No operations today for the crews of 463 and 467 Squadrons at RAF Waddington, despite a fine sunny day. The Operational Record Books only record three flights by 467 Squadron aircraft for a total seven hours in the air.
Throughout April 1944,[1] 463 Squadron made a total of 144 operational sorties, for the loss of two crews (those of Pilot Officer Charles Schomberg in LL892 on Brunswick, 22 April, and Pilot Officer Eric Page in LL848 on Munich on 24 April). The story was somewhat better for 467 Squadron, making 147 sorties for only one loss (the crew of Pilot Officer Ken Feeney in ND732 on La Chapelle, 20 April). In fact, the ORB notes, since 1 February 467 Squadron had lost just four aircraft for 357 completed sorties. ‘If this ratio can continue”, Flight Lieutenant McDonald wrote, “we can indeed count ourselves as fortunate.”
While 5 Group had the night off, other bomber Groups were operating tonight.[2] Mosquitos attacked Saarbrucken and Duren and attacked airfields and other aircraft laid mines off the French coast or carried out Resistance operations. In a continuation of the Transportation Plan two marshalling yards in France – at Acheres, which had been softened up by Mosquitos last night, and Somain, south of Lille – were attacked by heavy bombers along with an ammunition dump at Maintenon, south-west of Paris. Acheres suffered what the Night Raid Report called “enormous damage” and the ammunition dump was “virtually destroyed” while leaving the nearby town almost untouched. The bombing at Somain, it says, was centred “on the edge of the target” due to late and inaccurate marking but significant damage was still caused. A single Halifax which was shot down by flak on this target was the only casualty for the night.
This post is part of a series called 467 Postblog, posted in real time to mark the 70th anniversary of the crew of B for Baker while they were on operational service with 467 Squadron at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. See this link for an in-depth explanation of the series, and this one for full citations of sources used throughout it. © 2014 Adam Purcell
Sources:
[1] Statistics from the Operational Record Books of 463 and 467 Squadrons
[2] Operational details from Night Raid Report No. 592 and RAF Bomber Command Campaign Diary, April 1944
Something Very Big 