| A/C
Type & Number |
Crew |
Duty |
Up |
Down |
| MP151
MN869
MP136
MN345
MN869
MN375
MP134
MN765
MN379 |
F/L
Burton
P/O
Carr
F/O
Rassenti
F/O
Brown
F/O
Fraser
F/O
Stitt
F/O
Bernhart
F/O
Swingler
F/O
MacDonald |
Straffing
'
'
'
' (spare)
'
'
'
'
|
07:10 |
08:30
'
'
'
08:20
'
'
'
' |
|
Details
of Sortie or Flight
This
early morning show was an armed recce of the area
Turnhout-Tilburg-Roosendaal-Flushing with MET as the main object
of the search. No movement was seen until Blue Section spotted
15 MET on the road just south of Roosendaal. Blue Section
attacked with cannon fire and left only four MET for Red Section
to finish off. As the last aircraft pulled away from the convoy
5 MET had gone up in flames and the remainder were heavily
damaged. Blue Section returned to base with empty guns and Red
Section continued the recce. One train engine was found at
D.7736 and was damaged by cannon fire. Immediately afterwards
another train was found at D.6729, this train was made up of
twelve boxcars which were loaded with troops. In the cannon
attacks which followed, the engine was put out of action and one
of the cars smoking. All aircraft returned safely to base having
rung up a score of :
5
MET - 10 MET DAMAGED - 3 RR ENGINES KNOCKED OUT.
|
| A/C
Type & Number |
Crew |
Duty |
Up |
Down |
| MP151
MN969
MN581
MP136
MN352
MN989
MN665
MN691 |
F/L
Fiset
F/O
Laurence
F/O
Smith
W/O
Gray
F/O
Monson
F/O
Henderson
F/O
Stelter
F/O
Roberts |
Straffing |
09:50 |
10:30 |
|
Details
of Sortie or Flight
This
show, led by F/L Fiset (Who's taking over the helm of 439
Squadron), was an armed recce over the same area as the previous
show and met with similar success. Two trains, each travelling
east in the vicinity of Tilburg, were attacked on this show and
both engines were left damaged. The first train was made up of
ten goods trucks painted green and bearing red crosses on the
sides. The second train of thirty goods trucks were marked with
large white squares, red crosses may have been there.
Both trains were attacked however, and two engines and one car
claimed as damaged for the show.
|
| A/C
Type & Number |
Crew |
Duty |
Up |
Down |
| MN581
MN969
MN691
MN345
MN765
MN869
PD465
MP136
MP151
MN665
MN379 |
F/L
Burton
P/O
Carr
F/o
Rassenti
F/O
Brown
F/O
Swingler
F/O
MacDonald
F/O
Stitt
F/O
Bernhart
S/L
Norsworthy
F/O
Roberts
W/O
Gray |
Dive
Bombing |
18:40 |
19:30 |
|
Details
of Sortie or Flight
This
last show of the day was a Ramrod against an enemy pocket well
within our own bomb line and 500 lb. bombs were used with
instantaneous tail fusing. F/L Burton led the show of eleven
aircraft - one of which was piloted by S/L Norsworthy, DFC. S/L
Norsworthy has just completed his second tour and was up for one
last crack at the Hun before returning to Canada. This enemy
pocket consisted of a number of well set up gun positions on the
Island in the canal, just north of Ghant (map reference J.2086).
The target was reached and attacked by eleven aircraft and all
the bombs released were on the target. The attack dive was from
the north from 7500 to 3000 feet in a good 60 degree dive. F/O
Brown went back and strafed and reported that two gun positions
had been destroyed by the bombing. No flak was experienced. All
aircraft returned safely to base at 19:30 hours.
|
Tiger
Squadron