Monday, 8 November 1943 — War Diary

21 Squadron War Diary

1159 hrs Tortorella, Italy

A formation of twelve aircraft followed No. 12 and No. 24 Squadrons to bomb gun positions at CASTEL FRETANO. The target area was straddled; bombs hit the road and track junction. Heavy Ack Ack fire was encountered during and after the bombing run; the light Ack Ack was inaccurate and slight. All aircraft returned to base, the last landing at 11.59 hours.Sortie Report No. 438

Transcriber's Notes

Ack Ack: Anti-Aircraft fire.

Correction to Previous Note (Capt. Dieu's Survival): This entry contains a startling correction to the tragedy recorded on November 3rd. Captain Jean Dieu (the Belgian pilot involved in the mid-air collision with the O.C., Lt. Col. Britz) survived. The diary notes he "baled out, hidden for five days in enemy territory and eventually managed to reach the Allied lines." This was a rare and fortunate outcome given the catastrophic description of the crash ("tail cut clean off"). His return would have been a massive morale boost, though the loss of Lt. Col. Britz remained confirmed.

"Ack Ack was inaccurate and slight" (Nov 8th): This completes the entry from the previous page regarding the raid on Castel Fretano. It contrasts with the earlier description of "Heavy Ack Ack," suggesting that while the fire was heavy (intense), it was not effectively targeted.