtpark areas. Other towns, up to 20 miles distant, were mistaken for Brunswick and were also bombed.

Brunswick

15 Aug 1944: Op 30: Lancaster O2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Lancaster R2 is U/S due to flak damage received on ops with another crew. Their rear gunner wounded. Holland 鈥� Night Fighter Drome (most enjoyable and successful attack). Other dromes seen being pranged simultaneously. Flak encountered crossing Dutch coast in and out. Fighter cover by Mustangs and Thunderbolts. Bomb load 13000 lbs. (P.S. At last we strike at the Night Fighter)
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Volkel (Holland) 鈥� Germany Fighter Aerodrome. Bomb Load 13000 lb. This was a daylight operation and we had a Mustang and Thunderbolt fighter escort. Flak seen but no fighter opposition. I thought it was a good attack with clouds of dust, smoke and fires. However I understand from German fighter pilots that not many of their fighters were damaged 鈥� no doubt due to hard protection. Time engaged 3 hrs 40 mins.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Volkel, Belgium. Target Night Fighter air dromes 鈥� 11 altogether. Bomb load 1000 pounders and 500 pounders. Flak light. No fighter activity due to Mustang fighter support. 1100 aircraft took part. Bombed at 9000鈥�. Targets definitely obliterated. Trip 3 hours 40 minutes. All A/C returned.

Incidental: 1,004 aircraft - 599 Lancasters, 385 Halifaxes, 19 Mosquitos, 1 Lightning - attacked 9 airfields in Holland and Belgium in preparation for a renewed night offensive against Germany. Visibility was perfect and all raids were considered successful. 3 Lancasters lost.
Belgian Airfield Attacks

Weather
Fine.

Training
2 cross country exercises. 16 wireless operators were given half an hour of morse.

Operations
26 Lancasters were detailed against the Luftwaffe night fighter airfield at Volkel. They were part of a force of 101 Lancasters raiding Volkel. The total Bomber Command force which attacked 9 airfields in Holland and Belgium was 599 Lancasters, 385 Halifaxes, and 19 Mosquitoes.

12 Squadron
F/O Watt, F/O Trotter, F/O Leuty, F/O Shorney, W/O Watson, F/O Murison, F/O King, F/O Buchan, F/O Henry, F/O Veitch, F/O Thompson, and F/L Thomas.

626 Squadron
F/O Tarbuck, F/O Fitzsimmons, F/O Bennet, F/O Wood, F/O Collens, F/O Hawkes, F/S Dainty, F/O Price, F/O Jones, F/O Oram, F/O Ford, F/O Gauvreau, F/O Winder, F/O Cook.

Take off commenced at 09.36hrs.

Weather
En route and at the target conditions were perfect, and the airfield was clearly visible from a considerable distance.

Bomb load l3,000lbs. 11 X l,000lb and 4 X 500lb.

Opposition
No defences in the target area. Light and heavy flak on the coast in and out. No enemy aircraft were seen. Fighter escort was 8th Air Force Mustangs, and 11 Group Spitfires. The target was patrolled by 8th Air Force Thunderbolts, who after bombing had ceased, carried out a low flying attack on the airfield.

Marking and assessment of attack
The target was accurately marked at zero-30secs. by cascading Red T.I.鈥檚. Bombing was accurate and concentrated, however the aiming point was soon obliterated by dust and smoke which led to a tendency to overshoot. The control tower and hangars were reported to have been hit.

Visiting aircraft
Wellington Y7T P/O Bladen Gamston
Oxford AB722 S/L Noden Hemswell

Emil Nonnenmacher, a Luftwaffe Pilot, was stationed at Volkel and has this comment on the raid.

Our unit was involved and we had a few casualties. As for myself I was not injured but heavily annoyed. We were taking a sun-bath in the garden of the ancient monastic pile of Volkel. The weather was excellent, and far too nice to think of war at all. The airfield was three kilometres away, so we didn鈥檛 even register the noise of running up engines. Wearing shorts only we really enjoyed the silence.

I remember very well the picture when I watched the horizon, chasing away a nasty fly or wasp. But I noticed that there were more wasps to come, and they were coming directly towards my sunny place. Of course I recognised the truth very soon. These insects were in fact a few low approaching bombers, and there were still a lot to follow, We had time enough to watch the grandstand play.

They were actually no more than 5,000鈥� high. The leader must have been a lonely type-he was a few hundred yards ahead, and no fighter to be frightened of. Shortly before coming close to the airfield they just turned a bit and I had the impression for a few seconds: they mean us. They are after the crews in their deck chairs!

When they released the smoke sign we had the opportunity to watch a target indicator by day. It was far less imposing than we knew it from our night missions. It was however the biggest and loveliest demonstration of a few hundred Lancasters. (I don鈥檛 remember a Halifax). But now I know that quite a lot of Wickenby people had been involved.

It must be said they did not very much damage to the airfield, except make clouds of dust and a bit of smoke, As far as my notes show only one aircraft was hit and slightly damaged.

We checked the field, and found that by the use of two poles - one on take off and another at the other end of the field - to show us a straight line going through the bomb craters-that we will be possibly off the same evening for dislocation. I was half an hour later down at Bonn-Hangelar, ready for ops.

We learned later on that the R.A.F. came back on the 15th Sept. 1944 but we were gone.

18 Aug 1944: Op 31: Lancaster R2: F/O Bennet/Crew
Pilot鈥檚 comments: Rieme-Ertuelde M.T. petrol dump, ground straffed enemy light house, river boat and airodrome. Bomb load 13000 lbs H.E. (Last op 鈥� tour finished)
Navigator鈥檚 comments: Rieme Ertuelde (Belgium). Petrol Dump. Bomb Load 13000 lb. We bombed from only 3000鈥�, and our gunners straffed barges and other targets on the waterways and roads. Duration 3 hrs. I can still hear the WAAFS voice on 鈥橤rateful鈥� 鈥� the Wickenby radio call sign.- congratulating us on our re-joining our circuit before landing, for the completion of our tour of operations.
Mid-Upper Gunner鈥檚 comments: Ghent, Belgium. Target Petrol dump. Bomb load 1000 pounders and 500 pounders. No flak, no fighters. Decended from 13000鈥� to 2900鈥� 鈥� Rear gunner and myself took advantage of this low altitude and straffed barges and ships in canal. This trip completes my tour of ops.
Incidental: Ertvelde 鈥� Rieme: 108 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and 8 Groups attacked and caused severe damage to the oil depot and storage tanks at Ertvelde Rieme to the north of Ghent. No aircraft lost.
Oil storage facilities at Ghent destroyed

Weather
Fair in the morning, cloudy later. 12 Squadron stood down from operations.

Training
10 wireless operators given half hour training in morse.
Full flying training including. Bombing, fighter affiliation and air to air firing.

Operations
16 Lancasters were detailed against a fuel dump on the Ghent-Termeuzen Canal. They were part of a force of 108 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitoes.

626 Squadron
F/O Tarbuck, F/O Collens, F/O Cook, F/O Wood, F/O Wallbank, F/O Fitzsimmons, F/O Foote, F/O Thorpe, F/O Whetton, F/O Ford, F/S Dainty, F/O Gauvreau, F/O Bennet, F/O Campbell, F/O Harris, F/O Jones.

Take off commenced at 12.04hrs.

Weather
En route No cloud.
Target From Dutch coast 8/lOths cloud, base 4,000鈥� tops 8/9,000鈥�.

Bomb load 13,000lbs. 11 X 1,000 4 X 5001b.

Opposition
Nil over target. Some light flak at coast. No enemy fighters seen.

Marking and assessment of attack.
The first target Red T.I.鈥檚, placed by B.P.F.F. aircraft overshot, but were followed by accurately placed Yellow T.I.鈥檚 placed by Oboe Mosquitoes. The Master Bomber ordered crews to descend below the cloud base of 4,000鈥� to bomb. Crews had to orbit to get below cloud level. An interesting sight with 100 plus Lancasters over enemy territory with their landing gear down to lose height.
Initial bombing concentrated, the target soon being obscured by thick black smoke, and some bombs were observed falling South of the target in woods. Several good orange fires and a large explosion was reported at 13.58hrs.

Damaged
626/S2 F/O A. H. Wood
2 X 5001b bombs hung up, requiring three orbits of the target. On completion all other Lancasters and fighter cover had left the area. The pilot decided to return at low level, which was a success until crossing the coast when the undivided attention of the coastal defences were directed at our aircraft. With full power, and hugging the sea the Lancaster survived with a few holes in the fin.

Route
Base-Orfordness-5148N/0200E-Target-Turn Wide Left-5115N/0350E-5130N/0300E-Orfordness-Base.