The 419 Sqdn left from an unknown RAF station at 1944-11-24 at an unknown time. Loc or duty Training
He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type X, serial KB785, code VR-Y).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
24 November 1944
(Ninth Air Force): Weather cancels all operations except for 3 XIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) fighters which fly a night intruder mission in Saarbrucken, Zweibrucken, and Homburg/Saar areas of Germany.
25 November 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 723: 1,043 bombers and 965 fighters are dispatched to hit the synthetic oil plant at Merseburg, Germany using H2X and a marshalling yard; 8 bombers and 6 fighters are lost:
1. 671 of 766 hit the Leuna oil plant at Merseburg and 9 hit targets of opportunity; 8 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 197 damaged; 7 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 64 MIA.
Escort is 716 of 800 P-51s; they claim 9-0-8 aircraft on the ground; 6 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair.
2. 254 of 271 B-24s hit the Bingen marshalling yard; 43 B-24s are damaged; 1 airman is WIA.
Escort is 129 of 130 P-47s.
Mission 724: 7 B-17s and 6 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night.
The 36th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), VIII Fighter Command starts daily operations as a screening force for the bombardment divisions; it is assigned the task of protecting the Eighth's primary VHF and fighter-to-bomber communications from interception during assembly; the increase of flak batteries around German military and industrial installations soon compels the 36th to increase radar countermeasures on each mission; the 36th remains on this assignment until the end of war in Europe
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In Germany, the 9th Bombardment Division hits an ordnance arsenal at Landau, road junctions, and an ammunition dump at Neustadt and Kaiserslautern; fighters escort the 9th Bombardment Division and Eighth AF, fly armed reconnaissance and support ground forces E of Aachen and between Merzig and Sarreguemines, France.
The 356th Fighter Squadron 354th Fighter Group, moves from Orconte to Rosieres-en-Haye, France with P-47s.
Campaign report of the RAF:
23/24 November 1944
61 Mosquitos to Hannover, 9 to Eisenach and 6 each to Gottingen and Hagen, 43 aircraft of No 100 Group on RCM and Mosquito operations (separate figures not available). 1 Mosquito lost from the Hannover raid.
24 November 1944
1 Wellington RCM sortie and 1 Hudson Resistance flight.
24/25 November 1944
58 Mosquitos to Berlin and 6 to Gottingen, 13 Halifaxes minelaying off Denmark. No aircraft lost.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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