He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type III, serial ND534, code GT-O).
AIRBORNE OPERATIONS
(IX Troop Carrier Command): The 304th Troop Carrier Squadron, 442d Troop Carrier Group, moves from Peray to St-Andre-de-L'Eure, France with C-47s.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 707: 1,309 bombers and 738 fighters are dispatched to hit front line strongpoints and tactical targets in the Metz and Thionville, France areas; 4 bombers and 5 fighters are lost:
1. 460 B-17s are dispatched to hit transportation targets at Thionville (47); 276 hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Saarbrucken; targets of opportunity are Saarlautern (34) and other (3); 4 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 96 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA, 6 WIA and 27 MIA.
Escort is provided by 187 of 192 P-51s without loss.
2. 437 B-17s are dispatched to hit transportation targets at Metz (345); 41 hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Saarbrucken; 28 hit Koblenz; 3 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 13 damaged; 19 airment are KIA.
Escort is provided by 176 of 184 P-51s without loss.
3. 402 B-24s are dispatched to hit transportation targets at Metz (385); 15 hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Saarbrucken; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 5 damaged.
Escort is provided by 113 of 119 P-51s; 3 P-51s are damaged beyond repair.
4. 10 of 10 B-17s fly a screening force mission.
5. 139 P-47s and P-51s fly fighter-bomber missions in the Frankfurt- Lannheim area of Germany; 1 P-47 and 4 P-51s are lost; 4 pilots are MIA.
6. 30 of 32 P-51s fly a scouting forces mission.
Mission 708: 5 B-17s and 12 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night.
The 27th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance) (attached to VIII Air Force Service Command), moves from Mount Farm, England to Denain/Prouvy, France with F-5s.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): 74 planes of the 9th Bombardment Division attack road junctions, barracks, ordnance arsenals, artillery camps, military storage depot, and other targets in the Dieuze and Faulquemont, France and Landau and Sankt Wendel, Germany areas; the IX Tactical Air Command flies sweeps over W Germany and attacks marshalling yard at Duren, Germany, while the XXIX Tactical Air Command escort attacks Rahling, Germany and an airfield and supports US Third Army elements (2 infantry and 2 armored divisions) as an allout assault on Metz, France is pushed.
In France, HQ 358th Fighter Group moves from Mourmelon to Toul; the 379th Fighter Squadron, 362d Fighter Group, moves from Prosnes to Rouvres with P-47s; the 425th Night Fighter Squadron, XIX Tactical Air Command, moves from Prosnes to Etain with P-61s.
59 Mosquitos to Herford and 50 to Hannover, 4 RCM sorties, 24 aircraft on Resistance operations. 2 Stirlings on Resistance work were lost.
256 Lancasters and 21 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and 8 Groups to attack the Wanne-Eickel oil refinery. Cloud over the target was found to reach 21,000 ft and the skymarkers dropped by the Oboe Mosquitos disappeared as soon as they ignited so the Master Bomber ordered the force to bomb any built-up area. The town of Wanne-Eickel reports only 2 buildings destroyed, with 4 civilians and 6 foreigners killed. It must be assumed that other towns in the Ruhr were hit but no details are available. 2 Lancasters lost.
6 Mosquitos each to Gotha and Pforzheim, 4 to Schwelm (which was not reached) and 3 to Kassel, 22 aircraft of 100 Group on a Window feint to draw up German fighters, 8 Mosquito patrols, 3 Stirlings on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.
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