The 85 Sqdn left from Swannington at 1944-10-01 at an unknown time. Loc or duty BS
He flew with a de Havilland Mosquito (type XIX, serial MM628, code VY-V).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
1 Ocotober 1944
AIRBORNE OPERATIONS
(IX Troop Carrier Command): In France, HQ 50th Troop Carrier Wing moves from Exeter, England to Le Mans; the 99th and 301st Troop Carrier Squadrons, 441st Troop Carrier Group, move from Villeneuve/Vertus to St Marceau with C-47s.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 657: 9 of 10 B-17s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Belgium during the night.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In France, HQ XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) locates advance HQ at Arlon; weather prevents bomber operations; a few fighters fly armed reconnaissance over E France and wide areas of W Germany and patrol the battle areas; night patrols are flown over E France and Luxembourg; HQ 36th Fighter Group moves from Athis to Juvincourt; HQ 371st Fighter Group and the 406th Fighter Squadron move from Perthes to Dole/Tavaux with P-47s; the 553d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 386th Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Great Dunmow, England to Beaumont-sur-Oise with B-26s; the 573d, 574th and 575th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 391st Bombardment Group (Medium), move from Matching, England to Roye/Amy with B-26s.
In Belgium, HQ 84th Fighter Wing moves from Vermand, France to Arlon; HQ 404th Fighter Group and the 506th, 507th and 508th Fighter Squadrons move from Juvincourt, France to St-Trond with P-47s; HQ 474th Fighter Group moves from Peronne, France to Florennes; the 125th Liaison Squadron, Ninth Air Force (attached to Ninth Army), moves from Rennes, France to Arlon with L-5s.
In Luxembourg, HQ 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group moves from Le Mans, France to Luxembourg City.
In Belgium, during Oct 44, HQ IX Fighter Command moves from Charleroi to Verviers.
2 October 1944
AIRBORNE OPERATIONS
(IX Troop Carrier Command): In France, HQ 441st Troop Carrier Group and the 100th and 302d Troop Carrier Squadrons move from Villeneuve/Vetrus to St Marceau with C-47s.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): 4 missions are flown: Mission 658: 887 B-17s and 549 fighters are dispatched to make PFF attacks on industrial targets at Cologne and Kassel, Germany; 2 B-17s are lost:
1. 305 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Bettenhausen ordnance depot at Kassel (129); targets of opportunity are Kassel (143), Fritzlar Airfield (12) and other (1); 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 89 damaged; 5 airmen are WIA.
Escort is provided by 228 P-47s and P-51s without loss.
2. 458 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Henschel motor vehicle plant at Kassel (384); targets of opportunity are Wiesbaden (31), Gesecke (9) and other (17); 2 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 144 damaged; 16 airmen are KIA, 1 WIA and 20 MIA.
Escort is provided by 219 P-47s and P-51s without loss.
3. 110 of 124 B-17s hit the Ford motor vehicle plant at Cologne; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 36 damaged.
Escort is provided by 53 P-47s and P-51s without loss.
Mission 659: 308 B-24s are dispatched to make a PFF attack on the marshalling yard at Hamm (266); targets of opportunity are Handorf Airfield (29) and Munster (1); 2 B-24s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 144 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 18 MIA.
Escort is provided by 212 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA), 2 damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; 1 pilot is KIA.
Mission 660: 2 B-17s, escorted by 15 P-51s, drop leaflets on Dutch islands during the day.
Mission 661: 5 B-24s and 3 B-17s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, France and Germany during the night.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): HQ XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) goes into operation along with the US Ninth Army (this new Tactical Air Command is formed from elements of the IX and XIX Tactical Air Commands); in Germany, the 9th Bombardment Division strikes the industrial area of Ubach and defended positions at Herbach; fighters fly armed reconnaissance (and later night patrol) over Belgium, E France, and W Germany and support the US First, Third, and Seventh Armies in E France and W Germany.
In Belgium, HQ IX Tactical Air Command moves advanced HQ from Janoulx to to Verviers maintaining the close association with the US First Army; HQ 368th Fighter Group and the 395th, 396th and 397th Fighter Squadrons move from Laon, France to Chievres with P-47s; the 428th, 429th and 430th Fighter Squadrons, 474th Fighter Group, move from Peronne, France to Florennes.
In France, HQ 386th Bombardment Group (Medium) and the 552d, 554th and 555th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) move from Great Dunmow, England to Beaumont-sur-Oise with B-26s.
In Luxembourg, the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, moves from Montrevil, France to Sandwieler with F-6s.
3 October 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown: Mission 662: 1,065 bombers and 753 fighters make PFF and visual attacks against airfields and industrial targets in Geramny; 3 bombers and 4 fighters are lost:
1. 380 B-17s are dispatched to hit Giebelstadt Airfield (49); targets of opportunity are Nurnberg (256), Ludwigshafen (13), Ulm (11) and others (24); 130 B-17s are damaged; 2 airmen are WIA.
Escort is provided by 260 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 2-0-0 aircraft on the ground; 4 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA0 and 1 is damaged beyond repair.
2. 228 B-17s are dispatched to hit motor vehicle facotry at Nurnberg (198); 10 others hit Ottingen Airfield; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 63 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 4 WIA and 28 MIA.
Escort is proivded by 227 P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair.
3. 119 B-17s are dispatched to hit the oil refinery at Wesseling (87); targets of opportunity are Cogogne (26) and 1 other; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 51 damaged.
Escort5 is provided by 24 of 24 P-47s.
4. 338 B-24s are dispatched to hit Gaggenau (139) and Lachen/Speyerdorf (111) visually; secondary targets hit are Offenburg marshalling yard (19) and Pforzheim Airfield (19); targets of opportunity are Speyer Airfield (30) and Lachen (2); 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 38 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA.
Escort is provided by 188 P-38s and P-47s.
Mission 663: 6 B-24s and 4 B-17s drop leaflets in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium during the night.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): 220+ B-26s and A-20s sent to bomb targets at Durena and Aldenhoven, Germany, and Arnhem, the Netherlands are recalled because of weather; fighters fly armed reconnaissance over W Germany, hit railroads W of the Rhine River, and support the US Third Army in the Metz, France area.
The IX Air Defense Command continues night patrols.
In Belgium, HQ 70th Fighter Wing moves from Marchais, France to Liege; HQ 303d Fighter Wing moves from Vermand, France to Arlon.
In France, HQ 98th Combat Bombardment Wing (Medium) moves from Chartres to Laon/Athies; the 23d Fighter Squadron, 36th Fighter Group, moves from Athis to Juvincourt with P-47s; and the 405th Fighter Squadron, 371st Fighter Group, moves from Perthes to Dole/Tavaux with P-47s.
Campaign report of the RAF:
30 September/1 October 1944
46 Mosquitos to Hamburg, 6 each to Aschaffenburg and Heilbronn and 5 to Sterkrade, 1 RCM sortie, 20 Mosquito patrols, 14 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Mosquito of No 100 Group lost.
1 October 1944
2 Liberators and 1 Wellington on signals investigation patrols, 6 Hudsons on Resistance operations, 73 Halifaxes on petrol-carrying flights. No aircraft lost.
1/2 October 1944
48 Mosquitos to Brunswick, 8 each to Heilbronn and Krefeld and 6 each to Dortmund and Koblenz, 2 RCM sorties. No aircraft lost.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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