This Day In History

Summary of Events for  No. 439 (CAN) Squadron 

as recorded in the  439 Squadron Operations Record Book

for

23 June 1944

 R.A.F. Hurn

Cloudy all day and haze late in the afternoon. One operation was conducted today in which ten aircraft took part, led by S/L Norsworthy. The aircraft carried one long range tank and one 500 lb. bomb except for two fighter escorts which carried two long range tanks. A reconnaissance was made of roads in France and bombs were dropped on a railway line at Mezidon. F/O Ray Brown had engine trouble on his return journey and baled out south of the Isle of Wight. The fellows feel that he wasn't in the sea long enough even to get his feet soaked. He was taken to Calshot where he spent the night and was equipped with part of a zoot suit.

 

Detail of Work Carried Out by  No. 439 RCAF Squadron 

as compiled by in the  439 Squadron Operations Record Book Form 541

A/C Type & Number Crew Duty Up Down

Column is illegible

 

 

 

 

 

 

M

 S/L Norsworthy

F/O Gray

F/O Moen

F/O Allen

F/O Brown Ray

F/O Burgess

F/O Johns

F/O Hewson

F/O Scharff

F/O ?????

 

Dive Bombing & Recce

09:00

10:40
 

Details of Sortie or Flight

Carrying one 500 lb. bomb and one long range tank on each of eight fighter bombers and two long range tanks on two fighters, the Squadron crossed the Channel to carry out a reconnaissance of the roads between ?????-?????-????? and  ???????????????????....were dropped on the railway line at Mezidon. Four enemy M.T. vehicles were attacked  just south of ??????- ??????? and  (rest of paragraph is illegible.)

All other aircraft returned safely, unhit. Next sentence is illegible.

 

Webmaster's Notes:

(1)  F/O GW Hewson suffered a hang-up  on this mission.

(2) The 541 Form for the month of June 1944 is extremely illegible, and difficult to read, and may entail a trip to Ottawa to get a better copy out of the Directorate of History. Hopefully theirs will more legible.

In the meantime, illegible text is indicated by a series of  question " ? " marks.

 

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