MN589

PD461

MP134

RB281

RB233

MN791

F/O J.D. Sweeney

F/O V.H.J. LeGear

F/O L.C. Shaver

S/L R.G. Crosby

F/S Propas, B.

F/O R.H. Laurence

W/O S.A. Church

'

'

11:15

11:15

11:20

10:45

Details of Sortie or Flight

Our battle area over AACHEN BEING CLOSED IN, THE SQUADRON took off with no bombs to return to their old hunting ground in COSEFELD, Germany area. On arriving there they found a large layer of mist over the southern sector of the area commencing about 10 miles south of COESFELD. Red Flight found a train just south of COESFELD and made an attack on it but were met by a hail of light and heavy flak, and Red 1 (F/O Sweeney) received a hit in the starboard  wing aleron so that he returned to base with his flight, his aircraft was Cat AC.

Blue Flight went further north and ran into a nest of trains, they split into pairs and carried out separate attacks. Blue 1 (S/L Crosby) accounted for five locomotives. he came up to look around for more, Blue 3 - (F/O Laurence) having knocked out two already and to the north he saw a FW 190 and a Typhoon dog fighting and then the Typhoon spun into earth and burst into flames. He gave chase to the 190 and was closing in on it when bounced by 10 FW190's and ME109's. He called a break with the Huns already firing. Both he and his number two had about five on their tails. With such a disadvantage it was useless to fight it out so F/O Laurence dove for the deck. After a chase for ten miles or so, there was only one long nosed FW190 on his tail but he was extremely persistent, so F/O Laurence commenced some very tight steep turns on the deck hoping that the 190 couldn't stay with him. It kept right with him but suddenly flicked and crashed into the ground bursting into flames.

Just after this he was bounced by a ME109 he hadn't seen, but no trouble and out turned it with 20 degree flap and was about to shoot it down when it too rolled over completely and crashed into the ground blowing up. Blue 4 (W/O Church) did not return and it was presumed that he was shot down .

CLAIMS: 1 FW190 destroyed, 1 ME109 destroyed, 7 locomotives damaged, 4 goods trucks damaged.

MN869

MP134

RB281

MN691

MN589

PD461

PD354

F/L J.A. Cote

F/O W. Kubicki

F/O W.G. Davis

F/O A.H. Fraser

F/L J. Carr

F/O D.E. Johnson

F/O J. Roberts

F/O J.L. Harrison

Details of Sortie or Flight

Eight aircraft took off without bombs, led by F/L Joe Cote with F/L Johnny Carr as leader of Blue Section. The boys returned to their old area Se of MUNSTER, after having worked St. Vith area for about a week. As the weather was fairly bad in the MUNSTER area with low lying cloud covering that part of Germany, the Squadron headed farther north up into the Northern area on the Dutch German border. Here trains loaded with MET were encountered. F/L Joe Cote led Red Section down on there targets, while Blue Section orbited above to provide fighter cover. Considerable success was had by Red Section who expended all their ammo. The squadron then headed for home. The Squadron was rather disappointed in the fact that no Hun air activity was noticeable, since much of it was reported, although Blue 3 (F/O Roberts) as well as others claim to have seen a ME163 which didn't stay around very long.

CLAIMS: Locos. 2 damaged, MET 3 flamers, 7 damaged.

MN869

MP134

RB281

MN144

MN589

PD461

MN691

F/O R.H. Laurence

F/S Propas B.

S/L R.G. Crosby

F/O W.G. Davis

F/O J.D. Sweeney

F/O J.V.H. LeGear

F/O L.C. Shaver

F/O A.E. Derouin

Details of Sortie or Flight

This operation was to be another armed recce in the COESFELD-RHEINE area. F/O Laurence was leading. They had just crossed the Rhine north if EMMERICH, Germany, when recalled by Group Control, as their base had been closed in by heavy fog moving north very fast. They were instructed to land at VOKEL which they did.