Accounts of three operations
Title
Accounts of three operations
Description
Lists crew and then provides description of operations to Berlin (first operation), Leipzig and Schweinfurt between the 15 and 25 February 1944. Describes events, bomb load and distances.
This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.
This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.
Language
Format
Multi-page notebook with handwritten notes
Conforms To
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
SWeirG19660703v060002
Transcription
- : CREW :-
Scott:- John COVERDALE. PILOT.
WESTLEY:- DOUGLAS VERNON. NAVIGATOR.
TI
TICKELL:- RONALD ERNEST. AIR BOMBER.
POINTON:- MAX WILLIAM GEORGE. WIRELESS OP.
OAKES:- KENNETH STANLEY. TAIL GUNNER.
DRAKE-BROCKMAN:- THOMAS CHARLES. M.U. GUNNER.
HANDLEY. WALTER KENNETH. FLIGHT ENGINEER
[page break]
[blank page]
[page break]
[blank page]
[page break]
BERLIN.
NIGHT. 15/16th FEB., ’44.
This was to be our first operation against the Third Reich. It was.
We were told at briefing that “tonight was to be the greatest offensive yet taken by the R.A.F. against Germany.” More than a 1000 four engine bombers were taking part in the attack.
Our trip was very uneventful up to the target. We bombed through 10/10 cloud. Flak was moderate.
Mid upper saying “I have seen more over Tobruk in ’42,” although it took us a fair while to cross Target. Bombed at 2300!
Trip home was quite uneventful except when nearing home found one of our petrol tanks had iced up. Ken did a good job & got it working in the end.
It was a touch and go if we would make base with what juice we had left.
[page break]
When over land “called up” “Oakey” for some time did not received any answer. Eventually found base & landed. We checked 7.30 hrs. Track distance was 1322 miles. Bomb Load 4 x 30 x 8 & 8 x 4 x 90 approx 4000 lbs of incendiaries
Our aircraft was “Z” for “Zebra” LV824”Z”
43 of our aircraft are missing
[page break]
[blank page]
[page break]
[blank page]
[page break]
-: LEIPZIG :-
NIGHT:- 19/20th February. 1944.
Leipzig was the target for the R.A.F. tonight
Had a very good trip in except for the winds changing and the navigator working like hell to try and find out where he was. We were well of [sic] track going in. Practically went over Berlin.
When we found out where we were we turned for the target. Did a bombing run of 21 runs. Could see very few aircraft around us.
Bombs were dropped in a hell of a hurry, nose down and full speed ahead for home.
Flak was fairly intense over target.
I could still see a great
[page break]
red glow in the east even after we had left the target for 3/4 hr or so.
Uneventful trip out. When out of German occupied territory found we were running very short of fuel.
Decided not to make base but to make England at the closest point.
We did and finally landed at Snetterton Heath an 8th USAAF Base. 96th Bombardment Group.
Scotty did a great landing on a 2000 yd runway with no brake pressure. Ground [two indecipherable words] T “Taxi” & she came round without a moan, then cut our motors
Stayed there for the remainder of the day. Yanks gave us all we wanted
Saw the Forts take off in
[page break]
the early hours of the morning to go out & prang what we had started viz:- LEIPZIG.
Saw them come back late in the afternoon. Have seen the most spectacular landing procedure of my life.
Yanks have wonderful organisation.
Came back to base late in afternoon.
Bomb load. 4 x 30 x 8 8 x 4 x 90 approx 4000 lbs incendiaries.
Bombed through 10/10.
Aircraft HX266”T”
“T” Taxi
79 of our aircraft missing
Approx 1250 track miles
Clocked 7.05 hrs.
[page break]
[blank page]
[page break]
:- ‘SCHWEINFURT’ :-
NIGHT. 24/25th February. 1944.
After much trouble with engines STB. inner “G” & rear turret we finally got away.
Were routed in [indecipherable word] through France. Very uneventful trip.
Approx 3/10 cloud over target. [inserted] We [/inserted] Were coned by searchlights approx 3 or 4 for a few seconds nearly colided [sic] with a Lancaster during our evasive action.
Whole trip uneventful. Save our poor cow over Frankfurt coned with approx 40-50 S/L. and getting all the flak they have
Due to good airmanship [inserted] due [/inserted] to Jack & Ken we got back to base with approx 45 mins flying time left.
Aircraft HX274 “X” “X Ray” Bomb load 4 x 30 x 8 & 8 x 4 x 90. approx 1000 lbs incendiaries.
[page break]
Clocked 8.06 hrs.
1520 Track miles
[page break]
[blank page]
Scott:- John COVERDALE. PILOT.
WESTLEY:- DOUGLAS VERNON. NAVIGATOR.
TI
TICKELL:- RONALD ERNEST. AIR BOMBER.
POINTON:- MAX WILLIAM GEORGE. WIRELESS OP.
OAKES:- KENNETH STANLEY. TAIL GUNNER.
DRAKE-BROCKMAN:- THOMAS CHARLES. M.U. GUNNER.
HANDLEY. WALTER KENNETH. FLIGHT ENGINEER
[page break]
[blank page]
[page break]
[blank page]
[page break]
BERLIN.
NIGHT. 15/16th FEB., ’44.
This was to be our first operation against the Third Reich. It was.
We were told at briefing that “tonight was to be the greatest offensive yet taken by the R.A.F. against Germany.” More than a 1000 four engine bombers were taking part in the attack.
Our trip was very uneventful up to the target. We bombed through 10/10 cloud. Flak was moderate.
Mid upper saying “I have seen more over Tobruk in ’42,” although it took us a fair while to cross Target. Bombed at 2300!
Trip home was quite uneventful except when nearing home found one of our petrol tanks had iced up. Ken did a good job & got it working in the end.
It was a touch and go if we would make base with what juice we had left.
[page break]
When over land “called up” “Oakey” for some time did not received any answer. Eventually found base & landed. We checked 7.30 hrs. Track distance was 1322 miles. Bomb Load 4 x 30 x 8 & 8 x 4 x 90 approx 4000 lbs of incendiaries
Our aircraft was “Z” for “Zebra” LV824”Z”
43 of our aircraft are missing
[page break]
[blank page]
[page break]
[blank page]
[page break]
-: LEIPZIG :-
NIGHT:- 19/20th February. 1944.
Leipzig was the target for the R.A.F. tonight
Had a very good trip in except for the winds changing and the navigator working like hell to try and find out where he was. We were well of [sic] track going in. Practically went over Berlin.
When we found out where we were we turned for the target. Did a bombing run of 21 runs. Could see very few aircraft around us.
Bombs were dropped in a hell of a hurry, nose down and full speed ahead for home.
Flak was fairly intense over target.
I could still see a great
[page break]
red glow in the east even after we had left the target for 3/4 hr or so.
Uneventful trip out. When out of German occupied territory found we were running very short of fuel.
Decided not to make base but to make England at the closest point.
We did and finally landed at Snetterton Heath an 8th USAAF Base. 96th Bombardment Group.
Scotty did a great landing on a 2000 yd runway with no brake pressure. Ground [two indecipherable words] T “Taxi” & she came round without a moan, then cut our motors
Stayed there for the remainder of the day. Yanks gave us all we wanted
Saw the Forts take off in
[page break]
the early hours of the morning to go out & prang what we had started viz:- LEIPZIG.
Saw them come back late in the afternoon. Have seen the most spectacular landing procedure of my life.
Yanks have wonderful organisation.
Came back to base late in afternoon.
Bomb load. 4 x 30 x 8 8 x 4 x 90 approx 4000 lbs incendiaries.
Bombed through 10/10.
Aircraft HX266”T”
“T” Taxi
79 of our aircraft missing
Approx 1250 track miles
Clocked 7.05 hrs.
[page break]
[blank page]
[page break]
:- ‘SCHWEINFURT’ :-
NIGHT. 24/25th February. 1944.
After much trouble with engines STB. inner “G” & rear turret we finally got away.
Were routed in [indecipherable word] through France. Very uneventful trip.
Approx 3/10 cloud over target. [inserted] We [/inserted] Were coned by searchlights approx 3 or 4 for a few seconds nearly colided [sic] with a Lancaster during our evasive action.
Whole trip uneventful. Save our poor cow over Frankfurt coned with approx 40-50 S/L. and getting all the flak they have
Due to good airmanship [inserted] due [/inserted] to Jack & Ken we got back to base with approx 45 mins flying time left.
Aircraft HX274 “X” “X Ray” Bomb load 4 x 30 x 8 & 8 x 4 x 90. approx 1000 lbs incendiaries.
[page break]
Clocked 8.06 hrs.
1520 Track miles
[page break]
[blank page]
Collection
Citation
“Accounts of three operations,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 26, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/34524.
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