He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type II, serial DT623, code VR-).
2 formations, each of 3 Mosquitos, made dramatic at temps to interrupt large rallies being addressed by Nazi leaders in Berlin on this day. These raids would be the first time the German capital was bombed in daylight.
3 aircraft from No 105 Squadron successfully reached Berlin and bombed in mid-morning at the exact time that Goering was due to speak. The speech was postponed or an hour and all 3 Mosquitos returned safely.
In the afternoon, 3 Mosquitos of No 139 Squadron arrived at the time Goebbels was due to speak and again bombed at the correct time but the German defences were alerted and the aircraft of Squadron Leader DF Darling was shot down. Darling and his navigator, Flying Officer W Wright, were both killed and are now buried in Berlin
19 Wellingtons of No 4 Group and 17 Bostons to many places in Germany and Holland but only 5 Wellingtons and 1 Boston found targets to bomb. 4 Wellingtons lost.
Hamburg; 148 aircraft - 135 Lancasters, 7 Stirlings, 6 Halifaxes - or 1, 5 and No 8 Groups carried out the first H2S attack of the war, with Pathfinder Stirlings and Halifaxes using the new device to mark the target. 5 Lancasters were lost, 3.4 per cent of the force.
Although H2S would later become a more effective device, its use was not successful on this night even though Hamburg, close to a coastline and on a prominent river, was the best type of H2S target. Bombing was scattered over a wide area most of the bombs appear to have fallen in the River Elbe or in the surrounding marshes. However, 119 fires - 71 large - were started; 58 people were killed and 164 injured.
4 Mosquitos to targets in the Ruhr, 17 aircraft minelaying off St Nazaire and in the Frisians. No losses.
The term 'H2S' seemingly had no real meaning, and so could not give away its purpose to German spies. (Many German codenames could, with a little lateral thinking, easily give away the purpose of secret equipment). However, when asked what 'H2S' stood for, the scientists responsible for the equipment replied "Home Sweet Home". After the initial trials of H2S had gone badly during 1942, many, who knew their chemistry commented "'It stinks!". For those that don't, H2S is the formula for Hydrogen Sulphide.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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