Sorties Flown by James Foulsham and John Swarbrick in 109 Squadron

Sorties Flown by James Foulsham and John Swarbrick in 109 Squadron

A summary of sorties flown by the two men.

1944

One printed sheet

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Sorties flown by James Foulsham and John Swarbrick in 109 Squadron

[a] 1944 [b] MOSQUITO [c] DETAILS OF SORTIE OR FLIGHT

[a] 1.3 [b] IV DK. 331 [c] DEELEN: bomb doors failed to open.
[a] 2.3 [b] IV DZ. 319 [c] AACHEN: bombed on DR (Dead Reckoning) due to technical failure.
[a] 7.3 [b] IX LR. 496 [c] KREFELD: bombed from 30,000' by A.R.5513.
[a] 11.3 [b] IX LR. 496 [c] AACHEN: bombed on DR.
[a] 15.3 [b] XVI ML. 960 [c] HAMBORN: bombed from 30,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 18.3 [b] IX ML. 905 [c] FLORENNES: bombed on DR from 28,000' due to technical failure.
[a] 21.3 [b] XVI ML. 956 [c] OBERHAUSEN: bombed from 30,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 23.3 [b] IV DZ. 331 [c] LAON: not attacked: technical failures: bombs/Tis brought home.
[a] 27.3 [b] XVI ML. 960 [c] KREFELD: bombed from 30,200' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 29.3 [b] XVI ML. 960 [c] KREFELD: bombed from 30,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 1.4 [b] XVI ML.956 [c] KREFELD: bombed from 29,900' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 4.4 [b] IV DZ. 433 [c] KREFELD: bombs dropped on DR from last GEE fix: technical failure.
[a] 6.4 [b] IV DZ. 485 [c] DUREN: bombs dropped on DR: technical failure.
[a] 8.4 [b] XVI ML.956 [c] RHEINHAUSEN: jettisoned 1 x 4000lb HC owing to poor aircraft performance.
[a] 9.4 [b] XVI ML. 960 [c] VILLENEUVE: reserve aircraft not required: Tis brought back.
[a] 11.4 [b] XVI ML. 956 [c] AACHEN: did not attack: reserve aircraft not required.
[a] 22.4 [b] IV DZ.526 [c] DUSSELDORF: not attacked: technical failure: Tis brought back.
[a] 26.4 [b] XVI ML. 956 [c] 5010N 0204E [symbol]: task abandoned at French Coast: technical failure.
[a] 27.4 [b] XVI ML. 956 [c] 5010N 0204E [symbol]: [c] bombed in formation as reserve 20,000': good photographs.
[a] 30.4 [b] IV DZ.433 [c] SOMAIN [symbol]: no attack: reserve aircraft to DZ. 319, not required.
[a] 2.5 [b] IX ML. 905 [c] LEVERKUSEN: bombs dropped on Tis: technical and oxygen failure.
[a] 7.5 [c] IX ML. 905 [c] NANTES: no attack: markers brought back owing to technical failure.
[a] 8.5 [b] XVI ML. 989 [c] MORSALINES: no attack: too late to cope effectively.
[a] 10.5 [b] IV DZ. 319 [c] DIEPPE: marked from 26,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 11.5 [b] XVI ML. 939 [c] HASSELT: marked from 26,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 19.5 [b] XVI ML. 989 [c] MERVILLE FRANCVILLE: no attack technical failure: markers brought back.
[a] 22.5 [b] XVI ML. 927 [c] ORLEANS: reserve to LR. 510: markers brought back: technical failure.
[a] 23.5 [b] XVI ML. 979 [c] DORMUND: bombed from 32,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 2.6 [b] XVI ML. 932 [c] HARINGZELLES: marked from 22,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 5.6 [b] XVI ML. 932 [c] MERVILLE [symbol]: marked from 22,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 6.6 [b] XVI ML. 932 [c] CONDE SUR NOIREAU [symbol]: marked from 22,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 8.6 [b] XVI ML. 989 [c] FOUGERES: marked from 32,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 12.6 [b] IX LR. 510 [c] GELSEN-KIRCHEN: marked from 23,000' by A.R. 5513: Tis well grouped.
[a] 14.6 [b] IX LR. 510 [c] AUNAY-SUR-ODON: marked from 23,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 15.6 [b] IX LR. 510 [c] BOULOGNE: marked from 24,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 22.6 [b] IX LR. 513 [c] LAON: marked from 33,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 24.6 [b] XVI ML. 992 [c] MIDDELSTRAETE: marked from 18,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 27.6 [b] XVI ML. 979 [b] FORET D'EAWY: no attack: markers brought back – very poor bombing run.
[a] 29.6 [b] IX LR. 510 [c] DOMLEGER: marked from 22,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 2.7 [b] IX LR. 510 [c] SCHOLWEN: marked from 32,000' by A.R. 5513: H/F – holes in main plane.
[a] 5.7 [b] IX LR. 510 [c] BIENNAIS: marked from 22,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 19.7 [b] IX LR. 510 [c] THIRVERNY: marked from 30,000' by A.R. 5513.
[a] 20.7 [b] Lancaster III ED. 908 [c] FORET DE CROC [symbol]: Bombed as leader of a formation of 9 Lancasters of 582 Sqn from 16,000' by A.R. 5513. Hit by flak before release and caught fire. Carried on and bombed but broke up in the air after leaving the target and crashed. No one was seen to use his parachute.

[symbol] Grid reference for a point north-east of Abbeville.
[symbol] The sortie to Somain was the only one which James Foulsham undertook without his regular navigator, John Swarbrick: on this occasion he was accompannied by Sqn Ldr J.V. Watts.
[symbol] On the night of D-Day the attack immediately before the Normandy landings was on the coastal battery at Merville, and after the landings it was on Condé sur Noireau, south of Caen.
[symbol] Different teams from 109 Squadron were being used to fly with 582 Squadron, and it became the turn of Sqn Ldr James Foulsham and Flt Lt John Swarbrick to fly with Sqn Ldr John Bentley Weightman on ED908 (Z) on 20 July 1944.

Over the 42 completed flights, there were 22 successful releases (52%), 5 occasions when bombs were dropped by dead reckoning (12%), 2 other bombings in formation (5%), 3 flights as reserve aircraft when marking was not required and Target Indicators were brought back (7%), 6 technical failures (14%), and 4 failures for other reasons (10%), one involving the jettisoning of a 4,000lb bomb at 5238N 0325E. They did not return from their 43rd mission. James Foulsham and John Swarbrick were both awarded their Temporary Pathfinder Badge on 23 May 1944 and each received the posthumous award of the Distinguished Flying Cross for completing many operational sorties with notable successes.