This page transcribed by Dick Dunn

427 Squadron Wartime Log - November 1943

1/11/43

F/O D.B. Ross, DFC, assumed the duties of adjutant in the absence of F/L J. Chasanoff who proceeded to London to represent the Lion's, at the adoption ceremonies of Churchill's Lion Cub Mareth, to take place at the Regent's Park Zoo.
S/L V.F. Ganderton, DFC, assumed command of the Squadron in the absence of W/C Turnbull, D.F.M., who proceeded on leave.
Stand down declared today. Slight drizzle continued through the day with fog setting in towards sundown.

2/11/43

Cloudy weather with slight mist continuing throughout the day, curtailed operations, and another state of stand down existed.

3/11/43

When the day began the fog was so thick that it seemed almost ironies when thirteen aircraft were detailed for operations. As the day progressed however, the mist lifted and by take-off time, it was perfectly clear. All thirteen aircraft successfully became airborne, and guided by accurately placed P. F .F. flares, easily found their way towards the target, but in the vicinity of the target area, some of the crews somewhat confused the P.F.F. markers leading to the spoof attack which was the destination for the Lancasters. They all managed to reach the target, Dusseldorf, and found it cloudless, with only a slight amount of industrial haze over the city. The crews arrived rather early in the raid, and observed the fires to be scattered and very small, but those who reached the target a little later, report that the fires had taken a good hold, and were very concentrated in the vicinity of the markers.
The enemy defences consisted of moderate heavy flak which was bursting at the height of 18/21,000 feet, with a small amount of light flak. Most of the time the flak was in barrage form but on occasions when aircraft were coned, the flak was concentrated up the cones. S/L's were numerous, and worked in concentrations of 100 to 200, those which operated singly proved ineffective due to the haze and smoke.
Aircraft "U", piloted by F /0 F.J. Kennedy reported that a JU. 88 crossed their track at 19:53 hrs at 21,000 feet, from port to starboard, but did not attack. Aircraft "C", piloted by F/S J.D. Mawson, reports that an unidentified aircraft with a white light on each wing-tip came in on his port beam, at 19,000 feet at 19:40 hrs, and as our aircraft turned in towards the aircraft, he was lost to view.
Soon after "W,", piloted by F/L G.J. Laird, D.F.C. had completed their bombing run, the mid-upper gunner, Sgt. L.H. Smith, sighted heavy tracer emanating from the starboard bow up. He immediately gave the combat maneuver, which consisted of a corkscrew to starboard, thus bringing the a/c to the view of the rear gunner, as it was passing to port, flying a reciprocal course. The e/a did not however, attack again and remains unidentified. No damage was claimed to either aircraft.
Similarly, "T" piloted by F/L A. Rodwell, soon after his bombs had been released, was attacked by an Me 210, which was sighted by the tail gunner, P/O F.D. Smith, as it was flying on a reciprocal course to the Halifax about 200 feet directly above. The fighter turned astern of the Halifax and attacked from the port quarter at 500 yds, and slightly below. The combat manoeuvre consisted of a corkscrew to port. The He 210 fired a short burst from 150 to 100 yds and broke off on the starboard quarter down, without attacking again. No damage was claimed to either aircraft.
Aircraft "Q" piloted by P/O GA Weldon, upon return to England landed at Church Fenton, due to unserviceability of constant speed unit.
All aircraft bombed the target and returned to base to find it engulfed by a pea-soup fog, which drastically limited visibility, but they all landed safely.

4/11/43

At the adoption ceremonies in the London Zoo, several movie firms and the BBC were on hand to record the adoption of "Mareth", the Prime lMinister's lion cub. All Squadron personnel who were in London on leave at the time were present to lend a hand to the proceedings. They were somewhat disappointed by the fact that no celebrity was on hand to represent the Prime Minister, but, this did not deter F /L Chasanoff, the Adjutant, nor W/C Turnbull, from making excellent oratories, much to the delight of the huge gathering of servicemen, and civilians, who had by this time, formed a semi-circle, about the den of the amazed "Mareth". All personnel are now anxiously awaiting the arrival of the newsreels pertaining to this ceremony, which it is hoped will reach the station cinema Germany capitulates.
F /L Chasanoff again resumed his duties as Adjutant, relieving F/O D.B. Ross, DFC, who did a masterful job, in view of the fact that he was a tenderfoot in that new capacity. Ops were not scheduled this date as the misty weather of the past month, persisted throughout the day, with the· occasional drop of rain. As the conditions were not favourable towards flying a ground training program was carried out, which consisted of lectures to aircrews of the various sections.

5/11/43

S/L V.F. Ganderton, DFC of Edmonton, Alta, who was OC of "B" Flight, and who has been acting Squadron Commander in the absence of W/C Turnbull, received notification from No 6 Group to the effect that he had been screened from operations on completion of his first tour. He had completed 24 trips with this Squadron, had risen from the rank of F/O to S/L, and had received the immediate award of the DFC, since his arrival to the Lions in January of this year. A tall strapping officer, possessor of a pleasing disposition, and a likeable personality, he was admired by both officers and airmen, alike.
F/L G.J. Laird, DFC, "A" Flight Commander, who is awaiting his added half ring, temporarily took over command of the Squadron, vice, S/1 Ganderton, who proceeded on leave.

6/11/43

For the first time in several weeks the sun was actually out, and the day continued clear with a few scattered clouds. No operations however, were scheduled. An intensive training program was carried out both in the air and on the ground. P/O LJL Fontaine, a recently commissioned French Canadian lad, who completed his 28 1/2 trip on the 3rd November, was screened from operations on completion of his first tour. F/O D.B. Ross, DFC, an R.A.F. air gunner, who was deputy Gunnery Leader, and a spare air gunner, was also screened, after completion of 19 1/2 trips on his second operational tour. A possessor of a broad Scottish brogue, from the hills of Aberdeen, he had on several occasions distinguished himself against the enemy, which won for him the award of the DFC.

7/11/43

At an unusual late hour this morning, orders were received to detail 14 aircraft for a raid on Augsburg. Needless to say, a great deal of confusion followed, particularly with regard to the paper work involved, in an effort to meet the deadline, and in typical Lion tradition, it was accomplished. What burnt everyone up however, was the fact that at 1700 hrs the operations were scrubbed.

Weather conditions were ideal throughout the day with a few scattered clouds, here and there.

8/11/43

The present moon period, again kept our aircraft on the ground during the night, as no operations were scheduled.
An intensive flying training program was carried out, consisting of every phase of operational tactics, in an effort to bring the newly arrived crews up to required operational standards.

Weather: Fair or cloudy, much mist, with some fog.

9/11/43

On the eve of the Squadron party, all last minute details were being attended to by F/L Arnot, and his "hard working" Committee of "Joes". The cast of the Squadron show which will be the featured event of the party, excluding of course the barreled "stuff" were being rehearsed by their slave driver, Joe Ozad.
The weather was excellent throughout the day, with hardly any cloud to mar the clear sky. An all out flying training program was staged, which included, fighter affiliation, air to air and air to sea, firing.

10/11/43

Another grand day this date, and a further training program was carried out in the morning. By evening however, it had changed to a drizzle.
About 1600 hrs a full dress parade was assembled in a square about a rostrum, quietly arranged in No 2 Hangar, to witness the official presentation of the Squadron crest, to the Lions, by A.V.M.G.E. Brookes, O.B.E., A.O.C. No 6 (RCAF) Group. In his address the Air Vice Marshal outlined the splendid record of the Squadron since its formation, and in a brief but eloquent speech, during which time he was battling against the acoustics, as the loud speaker system had become u/s, he presented the crest accompanied by his best wishes, to the present Squadron Commander, W/C R.S. Turnbull, DFM. WI/C D.H. Burnside, DFC & Bar, the former Squadron Commander, was also on hand to add to the ceremony, and it was to him, that the major portion of the A.O.C.'s address was directed, stressing his capable leadership throughout his period of command. Following the handing over of the Crest, W/C Turnbull, formally thanked the A.V.M., and in turn introduced W/C Burnside, who after a brief address, ended the proceedings.
After the departure of the distinguished Air Officer, the Crest was viewed by all personnel, and as reputed, it is believed that it is one of the finest in the country. A beautifully coloured piece of art, it has a Lion rampant on a background of a Maple Leaf, bearing the inscription Ferte Manus Certas, "Strike Sure".
Following the parade, the long awaited M.G.M. medallions were presented to each member of the Squadron, and will serve as an excellent memento in days gone by. By this token, each member of the Squadron in possession of it, is entitled to free admission to any M.G.M. theatre in the world.
In the evening an all out effort was gathered at the Lion's Squadron party, which far surpassed anything that the Squadron has ever undertaken. The station N.A.A.F.I. building was fortunate enough to get away from their other duties. An excellent stage show was the crowning feature of the party, after which dancing stole the limelight for the remainder of the evening. It certainly was a busy day for the Lions, and one that will be long remembered by all ranks.

11/11/43

Specialist raid in full moon was scheduled for the longest target the Lions have as yet undertaken, the marshaling yards at Cannes in Southern France. Five aircraft were detailed, all old timers of the Squadron with plenty of experience behind them, and which also included the Squadron Commander. All aircraft reached the target to find it cloudless, with only a few haze patches to mar the clear visibility. They released their loads on the red T.I.' s by both visual pinpointing, and the use of the bomb sights, and although rather early on the target, they found. several fires already taking a firm hold in the vicinity of the P.F.F.T.I. markers. The enemy opposition was negligible, and consisted of 2-3 heavy flak guns firing spasmodically and inaccurately. P/O Olsvik and F/Lt Arnot, obtained very fine aiming point photos. The raid is believed to be a very successful one.

Weather: Cloudy with mist and drizzle early morning and late evening: fair otherwise.

12/11/43

A revised establishment whereby Squadron personnel strength will be comprised of only aircrew and a nucleus of a small amount of ground crew, has somewhat shattered the smooth efficiency of the Squadron offices. Conferences in order to determine the working policy have taken and will occupy most of the time until the change has been effected.

Weather: Cloudy, becoming fair or fine. Good visibility.

13/11/43

No operations were scheduled for this date due to the moon period. Weather was ideal for local flying and an intensive air and ground training program was carried out.

Weather: Fair or cloudy, good visibility, hail showers in the afternoon.

14/11/43

A conference was held this date in the adjutant's office, which included amongst the attending members, all F/Sgts and the Engineer Officer, who were assembled in order that personnel under their control might be allocated for the various station postings, to the Servicing Echelon, Major Servicing Units. It is hoped that the transfers will be effected with the least possible delay.

Weather: Fine, becoming cloudy with showers of rain, hail and snow.

15/11/43

Three new crews were posted in to the Squadron from 1659 Con. Unit at Topcliffe. The Captain of one of the crews was C.823, P/O W.N. Stephen, who relinquished his rank of Squadron Leader in the Equipment Branch, to remuster to aircrew. Ground training was carried out, in order that the new arrivals might be "genned" up.
Two crews captained by P/O Wolton and F/Sgt Smith, were posted to No. 433 Squadron, to form a nucleus of experienced crews for the new squadron forming at Skipton. F/O Cruikshank was also posted to No. 433 to take over the duties of Bombing Leader.

Weather: Fair to cloudy with occasional rain and sleet.

16/11/43

Three aircraft were detailed for a dingy search in the afternoon. The area covered was that midway in the North Sea, off Hull. All aircraft took off as scheduled, but due to cloud conditions over Base and sector they parted company, only to be formated (sic) again as ordered but spotted nothing excepting two aircraft who were too far distant to be identified but who it is assumed were allied aircraft on the same mission. The area was covered from a height of 300 feet and the weather conditions over the North Sea were ideal.

Weather: Fair or cloudy with ran and sleet and showers.

17/11/43

Four aircraft were detailed for a dingy search in the afternoon. They became airborne as ordered, but although they carried out their search for several hours, it proved fruitless.
Eight aircraft were detailed on a cross-country flight in the evening, and all returned after carrying out their mission.

Weather: Fair to cloudy with rain and sleet showers. Good visibility.

18/11/43

Fourteen aircraft were detailed for a raid on the Farben Chemical Works at Mannheim, and all accordingly took off. Of these "C" piloted by F/O G.J. Cribb, returned early due to the failure of the starboard outer engine, believed to have been caused by a broken oil line. Aircraft "Q", piloted by F /S W.M. Patrick, also returned without having carried out his mission, after an internal glycol leak had begun in the starboard inner engine. The remaining crews which reached ·the target found the visibility clear, with only a slight amount of smoke haze to keep the visibility from being perfect, and all bombed on T.I. markers. On run into target fires were just beginning to take hold and enemy defences consisted of three cones of S/L's in groups of 20, which were working in cooperation with moderate heavy flak with apparent effectiveness.
Aircraft "F", piloted by Sgt Darlow, A.F., soon after the bombing run had been completed, was coned by S/L's, at which point the mid upper gunner, Sgt D. Copeland sighted a stream of tracer, coming from the Port bow above. He then sighted an ME 109 at 400 yds., and immediately opened fire. The fighter broke off the attack on the starboard beam down. Combat manoeuvre was diving turn to port. The pilot had just resumed course when the tail gunner, Sgt T.E. Utton, sighted a DO 217 attacking from the port quarter up at a range of 400 yds., and he gave the combat manoeuvre -a corkscrew to port. The fighter pilot, the mid-upper and the tail gunner, all opened fire simultaneously, from 350 yds, the DO 217, breaking off the attack on the starboard, quarter down at 100 yds. The Halifax sustained no damage from either attack and the air gunners saw their tracer strike the fighters.
P /0 W.J. Kennedy, who had completed seven previous sorties with the Lions, failed to return from this operation. He and his crew will be missed, since Pat Kennedy was shaping up to be a top-notch pilot and leader.

Weather: Fair to cloudy, occasional showers of hail, rain and sleet.

19/11/43

Twelve aircraft were detailed for a raid on Leverkusen, and as many became airborne. Two however, boomeranged , "S" due to u/ s of rear guns and starboard inner failure, and "U'I due to the failure of all electrically controlled instruments, and the cutting out of port inner engine.
The remaining ten reached and bombed the target through la/10th cloud releasing their loads on E.T.A. or on cascading. flares. The enemy defences consisted of slight light flak, and moderate 10/10th heavy; searchlights were ineffectively reflecting on clouds. P.F.F. markers were scattered and it is felt that the majority of their defences were thought to be in action on way to target. Several aircraft returned from the raid, flak riddled, but otherwise unshaken.

Weather: Fair becoming cloudy with slight drizzle, mist and fog.

20/11/43

Weather: Fair or cloudy with much mist, some drizzle and fog.

No operations were scheduled. for this date, and in view of the weather conditions, no flying was carried out. However, ground training was proceeded with, in order that recently arrived crews might be ready for our next commitments.
F/Lt Izzard, one of the old originals of the Squadron in his position of Signals leader, departed this date for greener pastures, to take up a Squadron leader's post at No.6 (R.C.A.F.) Group. "Izzy" not only was responsible for the high standard of our wireless section, but was also active in welfare and entertainments for the airmen.

21/11/43

Weather: Cloudy with much fog, mist and drizzle.

Two crews captained by Sgt S.G. Dewdell and Sgt R.N. Weir, reported this date from 1659 Con Unit. The newsreels of the adoption of the Lion cub, referred to in the activities of No. l0th, was shown in the camp cinema, and was well received by all the Squadron personnel. Notification of the award of the D.F.C. to F /L J. Morton and F/O D. Mortimer, and of the D.F.M. to F/Sgts R. Skillen and F/Sgt Nelson, former lions who had completed their first tour of operations with this unit, was received from No.6 (RCAF) Group, H.Q.

22/11/43

Fourteen aircraft were detailed for a bombing attack against Berlin and all our Halifaxes took off accordingly. Enroute to target, encountered a slight amount of icing soon after crossing the enemy coast, and found the target area covered by 9/10th clouds. All crews bombed on red P.F.F. flares, though congestion of our own aircraft over the target was terrific. F/Sgt McQuade, put up a wizard show in "H" - landing with only two engines, after his rear gunner had sustained a slight flak injury.
F/O A.J.F. Clark returned to the unit after obtaining an "A" category at the Bombing Leader's Course at Manby.
A farewell party held in the Officers Mess for G/C J .L. Plant who is taking up another post, and Squadron members played a prominent part in the proceedings.

Weather: Cloudy with drizzle and mist at first becoming fair then fine.

23/11/43

No operations were scheduled for this date. The Berlin prang of the previous night was so successful from the Squadron point of view, that W/C R.S. Turnbull, the OC, issued a written Order of the Day, congratulating all ranks of the unit on their effort. It reads as follows, "Last night we sent 14 aircraft from our Squadron to bomb Berlin. 14 aircraft successfully took off, bombed Berlin, and returned safely to this country. My congratulations to all ranks under my command whose combined efforts made this outstanding success possible." Weather: Fair or fine becoming cloudy and with rain and drizzle.

24/11/43

Weather: Cloudy with rain and showers becoming fair in late evening.

Due to inclement climatic conditions, no operations were scheduled for the evening. The long awaited Battle of Berlin, has apparently begun, and in a feverish attempt to make all available aircraft serviceable, ground-crews worked all night to successfully complete this fete.

25/11/43

Seventeen aircraft were detailed for a raid on Frankfurt, and 16 aircraft accordingly took off. "G" for George, piloted by Sgt. A.J. King, a newly arrived pilot, was the kite which failed to take-off, due to a taxying accident with "G" of 429 Squadron - the Battle of the "G's" in which the aircraft of our friendly rivals, came out second best. Aircraft "S", piloted by F/O R.J. Lacerte, returned early when his a/c refused to maintain height, after the pilots escape hatch opened soon after a/c was airborne. Aircraft "A", piloted by Sgt C.H. Coathup, returned early with full bomb load, due to oil pressure failure on port outer engine and also oil temperature on port inner engine. The remaining aircraft proceeded to the target area, to find it covered by 10/10th clouds, with visibility laterally good. Due to the cloud cover the markers were nowhere to be seen, and most crews as a result bombed on E.T.A.'s. The attack would not appear to have been particularly successful in view of the weather.

Weather: Fine. Good visibility.

26/11/43

Ten aircraft were detailed for a raid on Stuttgart, but only nine aircraft became airborne. The kite which failed to take off, "Y" piloted by P/O R.C. Deegan, was grounded due to pilots inability to start port inner engine. The raid was a stooge effort, a raid intended to confuse enemy defences, while the main force of Liberators and Lancasters, went to Berlin. Another aircraft "H", piloted by Sgt A.J. King, also failed to reach the target, as it returned early due to faulty controls. The remaining eight aircraft found the target covered by 8/10th clouds in broken layers, and bombed it on red and green P.F.F. T.I. markers, leaving a wide area of fires in the vicinity of the markers.

Weather: Fair or fine. Good visibility.

27/11/43

Weather: Fair or cloudy with fog and drizzle.

28/11/43

Cloudy with fog, drizzle and rain becoming fine.

29/11/43

Weather:Fine, becoming cloudy with rain and showers.

Six aircraft were detailed on a cross-country run, in order that new'1 crews might gain experience for operations against the enemy. All returned to base having completed their mission.

30/11/43

Weather: Fair or fine with occasional showers. Ten aircraft were detailed on a cross country run, and all returned having completed their run, without any unusual incident to report.