On Friday 21 July 1944, a member of the 514 Sqdn, Flying Officer D O Brown, took off from Waterbeach in the United Kingdom. His mission is mentioned elsewhere on WW2 History Europe. You can find the other details of this mission by searching here. Training and cargo flights are not separately mentioned as a mission. The plane left at 23:07.
He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type I, serial ME858, code JI-J).
Fragment from the book
514 squadron 'a' flight (uk)
Ton Bosmans & Carla Mans
To be ordered here: http://www.boekenbestellen.nl/boek/lancaster-me858-ji-j/21784
This book came about because, since childhood, I have been interested in WWll. In the autumn of 1999, at the seven graves of the Lancaster crew, in the cemetery of the church in Hunsel, I was joined by Annie Wood (sister of Harold Long), her son Colin, and his wife Ann.
For her it was a very emotional visit to the grave of her brother, Harold Long. I was promised a photo of Harold, and this arrived by post sometime later. This photo made me very curious as to who the other six crew members aboard the Lancaster were. I only had the names of the crew listed on the graves. I had no information about what aircraft and to what squadron it belonged. During a visit to the military cemetery at Rheinbergen (Germany) I came across an employee of the CWGC, and he gave me the address of the RAF Air Historical Branch.
This body gave me the necessary information as to which aircraft I was looking for. I came into contact with several people who provided me with the necessary information. After a few years I contacted several of the bereaved relatives of the crew members. Because most of the communication was by post, several months passed before there was a reply by post from Canada or England. In this book you can read the history of the Lancaster ME858 and the crew of 514 Squadron. Air Combat Report Referring to night-time pursuit in unit 'Tame Sow' with crew Uffz. Sarzio - Uffz.Conrads - Gefr. Talarowski on 21/07/1944 at 01:14. On 21/07/1944 at 00:20 I commenced duty as radio operator in the crew of Uffz. Sarzio from Deelen airfield aboard BF 110, G9 - JP for night combat duties (Tame Sow). We were directed to Gorilla sector by group command. From here we were directed into formation by radio fire report from Deelen. At 01:10 at 600m altitude and 3.8km distance
I had a SN2 fix and led my pilot up to about 200m. I soon saw the target above me on the right and saw a four-engine plane with double rudder. We positioned ourselves behind the enemy aircraft and my pilot fired, attacking at 01:12. The enemy aircraft immediately ignited on the left side and fell vertically downward.
I followed the fire until the impact took place at 01:14.
Particularly noticeable was a huge fire amongst which were several dark red areas or spots. I then took several bearings, from St. Trond 30 deg. and from Venlo 250 deg. We landed at Deelen at 02:40.
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STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 486: 1,110 bombers and 795 fighters are dispatched in 4 forces to bomb targets in Germany, among them 4 aircraft plants and 2 ball bearing plants; 31 bombers and 8 fighters are lost:
1. Of 433 B-24s, 106 hit Munich, 93 hit Saarbrucken marshalling yards, 78 hit targets of opportunity, 54 hit Oberpfeffenhofen, 33 hit Neuabuing, 13 hit Bullay Bridge, and 9 hit Schorndorf; they claim 10-2-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 22 B-24s are lost, 3 are damaged beyond repair and 181 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 7 WIA and 205 MIA.
Escort is provided by 262 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 2-0-1 aircraft in the air and 3-0-10 n the ground; 5 P-51s are lost.
2. Of 96 B-24s, 48 hit targets of opportunity, 17 hit Duren, 12 hit Walldrun marshalling yard and 9 hit Indenboden; 2 B-24s are lost and 12 damaged; 20 airmen are MIA.
Escort is provided by 109 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft.
3. Of 241 B-17s, 90 hit Regensburg/Obertraubling, 44 hit Regensburg/ Prufening, 40 hit Stuttgart and 18 hit targets of opportunity; 4 B-17s are lost and 88 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 1 WIA and 38 MIA.
Escort is provided by 148 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 3-0-0 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost.
4. Of 340 B-17s, 99 hit Schweinfurt, 70 hit Ebelsbach, 59 hit Ludwigshafen, 13 hit Bad Kreuznach, 13 hit Ebelsbach, 13 hit targets of opportunity, 12 hit Bad Munster, 12 hit Lachen, 12 hit Simmern marshalling yard, 8 hit Wurzburg, and 5 hit Neckargemund; 3 B-17s are lost and 81 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 3 WIA and 25 MIA.
Escort is provided by 187 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-38 is lost.
Mission 487: 8 of 8 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night; 1 B-17 is damaged.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In France, weather prevents all combat operations except for 1 fighter group which is dispatched on armed reconnaissance but is recalled before reaching the Continent; Less than 15 reconnaissance and evacuation sorties are flown.
In England, HQ 323d Bombardment Group (Medium) and 453d, 454th, 455th and 456th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) move from Earls Colne to Beauliu with B-26s; and the 556th, 557th, 558th and 559th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), move from Chipping Ongar to Stony Cross with B-26s.
20/21 July 1944
302 Lancasters and 15 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 5 and 8 Groups attacked the railway yards and a 'triangle' rail junction at Courtrai. The Bomber Command report states that both targets 'were devastated'. 9 Lancasters lost.
166 aircraft - 149 Halifaxes, 13 Mosquitos, 4 Lancasters - of 4 and 8 Groups attacked the synthetic-oil refinery at Bottrop. The northern part of the target was badly damaged. 7 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster lost.
147 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3 and 8 Groups attacked the oil plant at Homberg and caused severe damage. German documents show that the production of aviation fuel, which had stood at nearly 6,000 tons per day at the end of April, was now fluctuating between 120 and 970 tons per day, following Bomber Command and American Eighth Air Force raids. But German night fighters caught the Homberg bomber force and 20 Lancasters were lost. No 75 (New Zealand) Squadron, from Mepal, lost 7 of its 25 aircraft on the raid.
87 aircraft - 54 Halifaxes, 23 Lancasters, 10 Mosquitos - of 4, 5 and 8 Groups attacked flying bomb sites at Ardouval and Wizernes without loss but only 23 aircraft bombed at Ardouval and none at Wizernes.
Support and 106 aircraft from training units on a diversionary sweep over the North Sea, 6 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitos on a 'spoof' raid to Alost, 26 Mosquitos to Hamburg, 33 RCM sorties, 42 Mosquito patrols, 8 Stirlings minelaying off Lorient, 17 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Mosquito lost from the Hamburg raid.
Total effort for the night: 971 sorties, 38 aircraft (3.9 per cent) lost.
52 aircraft - 45 Halifaxes, 5 Mosquitos, 2 Lancasters - of 6 and 8 Groups attacked a flying-bomb site at Anderbeck. No results were recorded. No aircraft were lost.
2 Mosquitos flew Ranger patrols to Aalborg, Grove and Jagel airfields; German aircraft seen on the ground were attacked. The Mosquitos returned safely.
33 Mosquitos to Berlin, 20 RCM sorties, 18 Mosquito patrols, 6 Halifaxes and 6 Lancasters minelaying in the Frisians and the Kattegat. 1 Mosquito Intruder lost.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
This record can also be found on the maps of WW2 History Europe with Google coordinates. You can find the maps by clicking on this link on this location.
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