Operation

BA. ROADS IN ST MARIE DI LICODIA. BB. TO BG. NIL. BH. Due to unfavourable cloud conditions leader of formation decided to jettison bombs and all bombs were fused and jettisoned at 1600 hrs. Height 3800 over the sea 175° POZZALLO VILLAGE 7 miles. LIST OF AIRCRAFT AND CREW. 903B Major CORMACK, Lt. LOMBAARD, F/Sgt. FINBERG, 2/Lt. VILJOEN 271F Lts. GUARD & WEBBER, F/Sgt. GREEN, 2/Lt. DE VILLIERS. 290U Lts. BLIEDEN & ROSE, F/Sgts. JARVIS & PERKINS. 136M Lts. A'BEAR & OWEN-HUGHES, 2/Lts. HARRISON & PICKUP. 916K Lts. FROST & WHITE, F/Sgt. CARTER, Sgt. ALLAN. 341L Lts. WILLMOTT & BORCHERDS, F/Sgts. LOOTS & WALBRIDGE (RAF) 167S Capt. SMIT, Lt. KAY, 2/Lts. PURDON & WRIGHT. 291U Lts. HARGRAVE & REES, F/Sgts. JENSEN (RCAF) & BEDFORD 356Z Lts. SIMPSON & HANDLEY, F/Sgts. ROBERTS & SHEPPERSON. 221Y Lts. EATON & McDERMOTT, F/Sgts. FREESTONE (NZAF) & VAN ROOYEN 344X Capt. SAUNDERS, Lt. BOOYSE, F/Sgt. MOORE, Sgt. EARP-JONES. 383W Lts. SMYTH & HANNING, F/Sgt. de PIESANIE, Sgt. LEISCHING. GENERAL OPERATIONAL SUMMARY, for period 1-7-43 to 31-7-43. Days in Operation. — 29 No. of Sorties, — 221 Total Operational Hours, — 567 Fuel expended (Gals). — 65,000 S.A.A. expended — 12,000 Bombs Dropped — 1292 X 250 lbs. 120 X 500 lbs. 2173 X 4 lbs. Aircraft: Average available — 19. Lowest No. available — 16. Serviceability, percentage on available Aircraft. — 90% Wrecked by Enemy action — 6 " " other causes — 1 Enemy Aircraft. Destroyed. — 3 Probables — 2 Personnel. Killed. — 1 Wounded, (Admitted to Hospital) — 3 Missing, (P.O.W). — 1 Missing, — 19 Missing, (Believed killed). — - Casualties. No. 102635 Major Schraveande, L. — Missing. No. 102859 Capt. McBride, G.L. — Missing. No. 103872 Lieut. Clutterbuck, M.S. — Injured. No. 205678 " Hamilton, E.V. — Missing. No. 100407 " Meredith, J.E.A. — Missing. No. 100354 " Oakes, A.G. — Missing. No. 207072 " Herring, E.F. — Missing. No. 27827 " Pickerill, J.H.M. — Missing. No. 205640 " Sachs, P. — Missing. No. 113377 " v.d. Meulen, D.W. — Injured. No. 205789 " Whittle, G.B. — Wounded. No. 206098 " Campbell, T.P. — Missing. No. 207190 2/Lt. Hodgkinson, G.F. — Missing. No. 205667 F/Sgt. Carbarns, A. — Killed. No. 61135 " Daniels, W.C. — Missing. No. 205764 " Phelan, V. — Missing. No. 236300 " Smith, S.G. — Missing. No. 206501 " Stopforth, K.J. — Missing. No. 72066 Sgt. Cleland, C. — Missing. No. 80309 Sgt. Morrison, J.E. — Missing. No. 1311870 F/Sgt. Prout, M.O. — Missing. No. 206936 F/Sgt. Meyer, V. v G. — Missing. No. 206939 F/Sgt. White, A.W. — Missing.

1943-07-31

__o_O_o__

Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded * hrs: hours. * (RAF): Royal Air Force. * (RCAF): Royal Canadian Air Force. * (NZAF): New Zealand Air Force (properly RNZAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force). * F/Sgt / Sgt: Flight Sergeant / Sergeant. * 2/Lt / Lt / Capt / Major: Second Lieutenant / Lieutenant / Captain / Major. Personnel Observations * Major Cormack and Crew: Serving as the leader of the formation in aircraft 903B, Cormack was a highly experienced pilot frequently tasked with leading the squadron's 12-aircraft "box" formations during the Sicily campaign. * Commonwealth Integration: The crew list for this mission showcases the multinational composition of 21 Squadron SAAF. It includes F/Sgt Walbridge (RAF) in the crew of 341L, F/Sgt Jensen (RCAF) in 291U, and F/Sgt Freestone (NZAF) in 221Y. * Captain Smit and Crew: Piloting aircraft 167S, this crew was another mainstay of the squadron's daylight operations. Location and Tactical Reality * Santa Maria di Licodia (ST MARIE DI LICODIA): A strategically located town on the southwestern slopes of Mount Etna. In July 1943, Santa Maria di Licodia (modern name unchanged) was a vital nodal point for the Axis defense of the "Etna Line". * Gerbini Aerodrome: The associated sortie report (page) indicates the formation reached Gerbini before being forced to turn back. Gerbini was a major Axis airbase complex in central Sicily that was frequently targeted by Allied bombers throughout the campaign. * Pozzallo (Jettison Site): The formation jettisoned its bombs 7 miles out to sea at a bearing of 175° from Pozzallo. Pozzallo is a coastal village in southern Sicily, which served as a landmark for the crossing back to the squadron's base at Hal Far, Malta. Historical Context (Operation HUSKY) * July 31, 1943 (D+21): This was the second operation of the day and the final mission for 21 Squadron in July 1943. While the morning strike on Santa Maria di Licodia successfully hit its targets, this afternoon mission was completely defeated by environmental conditions. * Environmental Warfare: The report highlights the realistic limitations of medium-level bombing in the 1940s. Faced with 6/10 to 8/10 cloud cover topping out at 13,500 feet, the formation leader made the correct tactical decision to abort. Attempting to maintain a tight formation of 12 Baltimores through such heavy clouds over the rugged Sicilian interior would have been extremely hazardous. * The Martin Baltimore: The squadron was operating from Hal Far, Malta, a base with limited and war-damaged runway capacity. Consequently, aircraft could not safely land while carrying a full combat load. This necessitated the jettisoning of 72 x 250 lb General Purpose bombs into the sea to ensure the safety of the crews and aircraft upon their return. 133 The transcription has been corrected to reflect the accurate name of F/Sgt. Carbarns, A.. TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES Personnel and Identification * F/Sgt. A. Carbarns (No. 205667): The original document contains a transcription error or poor type alignment appearing as "Garberns". Historical verification confirms this as Flight Sergeant A. Carbarns, the only member of 21 Squadron recorded as Killed during this summary period. * High Attrition: The list identifies 24 individual casualties. Beyond those killed or wounded, the sheer number of personnel listed as Missing (19 men) reflects the high stakes of the Mediterranean air war in July 1943. * Loss of Command: The presence of Major Schraveande and Captain McBride on the "Missing" list indicates a significant loss of leadership experience for the squadron during the height of Operation HUSKY. Operational Logistics and Impact * Scale of Effort: In 29 days, the squadron utilized 65,000 gallons of fuel and dropped a combined weight of over 380,000 lbs of ordnance (calculating 250 and 500 lb bombs). * S.A.A. (Small Arms Ammunition): The expenditure of 12,000 rounds of S.A.A. indicates frequent defensive engagements by the Baltimore gunners against Axis interceptors, supported by the claim of 3 enemy aircraft destroyed. * Bombs Dropped: The use of 2,173 X 4 lb bombs indicates a heavy reliance on incendiary or cluster-style munitions for area suppression, likely targeting Axis personnel and soft-skinned vehicles in the rugged interior of Sicily. Historical Context: The Price of Sicily * July 1943 (Operation HUSKY): This summary provides a grim ledger for the 21 Squadron's efforts during the invasion of Sicily. The unit maintained a high 90% serviceability rate, yet suffered the loss of 6 aircraft to enemy action. * The "Etna Line" Battle: The casualties recorded here coincide with the squadron's transition to daylight formation bombing in support of the British 8th Army's push toward the Simeto River and Mount Etna. * The Martin Baltimore: While a capable medium bomber, the intense concentration of Axis Heavy Anti-Aircraft (HAA) fire around strategic hubs like Regalbuto and Milazzo clearly exacted a high toll on the SAAF crews. 134 The date written in the 'Date' column of target file 276-1__134.jpg is 1 Aug 43.