The 169 Sqdn left from Great Massingham at 1945-05-03 at 21:10. Loc or duty Airfields
He flew with a de Havilland Mosquito (type XIX , serial MM680 , code VI-).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
26 April 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: Mission 970: During the night of 26/27 Apr, 6 of 8 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany; 1 B-24 crashes on takeoff.
2 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 125 bombers hit Plattling Airfield; fighters escort the bombers, fly airfield cover, carry out armed reconnaissance in Germany and Czechoslovakia, drop leaflets, and cooperate with the US XII Corps as its forces cross into Austria SE of Passau, and the XX Corps as it begins a full-scale assault across the Danube River at Regensburg; fighters claim 19 combat victories.
Unit moves in Germany: HQ IX Tactical Air Command from Lahn Airfield, Marburg to Weimar; 160th and 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons, 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, from Gutersloh to Brunswick with F-6s; 162d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), from Wiesbaden to Furth with F-6s.
27 April 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: By this date the flow of P-51, B-17, and B-24 replacement aircraft has stopped and the authorization of 68 planes per bomb group and 96 per fighter group is reduced to the original 48 and 75, respectively.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): Weather grounds the 9th Bombardment Division.
In Germany, fighters fly sweeps, airfield cover, and armed reconnaissance, and attack airfields; other fighters fly air cover for the US XII Corps as the 11th Armored Division reaches the Czech border N of Bischofsreuth and other elements move further into Austria toward Linz, and support the XX Corps as it receives the surrender of Regensburg and expands its Danube River bridgehead; the 72d Liaison Squadron, Ninth AF (attached to Sixth Army Group), moves from Kitzingen to Gmund with L-5s.
28 April 1945
(Ninth Air Force): Weather prevents all Ninth AF combat operations.
Unit moves in Germany: HQ 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance) and 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron from Ober Olm to Furth with F-6s; 493d Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Group, from Kassel to Illesheim with P-47s.
29 April 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: Mission 971: 8 B-17s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
First Tactical Air Force (Provisional): HQ 64th Fighter Wing moves from Edenkoben to Schwabisch-Hall, Germany Ninth Air Force: Weather cancels operations by the 9th Bombardment Division.
Fighters fly patrols and airfield cover, hit special targets, fly armed reconnaissance over E Germany and W Czechoslovakia, and cooperate with the XII Corps moving SE between the Danube River and the Czech border N of Linz, Austria, and with the XX Corps as some of its units establish bridgeheads and begin crossing the Isar River in the Plattling-Landau an der Isar-Landshut-Passau, Germany areas.
Unit moves: HQ 48th Fighter Group and 494th Fighter Squadron from Kassel to Illesheim, Germany with P-47s; HQ 387th Bombardment Group (Medium) from Clastres, France to Beek, the Netherlands.
30 April 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: Mission 972: 6 of 7 B-17s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and France.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): Weather cancels 9th Bombardment Division and XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) operations.
In Germany, the IX Tactical Air Command flies airfield cover, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance; the XIX Tactical Air Command flies patrols and armed reconnaissance, and cooperates with the XII Corps moving SE between the Danube River and the Czech border N of Linz, Austria and with the XX Corps crossing the Isar River at several points in the Landau an der Isar-Landshut area.
Unit moves in Germany: HQ 354th Fighter Group and 356th Fighter Squadron from Ober Olm to Ansbach with P-47s; HQ 362d Fighter Group and 379th Fighter Squadron from Frankfurt to Furth with P-47s; HQ 405th Fighter Group from Ophoven, Belgium to Kitzingen; 31st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance) from Ober Olm to Furth with F-5s.
1 May 1945
AIRBORNE OPERATIONS
(IX Troop Carrier Command): During May, the 303d, 305th and 306th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 442d Troop Carrier Group, based at St-Andre-de-L'Eure, France with C-47, begins operating from Metz, France.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: 2 missions are flown.
Mission 973: 396 B-17s are dispatched to drop food supplies in the Hague (237) and Rotterdam (155), the Netherlands; a total of 777.
1 tons of food are dropped.
Mission 974: During the night of 1/2 May, 4 of 5 B-24s drop leaflets in Germany.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): 9 A-26s bomb an ammunition plant at Stod, Czechoslovakia.
The IX Tactical Air Command escorts the bombers, flies airfield cover, and patrols the Leipzig-Schwarzenberg, Germany area.
The XIX Tactical Air Command flies patrols and armed reconnaissance over E Germany, W Czechoslovakia, and Austria, dive-bombs Berchtesgaden, and operates with the US XII Corps which is advancing SE between the Danube River and the Czech border and N into Czechoslovakia N of Passau, Germany, and with the XX Corps whose advance elements speed toward the Inn River at Wasserburg, Germany; the 353d and 355th Fighter Squadrons, 354th Fighter Group, move from Ober Olm to Ansbach, Germany with P-47s.
2 May 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: 2 missions are flown.
Mission 975: 401 B-17s are dispatched to drop food supplies in the Netherlands at Schipol (250) and Alkmaar (20) Airfields, Vogelenznag (40), Hilversum (20), Utrecht (59) and targets of opportunity (4); 4 B-17s are damaged by 20mm fire which ceases as soon as a green flare is fired; a total of 767.
1 tons of food are dropped.
Mission 976: 8 B-17s, escorted by 9 P-51s, drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during daylight hours.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): Weather cancels 9th Bombardment Division operations.
In Germany, fighters fly airfield cover, defensive- freelance patrols, a sweep over the Dessau area, and patrol the Straubing- Ingolstadt area and the US Third Army front in Austria and Czechoslovakia; unit moves: HQ 394th Bombardment Group (Medium) from Niergnies Airfield, Cambrai, France to Venlo, the Netherlands; 14th Liaison Squadron, XIX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group) from Erlangen to Regensburg with L-5s; 72d Liaison Squadron, Ninth AF (attached to Sixth Army Group), from Gmund to Augsburg; 377th and 378th Fighter Squadrons, 362d Fighter Group, and 425th Night Fighter Squadron, XIX Tactical Air Command, from Frankfurt to Furth with P-47s and P-61s respectively.
3 May 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: 2 missions are flown.
Mission 977: 399 B-17s are dispatched to drop food supplies in the Netherlands at Schipol (251) and Alkmaar (20) Airfields, Vogelenzang (42), Hilversum (21), Utrecht (58) and a target of opportunity (3) in the Netherlands; a total of 739.
1 tons of food are dropped.
Mission 978: 14 B-17s, escorted by 43 of 47 P-51s, drop leaflets in Germany during the day.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
First Tactical Air Force (Provisional): P-47 unit moves in Germany: 314th, 315th and 316th Fighter Squadrons, 324th Fighter Group, from Luneville, France to Stuttgart; 406th Fighter Squadron, 371st Fighter Group, from Eschborn Airfield, Frankfurt to Furth.
Ninth Air Force: 132 A-26s (on the final 9th Bombardment Division raid) bomb the Stod, Czechoslovakia ammunition plant.
The IX Tactical Air Command escorts the A-26s and C-47s and flies airfield cover; the XIX Tactical Air Command patrols the US Third Army front, flies armed reconnaissance over Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia in the frontline areas and around Kiel and Lubeck, Germany, and escorts the A-26s; the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) escorts C-47s, flies sweeps, and hits shipping in the Kiel- Lubeck area.
Unit moves: HQ 98th Combat Bombardment Wing (Medium) from Havrincourt, France to Venlo, the Netherlands; HQ 362d Fighter Group from Furth to Illesheim, Germany.
4 May 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: Mission 978: 1 B-17s and 8 B-24s are dispatched on a leaflet mission during the night of 4/5 May; 7 aircraft drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): No bomber operations.
In Germany, the IX Tactical Air Command flies patrols and armed reconnaissance, the XIX Tactical Air Command flies patrols and armed reconnaissance and operates in concert with the XII Corps assault on Linz, Austria, and with the XX Corps which crosses the Inn River and pushes E and SE; the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) sweeps the Dessau and Wittenberg areas and attacks shipping in the Kiel and Flensburg areas; German forces in the Netherlands, NW Germany and Denmark surrender.
Unit moves: 377th, 378th and 379th Fighter Squadrons, 362d Fighter Group, from Furth to Illesheim, Germany with P-47s; 556th, 557th, 558th and 559th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 387th Bombardment Group (Medium), from Clastres, France to Beek, the Netherlands with B-26s.
5 May 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: Mission 980: 403 B-17s are dispatched to drop food at Schipol Airfield (261), Vogelenzang (40), Utrecht (60), N of Hilversum (16), Alkmaar (21) and other targets (4) in the Netherlands; a total of 744.
5 tons of food are dropped.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
First Tactical Air Force (Provisional): HQ 371st Fighter Group and 404th and 405th Fighter Squadrons move from Eschborn to Furth, Germany with P-47s.
Ninth Air Force: No Ninth AF operations except tactical and photo reconnaissance in forward areas.
The 584th and 585th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 394th Bombardment Group (Medium), move from Niergniew Airfield, Cambrai, France to Venlo, the Netherlands with B-26s.
6 May 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: 3 missions are flown.
Mission 981: 383 B-17s are dispatched to drop food at Schipol (249) and Alkmaar (18) Airfields, E of Vogelenzang (37), W of Utrecht (59), and N of Hilversum (18), the Netherlands; a total of 693.
3 tons of food are dropped.
Mission 982: 15 B-17s, escorted by 8 of 26 P-51s, drop leaflets in France and Germany during the day.
Mission 983: 10 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Channel Islands during the night of 6/7 May.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): No operations by the 9th Bombardment Division and the IX and XIX Tactical Air Commands.
The XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) flies a demonstration mission in the Klotze, Germany area.
7 May 1945
The German High Command surrenders unconditionally all land, sea, and air forces at Reims, France effective 9 May 45.
General of the Army Dwight D Eisenhower says, The mission of this Allied force was fulfilled at 0241 local time, May 7, 1945.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: 2 missions are flown.
Mission 984: 231 B-17s are dispatched to drop food supplies at Schipol (154) and Alkmaar (10) Airfields, Vogelenzang (25), W of Utrecht (28) and N of Hilversum (12), the Netherlands; a total of 426 tons of food are dropped.
Mission 985: 15 B-17s, with 30 of 32 P-51s escorting, drop leaflets in Germany during the day.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): The XIX Tactical Air Command flies sweeps over E Germany and W Czechoslovakia and carries out demonstration flights over prisoner of war (POW) camps.
The 586th and 587th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 394th Bombardment Group (Medium), move from Niergnies Airfield, Cambrai, France to Venlo, the Netherlands with B-26s.
8 May 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: Mission 986: 12 B-17s drop leaflets in Germany during the day.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
First Tactical Air Force (Provisional): HQ 324th Fighter Group moves form Luneville, France to Stuttgart, Germany.
Ninth Air Force: The IX and XIX Tactical Air Commands patrol the Leipzig, Chemnitz, and Adorf, Germany and Linz, Austria areas, and fly sweeps and demonstration missions.
Unit moves in Germany: HQ 405th Fighter Group and 509th Fighter Squadron from Kitzingen to Straubing with P-47s; 455th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 323d Bombardment Group (Medium), from Prouvy Airfield, Leon, France to Gablingen with B-26s.
Campaign report of the RAF:
26 April to 7 May 1945
Operation Exodus
Bomber Command Lancasters now started flying to Brussels, and later to other airfields, to collect British prisoners of war recently liberated from their camps. 469 flights were made by aircraft of Nos 1, 5, 6 and 8 Groups before the war ended and approximately 75,000 men were brought back to England by the fastest possible means (unlike the end of the First World War when some British ex-prisoners were still not home by Christmas, although the Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918). There were no accidents during that part of Operation Exodus which was carried out before the war ended.
Operation Manna
A large pocket in Western Holland was still in German hands and the population was approaching starvation; many old or sick people had already died. A truce was arranged with the local German commander and Lancasters of Nos 1, 3 and 8 Groups started to drop food supplies for the civilian population. Pathfinder Mosquitos 'marked' the dropping zones. 2,835 Lancaster and 124 Mosquito flights were made before the Germans surrendered at the end of the war and allowed ships and road transport to enter the area. Bomber Command delivered 6,672 tons of food during Operation Manna.
2/3 May 1945
There had been no offensive operations by Bomber Command since 26/27 April and most squadrons thought that their war in Europe was over, but it was feared that the Germans were assembling ships at Kiel to transport troops to Norway in order to carry on the war there. A last raid by No 8 Group Mosquitos was thus organized, with a large supporting effort being provided.
16 Mosquito bombers of No 8 Group and 37 Mosquitos of No 100 Group were first dispatched to attack airfields in the Kiel area. A Mosquito of No 169 Squadron, No 100 Group, was lost while carrying out a low-level napalm attack on Jagel airfield; its crew - Flying Officer R Catterall, DFC, and Flight Sergeant DJ Beadle - were killed.
126 Mosquitos of No 8 Group then attacked Kiel in 2 raids, 1 hour apart. The target area was almost completely cloud-covered but H2S and Oboe were used. Large fires on the ground were seen through the cloud. No Mosquitos were lost on these raids. Towards morning, a large column of military vehicles departed in the direction of Flensburg on the Danish frontier. 'The upsurge in the population's morale was indescribable', comments the town diary. 'There was a final spasm of fear when explosions were heard from the harbour but these turned out to be all the flak guns and warships in the harbour firing off their ammunition.' After this, Kiel was declared an open, undefended town. As soon as this happened, all the military stores and some of the civilian ones containing rationed goods were thrown open to the public before Allied troops arrived 36 hours later.
Meanwhile, there had been a final small tragedy for Bomber Command. 89 RCM aircraft of No 100 Group had been sent to support the Mosquito bomber force and 2 Halifaxes from No 199 Squadron, each with 8 men on board, were lost. The Halifaxes had been part of the Mandrel screen and were also carrying 4,500lb bombs and large quantities of Window. The 2 aircraft crashed at Meimersdorf, just south of Kiel, and it is probable that they collided while on their bomb runs. They were the last Bomber Command aircraft to be lost in the war. There were only 3 survivors. 13 airmen, 12 from the United Kingdom and one from the Irish Republic, mostly second-tour men, died. They were: Warrant Officer WF Bolton; Flight Sergeant AA Bradley; Flight Lieutenant WE Brooks; Sergeant FT Chambers; Flying Officer KNJ Croft; Warrant Officer KAC Gavin; Flight Sergeant D Greenwood; Flying Officer ASJ Holder, DFC; Flight Sergeant JR Lewis; Flight Sergeant J Loth; Pilot Officer WHV Mackay; Warrant Officer RHA Pool; and Flight Sergeant D Wilson.
On 4 May, German officers came to the Tactical Headquarters of Montgomery's 21st Army Group on Lüneburg Heath and signed a surrender document for all German forces in North-West Germany, Denmark and Holland, to be effective from the following day. Various local surrenders took place elsewhere. On 7 May General Eisenhower, with representatives from Britain, Russia and France, accepted the unconditional surrender of all German forces on all fronts, to be effective from 0001 hours on 9 May. But the fighting was effectively already over. Allied troops, fully supported by Bomber Command, had liberated the whole of Western Europe in just eleven months of hard fighting. The British Army lost nearly 40,000 men during this campaign. Bomber Command had lost 2,128 aircraft during the same period, with approximately 10,000 airmen being killed. Many of the bomber squadrons were now earmarked for Tiger Force, to continue the war against Japan, but the dropping of two atom bombs three months later brought the surrender of Japan and the end of the Second World War before Tiger Force left England.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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