Tuesday, 15 December 1942

21 Squadron War Diary

December 15 Soluch
0500Jerry started a 40-minute raid on BENGHASI, the attraction doubtless being the five transports now being off-loaded in the harbour. Our A/A display improves with each performance.1311Squadron sortie (18 aircraft) bombed fairly well dispersed M.T. on the main road near MARBLE ARCH. Enemy A/A was heavy and accurate, seven of our aircraft (all repairable by unit) being hit. "Oprep" No. 134,Sortie Report and Crew List.Major JANDRELL's aircraft sustained the worst damage, his top A/Gunner No. 207191 F/Sgt. FELTON L.J. was killed and his Observer, No. 206112 Lieut.H. C. WHEELER was wounded; Circumstantial ReportConsiderable difficulty is being experienced in the catering departments as the Squadron now has Base at L.G. 98, B.L.G. at TMIMI, and O.L.G. here. This necessitates the running of seven messes (Including the Cape Corps) which certainly was not contemplated when the relevant Equipment Schedules were drawn up.

Transcriber's Notes

A/A
Anti-Aircraft.
M.T
Motor Transport.
F/Sgt
Flight Sergeant.
Sgt
Sergeant.
L.G
Landing Ground.
L.G. 98
Landing Ground 98.
B.L.G
Tmimi (Base Landing Ground, west of Tobruk).
O.L.G
Soluch (Operational Landing Ground, south of Benghazi).

Running seven separate messes to feed personnel across these sites was a massive logistical challenge.

AIR 27/268 · The National Archives