Sam Saunders 128 Squadron

Sam Saunders 128 Squadron

Details of Sam's time with 128 Squadron at RAF Wyton and RAF White Waltham.
There is a photo of Arthur Harris giving the salute.

2013-10

One printed sheet and one b/w photograph

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In September Daddy moved to 128 Squadron, carrying out Operations 98 to 100 with this Light Night Striking Force. This squadron was re-formed in September 1944, at Wyton, Huntingdonshire, as a Mosquito light-bomber squadron of No. 7 (Pathfinder) Group, RAF Bomber Command. It formed part of the PFF's Fast Night Striking Force and during the remainder of the war in Europe made many nuisance raids on important industrial centres in Germany. The last operation was a 5000lb bomb over Kassel. Flying out of White Waltham. Total Flying [sic] hours to date were 828 by day and 677 by night.

In October two night raids and practises were carried out with Loran navigational aid to bombing. This meant using two transmitters and low wave frequency emissions for triangulation. An in November 'Blind Loran' navigation was used for bombing over Berlin with a 4000lb bomb. At this point he gained a 'Bar' for his DFC, recognising his length of service and number of Operations.

In December, after a year with Bomber Command, there were Operations 104 and 105. There were exercises with formation flying and low level bombing with 2 x 4000lb bombs being dropped on Duisberg and Mannheim.

Then in January 1945 came his most demanding flight. There had been a number of exercises for low level bombing and then on 1st of January there was a low level attack on a railway tunnel south of Cochem in the Moselle Valley using 1 x 4000lb bomb. For the next two weeks, over Magdeburg, they were “stoking fires of heavy attack from night before”.

Squadron Leader E J Saunders was awarded the Distinguished Service Order on 27th of February 1945.

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[black and white photograph]

This is Commander in Chief 'Bomber' Harris and on the 17th January 1945 he sent a telegram to Daddy, which stated.

“My warmest congratulations on the award of your Distinguished Service Order”, Air chief Marshall A t (Bomber) Harris.

Amongst the paperwork is also a note from King George VI who apologised for not being able to personally give the award.

At the end of February 1945, after 846.45 hours of daytime flying 697.15 hours by night, on this occasion Daddy signed his own logbook as Officer commanding.