Valenciennes, Edward King's 16th operation of his tour

Valenciennes, Edward King's 16th operation of his tour

Five items, Edward's brief description of the operation their bomb aimer was sick so took replacement, quiet trip. Edward's navigation plot, and an indication of the H2S plot when over the target. There are two press clippings, the first has a caption 'The result of A.E.A.F. attacks on the railway centre at Valenciennes'. This refers to the Allied tactical air forces damage to railway engine shed. The upper part of the photograph clearly shows the two large turntables, the round house where the locomotives are housed between trips and the storage tracks occupied by waggons, all badly damaged. Across the centre of the photograph is a canal with a collapsed bridge, below that are large factories again showing signs of bomb damage.
A second cutting shows Munich, no caption, signs of some bomb damage.

1944-06-15

1944-06-16

One typewritten document, navigation plot, H2S plot, two press cuttings

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SKingEJ182986v10072, SKingEJ182986v10073, SKingEJ182986v10074, SKingEJ182986v10075, SKingEJ182986v10076

[underlined] VALENCIENNES [/underlined]

[underlined] Railway Marshalling Yards. 15th June, 1944 [/underlined]

Airborne 2315
Landed 0245

Chris Morris (Bomb-Aimer) sick so took Doug. Cox.
Quiet trip with little flak.

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[inserted][underlined] VALENCIENNES. [/underlined][/inserted]

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THE RESULT OF A.E.A.F. ATTACKS ON THE RAILWAY CENTRE AT VALENCIENNES

After several attacks by aircraft of 2nd. T.A.F. and 9th. U.S.A.F. this low altitude reconnaissance photograph shows part of the devastation, at Valenciennes, near the locomotive depot. The double track bridge over Canal de L'Escuat is seen lying on the canal bed preventing any traffic to Lille, Douai and Somain by this line.

Damage is widespread both in the Loco Sheds and the large factory on the opposite side of the canal.

184

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