He flew with a Vickers Wellington (type III, serial BJ970, code -).
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Weather prevents heavy bomber operations; 835 fighters are dispatched on fighter-bomber and strafing attacks on rail targets in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany: 20 fighters are lost:
1. 174 of 260 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s attack transportation targets on the German/French border; they claim 12-1-0 aircraft in the air and 3-0-4 on the ground; 1 P-38 is lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 1 P-38 and 1 P-47 damaged; 1 pilot is MIA.
2. 143 of 195 P-38s and P-47s hit transportation targets in France, Belgium and the Netherlands; they claim 4-0-0 aircraft in the air and 3-0-2 on the ground; 3 P-47s are lost (pilots MIA) and 2 damaged.
3. An unknown number of 380 P-51s strafe transportation targets on the French/German border; they claim 3-0-0 aircraft in the air and 5-0-2 on the ground; 16 P-51s are lost and 12 damaged; 15 pilots are MIA.
Mission 588: 6 of 6 B-17s drop leaflets in France and the Netherlands during the night.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In France, B-26s and A-20s escorted by fighters bomb fuel dumps at Doullens, Barisis-aux-Bois, an ammunition dump at Querrieu, an ammunition and fuel dump at Compiegne/Foret de Laigue, and an alcohol distillery and fuel storage depot at Hamm; fighters escort about 400 C-47s on supply and evacuation runs, attack airfields at Bourges and Peronne, support ground forces, and fly armed reconnaissance from Amiens to E of Dijon; the 155th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), moves from Rennes to Chateaudun with A-20s and F-3s; the 422d Night Fighter Squadron, IX Air Defense Command, moves from Maupertus to Chateaudun with P-61s; the 507th Fighter Squadron, 404th Fighter Group, moves from Chapelle to Bretigny with P-47s; and the 514th Fighter Squadron, 406th Fighter Group, moves from Cretteville to St Leonard with P-47s.
30 Mosquitos to Mannheim, 66 OTU Wellingtons on a diversionary sweep, 19 RCM sorties, 26 Mosquito patrols, 7 aircraft on Resistance operations. 2 Mosquitos from the Mannheim raid and 1 Intruder Mosquito lost.
150 aircraft - 77 Halifaxes, 48 Lancasters, 25 Mosquitos - carried out small 'Oboe leader' raids on 12 flying bomb sites. Most of the targets were satisfactorily hit. This was the last of the long series of raids on the German flying-bomb launching and storage sites in the Pas de Calais area, which was captured by Allied ground troops a few days later. There was 1 aircraft casualty. A No 550 Squadron Lancaster, which had just bombed the Wemars/Cappel launching site near Amiens, received a direct hit from a flak battery near Dunkirk. The Lancaster went down in flames and exploded. The pilot, Pilot Officer SC Beeson, and 3 other members of the crew escaped by parachute, but the wireless operator and the 2 gunners were killed. Sergeants JK Norgate, HS Picton and JA Trayhorn were thus the last fatal casualties in Bomber Command's campaign against the V-1 flying bomb.
30 aircraft of 6 and 8 Groups bombed a German battery on the Île de Cezembre, near St Malo, and 23 Halifaxes of No 6 Group bombed ships in Brest harbour. No aircraft lost.
35 Mosquitos to Essen, 4 to Leverkusen, 3 each to Le Culot and Venlo and 2 to Cologne, 13 Mosquito patrols, 6 Halifaxes minelaying off La Pallice, 19 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Halifax lost flying on a Resistance operation.
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