Extract from 57 Squadron O.R.B (Air.27/258)

Extract from 57 Squadron O.R.B (Air.27/258)

Account highly successful attach on Turin on 12/13 July 1943 by aircraft of 57 Squadron which included Sgt E H Tansley as second pilot in aircraft ED655. Includes list of aircraft and bomb load of ED655. Account of a further attack on Milan on 16/17 July 1943. Tansley did not take part. Post it note state that this was 'Dad's first op from Scampton as second pilot with Jack Russell'.

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MTansleyEH149542-160929-03

[underlined]Extract from 57 O.R.B. (AIR.27/538)
12-13.7.43 Fifteen aircraft detailed to attack Turin. One returned early with an engine failure, and one (Capt - F/Sgt Pickett) was missing. The remainder found broken cloud ,11th good visibility at the target, which was successfully bombed. Many large explosions and concentrated fires were seen and consensus of the reports show that the raid was very successful. Two aircraft proceeded to North Africa owing to failures which prevented them from tackling the long route home, and five others landed at aerodromes in the South of England to refuel before reaching their base. The remaining six aircraft returned direct to base, where they landed safely. In view of the long route and the shortness of the prevailing hours of darkness, it is considered that this was an outstandingly successful operation both in its planning and execution.

Machines taking part: W4388, W4822, ED616, ED655, ED733, ED758, ED861, ED920, ED989, ED992. ED994, EE19J. EE197, JA696, U1J22
ED655 (not ED665) took off at 2205 hrs and landed at 0849 hrs. Its crew comprised Lt,J:E.Russell (Pilot). Lt.R. Wright (NAv), Sgt JI.J.Lazenby F/E, Sgt E.H.Tansley (2nd P), Sgt R.W.Golden (BA) Sgt.J .P.Dow W/Op, Sgt E. W. Bark (M U), F I Sgt R. H. 11urston (R G). The sortie was completed and numerous fires were seen. Bomb load of this aircraft was 1 x 4,oOOlb H.C. and 11 S.B.C,'s. (I list this machine as coded DX-X).

16-17.7.43 (Not 15-16.7.43) Primary target - transformer station Milan
Secondary target - transformer station Regina.
The primary target was bombed by W/C Hopcroft, -and the secondary target at Regina by tt. Russell and plo' Grimwood after they had been diverted to the secondary target.
Machines taking part were ED992 (Hopcroft, EE19J (Russell), JA696 (Grimwood).
Russell's crew was the same as on the pri!-ous raid except that Sgt. Tansley was not amongst them. The sortie was complete. Bomb load on this occasion was. 12 x 500 Ib G.P. and 2 x 8 x 30lb I.B. (r list this machine as coded DX-S).