]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Mal Prissick]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> Australia]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Rüsselsheim]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> France--Chartres]]> France--Gironde Estuary]]> France--Le Havre]]> United States]]> Germany]]> France]]> Poland]]> California--San Francisco]]> California]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Juvincourt-et-Damary]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Jackie Simpson]]> Brian May]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Yorkshire]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> Victoria]]> Victoria--Mallee]]> Victoria]]> Victoria--Mount Martha]]> Victoria]]> New South Wales]]> England--Sussex]]> 1944-03-06]]> 1944-03-07]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> There were some delays as Bomber Command had surplus aircrew. He spent some leave through the Lady Ryder Scheme and went to RAF Padgate. He was sent to RAF Fairoaks and witnessed V2 flying bombs before returning to RAF Padgate. Colin was sent to RAF West Freugh and did dead reckoning navigation. His next destination was 27 Operational Training Unit in Lichfield. Colin describes how they crewed up. He was introduced to the Gee radio navigation system and Wellingtons. He went to a Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Lindholme and encountered Lancasters and H2S.
Colin discusses his impressions of England and his activities. He also outlines how he carried out his role as a navigator.
They transferred to 460 Squadron at RAF Binbrook and started operations in March 1945. Colin describes some of their seven operations, which involved damage to the aircraft on a trip to Saarbrücken; being caught in the searchlights at Potsdam; cancellation mid-route of their trip to Bremen. On 25 April 1945, they flew in the second wave to Berchtesgaden and were hit, losing all but one engine. Some of the crew baled out but the pilot crash-landed the aircraft with the rear gunner because of a missing parachute. Colin was taken to Stalag Luft 7 at Moosburg. They were freed on 29 April 1945 by the American 14th Division, although it took some time to return to England and ultimately Australia.
Colin gives his views on the treatment of Bomber Command and the politics involved.
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Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Sally Coulter]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Surrey]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Scotland--Wigtownshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Potsdam]]> Germany--Berchtesgaden]]> Germany--Moosburg an der Isar]]> Germany--Ingolstadt]]> Poland]]> Poland--Opole (Voivodeship)]]> 1943]]> 1943-03]]> 1944]]> 1944-02]]> 1945-04-25]]> 1945-04-29]]>
Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Hugh Donnelly]]> Mal Prissick]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Manitoba]]> United States]]> England--Sussex]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> British Columbia--Vancouver Island]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> New South Wales]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Schulze]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary. Allocated S Coulter]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Staffordshire]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1945]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Great Britain]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Michael Cheesbrough]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Australia]]> Libya]]> Libya--Darnah]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> North Africa]]> Libya--Banghāzī]]> New South Wales]]> 1940]]> 1945-05-05]]> Ted was trained as a wireless operator and was posted to Northern Ireland to serve on a small antiaircraft observation unit. Next he went to Operational Training Units at RAF Litchfield where they crewed up. His crew was posted to 12 Squadron at RAF Wickenby. Ted’s first tour commenced on 13 May 1943. The operation had to be cancelled due to an engine catching fire. The pilot managed to extinguish the fire by going into a steep dive. Targets included the Ruhr, Berlin, Peenemünde, Cologne, Turin, Genoa and Hamburg. On the 8 October 1943 the tour ended with an operation to Stuttgart. On their leave on 22 October 1943 the crew made a BBC broadcast entitled 'Lancaster crew describes an operation'. Ted was then posted to RAF Lindholme as an instructor but then joined a second crew and was posted to RAF Binbrook with 460 Squadron. On D-Day they supported the landings by bombing batteries. In August 1945 Ted finally left the service from RAF Swinderby.
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Adam Sadler]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Second generation]]> Great Britain]]> Northern Ireland]]> France]]> Germany]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--London]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Italy--Genoa]]> Italy--Turin]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Blackpool]]> Germany--Peenemünde]]> Italy]]> Great Britain]]> Great Britain]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1943-05-13]]> 1943-10-22]]> 1943-10-08]]> 1945-08]]> 1941-02]]>
He describes their capture, mistreatment and interrogations at various locations. After interrogations at Dulag Luft they were sent to a transit camp in Frankfurt then on by train to Heydekrug, Stalag Luft VI. Although their camp section was new it was cramped and basic. He describes camp life in detail. As the Russians got closer they were sent by train to an Army camp at Thorn. He read a copy of NCO education in the camp. These courses were extremely popular and supported by text books sent from the UK. Exams were sat and papers sent to the UK for marking. At Thorn they marched to Stammlager 357 but not for long. They then marched back to the railway and were sent to Fallingbostel. He describes the rail journey in detail, then in greater detail he describes camp life.
Later he was moved to an officer's camp at Eichstadt. This turned out to be an Army camp which refused them and they were sent to Sagan. He stayed there for a short time then was moved to Stalag Luft 3, then 111A. As the Russians neared they moved again. After a couple of days waiting in trucks they returned to their camp. The railway system was breaking down as the end of the war neared.
After the Russians reached them they were allowed out of the camp but still remained billeted there. He writes about his impressions of the Russians.
His journey home was delayed by rain that did not allow aircraft to fly.
His story ends with his retelling of the night his aircraft was shot down, his night in Brussels and his return to England.]]>
Alan McInnes]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Australia]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lichfield]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Stendal]]> Switzerland]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Lithuania--Šilutė]]> Poland]]> Italy]]> Canada]]> United States]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Poland--Toruń]]> Greece]]> Greece--Crete]]> Poland--Vistula River]]> England--Staverton (Northamptonshire)]]> Germany--Bad Fallingbostel]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Poland--Bydgoszcz]]> Poland--Poznań]]> Germany--Pasewalk]]> Germany--Neubrandenburg]]> Germany--Stavenhagen]]> Germany--Malchin (Landkreis)]]> Germany--Güstrow]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Lübeck]]> Germany--Eichstätt]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Eisenach]]> Germany--Fürth (Bavaria)]]> Germany--Treuchtlingen]]> Germany--Ingolstadt]]> Germany--Regensburg]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Plauen]]> Poland--Wrocław]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> Victoria--Melbourne]]> New South Wales]]> India--Jammu and Kashmir]]> China]]> England--London]]> Germany--Elbe]]> Germany--Potsdam]]> Germany--Jüterbog]]> Ukraine--Odesa]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Germany--Halle an der Saale]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> England--Brighton]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Ukraine]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Poland--Poznań]]> Germany]]> Germany--Hof (Hof)]]> 1944-01-21]]>
Andrew Sadler]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Belgium]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> Spain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1940]]> 1942-10-04]]> Australia. Royal Australian Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Surrey]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Bayreuth]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Hagen (Arnsberg)]]> Germany--Helgoland]]> Germany--Homberg (Kassel)]]> Germany--Lübeck]]> Germany--Wuppertal]]> Manitoba--Dauphin]]> Scotland--Banff]]> Scotland--Moray]]> Victoria--Benalla]]> Germany--Wangerooge Island]]> Victoria]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Boizenburg]]> Manitoba]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1945-03-12]]> 1945-03-13]]> 1945-03-14]]> 1945-03-15]]> 1945-03-16]]> 1945-04-08]]> 1945-04-09]]> 1945-04-11]]> 1945-04-13]]> 1945-04-14]]> 1945-04-18]]> 1945-04-25]]> 1945-07-04]]> 1945-07-09]]> 1945-07-30]]> 1945-08-03]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Belgium]]> Canada]]> Gibraltar]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Spain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> 1943]]>
In 1942 he attended his RAF medical and was given deferred service. He was called up in March 1943 and attended various training courses to become a rear air gunner. Posted to RAF Lichfield he formed up with his mainly Canadian crew before moving on to an Operational Training Unit flying Whitley’s. At a Heavy Conversion Unit his crew moved to Halifax’s and finally Lancasters. In November 1943 they were posted to RAF Ludford Magna with 101 Squadron. Their first operation took place on 27th January 1944 to Berlin. Peter lists the German towns he was sent to on operations, including Nuremberg in March when the squadron lost seven aircraft. His thirtieth operation was against large guns at Calais. Normally the end of a tour, they were asked to carry out a special duties' operation on the night of 5th June 1944. They flew back and forth between Dover and Paris dropping Window, foil strips, out of the aircraft. It was not until they returned to the station that they were told it was part of the invasion of Europe.

He describes what he did in his spare time and the preparation for operations. Over the thirty-one operations he flew, Peter says that he never had to fire his guns even though he did see some night fighters. Only on one occasion did their aircraft have trouble, when one engine stopped working and there was no power to his rear turret. He describes the various roles he had after completing his tour until he was demobbed in January 1947. ]]>
Chris Johnson]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Nick Cornwell-Smith]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943-11]]> 1944-01-27]]> 1944-06-05]]> 1944-06-06]]>
David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Netherlands]]> 1945-05-08]]> David Meanwell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Oberursel]]> Ontario]]> Scotland--Falkirk]]> 1943-11]]> ]]> Donald Gould]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> United States]]> Donald Gould]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Great Britain]]> England--Yorkshire]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Ernest Cutts]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Claire Monk]]> Sally Des Forges]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Lichfield]]> Victoria]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Sussex]]> Geoffrey Whittle]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Hannover]]>
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Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> Netherlands]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Bochum]]> Germany--Bottrop]]> Germany--Chemnitz]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Goch]]> Germany--Hanau]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Kamen]]> Germany--Kleve (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate)]]> Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)]]> Germany--Soest]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Wanne-Eickel]]> Germany--Wuppertal]]> Italy--Bari]]> Netherlands--Domburg]]> Victoria]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Hagen (Arnsberg)]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1944-10-06]]> 1944-10-07]]> 1944-10-09]]> 1944-10-14]]> 1944-10-15]]> 1944-10-21]]> 1944-10-23]]> 1944-10-25]]> 1944-10-29]]> 1944-10-30]]> 1944-11-04]]> 1944-11-06]]> 1944-11-30]]> 1944-12-02]]> 1944-12-05]]> 1944-12-18]]> 1944-12-30]]> 1944-12-31]]> 1945-01-01]]> 1945-01-05]]> 1945-01-06]]> 1945-01-14]]> 1945-01-22]]> 1945-01-23]]> 1945-01-28]]> 1945-01-29]]> 1945-02-01]]> 1945-02-02]]> 1945-02-04]]> 1945-02-07]]> 1945-02-08]]> 1945-02-09]]> 1945-02-26]]> 1945-02-27]]> 1945-03-02]]> 1945-03-05]]> 1945-03-06]]> 1945-03-07]]> 1945-03-11]]> 1945-03-12]]> 1945-03-13]]> 1945-03-15]]> 1945-09-12]]> 1945-09-13]]> 1945-09-18]]> 1945-09-21]]>
Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Coastal Command]]> Royal Air Force. Fighter Command]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> Germany]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Berkshire]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Cheshire]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Kent]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Somerset]]> England--Staffordshire]]> France--Brest]]> France--Lorient]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Osnabrück]]> Wales--Flintshire]]> France--Boulogne-sur-Mer]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Münster in Westfalen]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1937]]> 1938]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1941-02-07]]> 1941-02-10]]> 1941-02-11]]> 1941-02-12]]> 1941-02-15]]> 1941-02-25]]> 1941-03-02]]> 1941-03-03]]> 1941-03-12]]> 1941-03-13]]> 1941-03-14]]> 1941-03-15]]> 1941-03-16]]> 1941-03-30]]> 1941-03-31]]> 1941-04-03]]> 1941-04-04]]> 1941-04-07]]> 1941-04-08]]> 1941-04-09]]> 1941-04-10]]> 1941-04-11]]> 1941-04-12]]> 1941-04-13]]> 1941-04-14]]> 1941-04-15]]> 1941-04-16]]> 1941-04-17]]> 1941-04-22]]> 1941-04-23]]> 1941-04-25]]> 1941-04-26]]> 1941-05-16]]> 1941-05-17]]> 1941-06-13]]> 1941-06-14]]> 1941-06-15]]> 1941-06-16]]> 1941-06-20]]> 1941-06-21]]> 1941-06-23]]> 1941-06-24]]> 1941-06-26]]> 1941-06-27]]> 1941-06-29]]> 1941-06-30]]> 1941-07-04]]> 1941-07-05]]> 1941-07-06]]> 1941-07-07]]> 1941-07-08]]> 1941-07-09]]> 1941-07-10]]> 1942-05-30]]> 1942-05-31]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Belgium]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> England--Berkshire]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Derbyshire]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Hampshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> Belgium--Ghent]]> France--Calais]]> France--Calvados]]> France--le Havre]]> France--Les Landes (Region)]]> France--Orléans]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> France--Saumur]]> France--Forêt du Croc]]> France--Tours]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Emmerich]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Rüsselsheim]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Salzbergen]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Netherlands--Breskens]]> Netherlands--Terneuzen]]> New South Wales]]> South Australia]]> Victoria--Benalla]]> Victoria--Point Cook]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Victoria]]> England--Sussex]]> Poland]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> France--Pauillac (Gironde)]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1943-11-13]]> 1944-07-04]]> 1944-07-05]]> 1944-07-06]]> 1944-07-07]]> 1944-07-12]]> 1944-07-13]]> 1944-07-18]]> 1944-07-20]]> 1944-07-23]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-07-26]]> 1944-07-27]]> 1944-08-02]]> 1944-08-04]]> 1944-08-05]]> 1944-08-06]]> 1944-08-07]]> 1944-08-08]]> 1944-08-17]]> 1944-08-18]]> 1944-08-19]]> 1944-08-25]]> 1944-08-26]]> 1944-08-29]]> 1944-08-30]]> 1944-08-31]]> 1944-09-05]]> 1944-09-06]]> 1944-09-10]]> 1944-09-12]]> 1944-09-13]]> 1944-09-16]]> 1944-09-17]]> 1944-09-27]]> 1944-10-05]]> 1944-10-06]]> 1944-10-07]]> 1944-10-11]]> 1944-10-14]]> 1944-10-15]]> 1944-10-23]]> 1944-10-24]]> 1944-10-31]]> 1944-11-01]]>