MINOR OPERATIONS
8 Mosquitoes to Cologne and Duisburg, 23 Wellingtons minelaying off Brest, Lorient and St-Nazaire, 19 O.T.U. sorties. 1 Wellington minelayer was lost and 1 O.T.U. Wellington came down in the sea.
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MILAN
504 aircraft - 321 Lancasters and 183 Halifaxes. 2 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster lost.
Bomber Command considered that this was a successful raid. Milan only provided a general report which stated that, during August 1943, 4 major factories - including the Alfa-Romeo motor works - the main railway station and the La Scala opera house were all badly hit and that 1,174 people died in air raids during 1943. Most of these results probably occurred on this night.
TURIN
152 aircraft of 3 and 8 Groups - 112 Stirlings, 34 Halifaxes, 6 Lancasters. 2 Stirlings lost.
The raid was described by the crews involved as 'heavy and concentrated'. Turin can report only 18 people killed and 83 injured.
Minor Operations: 7 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 24 Wellingtons minelaying off Brittany ports, 9 O.T.U. sorties. 1 Mosquito and 2 Wellington minelayers lost.
Total effort for the night: 696 sorties, 8 aircraft (1.1 percent) lost.
One of the bravest Victoria Crosses was won on this night. A Stirling of 218 Squadron was badly damaged by a burst of fire while approaching Turin. The navigator was killed and several members of the crew were wounded, including the pilot, Flight Sergeant Arthur Louis Aaron, who was struck in the face by a bullet which shattered his jaw and tore part of his face away; he was also injured in the chest and his right arm could not be used. The flight engineer and the bomb aimer took over the controls of the aircraft and set course for North Africa although one engine was useless, the pilot was out of action, having been dosed with morphia, and the navigator was dead.
The Stirling reached the cost of Africa and Flight Sergeant Aaron insisted on returning to his seat in the cockpit to help prepare for the landing. Twice he tried to take over the controls and, although he had to give up this attempt, he continued to help by writing down instructions for landing with his left hand. He could not speak. Under Aaron's guidance, given in great pain and at the limits of exhaustion, the Stirling landed safely at its fifth attempt at Bne airfield with its wheels up.
Flight Sergeant Aaron died 9 hours later. It was considered that he might have survived if he had rested after having been wounded instead of insisting on helping his crew. The wireless operator, Sergeant T. Guy, and the flight engineer, Sergeant M. Mitcham, were each awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal. It was later established that the machine-gun fire which struck the Stirling was fired by a nervous tail gunner in another bomber. Flight Sergeant Aaron was 21 years old and came from Leeds.
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Suffered most losses (with 15 Squadron) in Stirling squadrons.
223 SQUADRON
SERVICE
After flying as a bomber squadron in East and North Africa and Italy, 223 Squadron lost its identity in August 1944. Re-formed as an R.C.M. squadron in 100 Group later the same month, mainly from ex-Coastal Command aircrew, and flew Liberators and Fortresses from Oulton until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
223 Squadron flew 615 Liberator sorties and lost 3 aircraft (0.5 percent) in 135 R.C.M. operations and 10 Fortress sorties without loss in 6 R.C.M. operations.
226 SQUADRON
SERVICE
Posted to 2 Group in May 1941 after flying Battles in France and in Northern Ireland with Coastal Command. Served in 2 Group until the group left Bomber Command in May 1943. Flew Blenheims, often in the anti-shipping role, and Bostons; based at Wattisham, Manston and Swanton Morley.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
Blenheims - 38 bombing and shipping attacks
Bostons - 62 bombing, 1 Intruder
Total - 100 bombing and shipping attacks, 1 Intruder
Sorties and Losses
Blenheims - 241 sorties, 16 aircraft lost (6.6 percent)
Bostons - 499 sorties, 12 aircraft lost (2.4 percent)
Total - 740 sorties, 28 aircraft lost (3.8 percent)
POINTS OF INTEREST
Introduced American bomber crews to operations in June 1942.
227 SQUADRON
SERVICE
After flying Beaufighters from Malta, lost its identity in August 1944. A new 227 Squadron was formed in 5 Group on
