Operation

21 SQUADRON 1st RAID : 20th JANUARY, 1945 : RAID ON CELJE R/R BRIDGE YUGOSLAVIA C.O. R(D) 973373 OPREP No. 914. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

561 B : Capt. Nicolay P/O McDonald T. Lt. Nathan sgt Kilsby Cpt. Jones Lt. Malan ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 474 D : Lt. Reyneke sgt Cordell Lt. Teague W/O Hennessey W/O Cloete W/O Tennant ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 429 A : Lt. Kent Lt. watermeyer Lt. Albertyn W/O Crafford W/O Joubert sgt Overee ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

477 W : Lt. Isted Lt. Williams Lt. Steenkamp Lt. Bedford W/O Botha sgt Collins ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 539 T : Lt. Granger W/O Richardson Lt. Bailey Lt. Adams W/O Kruger sgt wood ✓ ✓ ✓ Sgt. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 583 V : Lt. Collender F/Sgt Gillam Lt. Deane Benson sgt Banfield sgt Suter ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ F/sgt ✓

519 G : Lt. Muir P/O Dale Lt. Lister sgt Foster sgt Greijbe Jones ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 537 YY: Lt. Batley W/O Long Lt. Adams sgt Gillbank Lt. Butler W/O Eave ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 575 P : Lt. Quail Lt. Louwrens Lt. Kros W/O Douglas W/O wilsen W/O Soloman. TIMES:- 1st Box:- 2.30 Hrs 2nd Box:- 2.30 Hrs. 3rd Box:- 2.30 Hrs. 21 SQUADRON 1st RAID : 23rd JANUARY, 1945 : OP.RE. NO. 917 RAID ON CELJE R.R. BRIDGE p.p. 973373. REF. MAP YUGO. 1:100,000 SHEET 12. CAPT

661 E : Lt. COL. Ord Markham Hodges Lt. Smit Lt. Lellingen Lt. ~~STUBBS~~ Cpt. Jones LT SGT SGT 474 D : Lt. Fraser P/O Hickie du Plessis Jenner Barlow W/O Richardson P/O FLo. W.O 119 U : Lt. Hussey Queife Lt. Wells Boast Watkinson Kennedy LT LT 2/LT W.O. 413 M: Lt. Napier Parsons Owen Hughes Koegelenberg ~~CLEEVE~~ Colliers. Lt. Stubbs. 2/LT W.O LT W.O

477 W : Comm Dieu Lt. Parsonson v.d. Putte Dinn Mitchell Peckitt LT 2/LT SGT 275 P : Lt. Gough Lt. Francis Ryan Sgt Arthur Laird Rennie LT 2/LT SGT 429 A : Lt. Ackermann Lt. Kriel Steenkamp Nielson F/O Richardson Sanderlands. TIMES:- 1st Box:- 3.20 Hrs. 2nd Box:- 3.20 Hrs. F/O. LT FL/SGT. LT.

561 B : Cpt. Nicolay McDonald T. Nathan Kilsby Cpt. Jones Malan LT. SGT. W.O. W.O. W.O. 474 D : F/O Hanna Lt. Stuart Dickenson Paxton v.d. Berg Oldfield LT. SGT. W.O. W.O. SGT. 519 G : Lt. Kent Watermeyer Albertyn Crafford Joubert Overee P/O LT. S/SGT W.O W.O 429 A : Lt. Brunette McDonald R. Bensde Roelofse Cinamin Heaven - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LT. 2/LT W.O LT. W.O. 535 K : Comm. Dieu Parsonson v.d. Putte Dinn Mitchell Peckitt W.O. LT SGT 2/LT SGT. 575 P : Lt. Batley Long Adams Gillbank Butler Eave LT. LT. 2/LT SGT. SGT. 477 W : Lt. Anderson Welles Webber Steynn McHugh Dodson. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 21 SQUADRON 1st RAID 27th JANUARY, 1945 OPREP No. 921. RAID ON CASTEL FRANCO VENETO TAKE OFF :- 0945Hrs. TIMES:- 1st Box:- 2.40 Hrs. 2nd Box:- 2.40 Hrs.

1945-01-20

21 SQUADRON 1st RAID : 20th JANUARY, 1945 : RAID ON CELJE R/R BRIDGE YUGOSLAVIA C.O. R(D) 973373 OPREP No. 914. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 561 B : Capt. Nicolay P/O McDonald T. Lt. Nathan sgt Kilsby Cpt. Jones Lt. Malan ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 474 D : Lt. Reyneke sgt Cordell Lt. Teague W/O Hennessey W/O Cloete W/O Te…

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Form 541

MAP

Transcriber's Notes

Phase 2: Technical Expansion Glossary of Terms * 2/LT / LT / CAPT / CPT / MAJOR: Allied rank designations: Second Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain, and Major. * F/SGT / SGT: Flight Sergeant and Sergeant. * OPREP No. 914: Operational Report number 914. * P/O: Pilot Officer. * R/R BRIDGE: Railroad Bridge. * W/O / W.O: Warrant Officer. Operational Context: Strategic Interdiction at Celje (January 1945) On 20 January 1945, 21 Squadron SAAF attempted a mission against the Celje Railroad Bridge in Yugoslavia (Coordinate R.(D) 973373). By early 1945, Allied air strategy focused on "Operation Bingo," the systematic interdiction of logistical routes to isolate German forces in Northern Italy and the Balkans. The Celje bridge was a critical node for German units withdrawing from the Balkans toward the Austrian border. The mission was characterized by extreme weather attrition. After takeoff from Jesi Landing Ground and rendezvous at Bellaria, the nine Martin B-26 Marauder aircraft encountered dense, multi-layered cloud cover reaching above 15,000 feet. Despite circling to gain height, the formation was forced to abandon the primary target and a secondary target near Lake Comacchio. All aircraft returned with their bomb loads. Execution Constraints * Formation Logistics: The document records a nine-aircraft formation organized into three boxes of three. The 1st Box was led by Capt. Nicolay in aircraft 561-B. * Technical Abort: While the flight duration for all three boxes is listed as 2 hours and 30 minutes, the mission was functionally a washout due to meteorological conditions. * Handwritten Marginalia: The page features consistent handwritten checkmarks (✓) above the names of every crew member listed. These marks likely represent the verification of personnel presence during the pre-flight briefing or post-flight interrogation. * Specific Marginalia Notes: In the entry for aircraft 583-V, the rank "Sgt." is handwritten above the name Benson. In the entry for aircraft 519-G, the rank "F/sgt" is handwritten above the name Jones. * Archival Reference: This document is identified by the handwritten page number "28" in the upper right corner. It provides a high-fidelity record of the aircrew assigned to Operation 914. 31 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 23rd JANUARY, 1945 Phase 2: Technical Expansion (Transcriber's Notes) Glossary of Terms * OP.RE. NO.: Operations Record Number. A sequential reference number assigned to each specific mission for administrative and historical tracking. * p.p.: Point Position. Used in conjunction with grid coordinates to identify a specific target location. * Lt. COL.: Lieutenant Colonel. * P/O: Pilot Officer. * W/O: Warrant Officer. * F/O: Flying Officer. * FLo.: Likely a non-standard abbreviation or misspelling for F/O (Flying Officer) or Fl/Sgt (Flight Sergeant), though in this context, it appears above a name in a position usually occupied by an Observer or Navigator. * Sgt / SGT: Sergeant. * 2/LT: Second Lieutenant. * Capt / CPT: Captain. * Comm: Commandant (The SAAF equivalent rank to Lieutenant Colonel). Operational Context: Celje R.R. Bridge (January 1945) By January 1945, 21 Squadron SAAF, operating Martin Baltimore Mark V aircraft, was part of the Desert Air Force (DAF) under the Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force (MATAF). While the squadron had spent much of the previous year focused on the Italian mainland, operations in early 1945 increasingly targeted Axis supply lines in the Balkans to support Yugoslav Partisan activity and hinder the withdrawal of German Army Group E. The target, the Celje Railroad Bridge (located in modern-day Slovenia, referred to in the document as Yugoslavia Sheet 12), was a critical node in the rail network connecting Ljubljana and Maribor. This line was vital for the movement of German reinforcements and the extraction of materiel toward the Reich. The mission (Op 917) reflects the "Operation Bingo" style of interdiction, aimed at paralyzing the enemy's logistics by destroying narrow bottlenecks such as bridges and viaducts in difficult mountainous terrain. The crew listings show a standard six-man complement per aircraft, typical for the Baltimore's late-war configuration which often included a Pilot, Navigator/Observer, and multiple wireless operator/air gunners to manage the increased defensive and technical requirements of the sorties. The handwritten strike-through of "STUBBS" in aircraft 661 E and "CLEEVE" in 413 M indicates last-minute crew substitutions, a common occurrence due to illness or administrative reassignment. Lt. Stubbs appears to have been moved from the lead aircraft to 413 M as a supernumerary or late addition. 32 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 27th JANUARY, 1945 Phase 2: Technical Expansion (Transcriber's Notes) Glossary of Terms * OPREP No.: Operational Report Number. A unique identifier for a specific combat mission. * 1st Box / 2nd Box: Tactical formations where aircraft are grouped into "boxes" (usually of 6 or 12 aircraft) to concentrate defensive fire and bomb patterns. * Comm.: Commandant. The South African Air Force equivalent rank to a Lieutenant Colonel (R.A.F. Wing Commander). * Cpt.: Captain. * F/O: Flying Officer. * P/O: Pilot Officer. * 2/LT: Second Lieutenant. * W.O.: Warrant Officer. * SGT / FL/SGT / S/SGT: Sergeant / Flight Sergeant / Staff Sergeant. Operational Context: Castelfranco Veneto (January 1945) By late January 1945, the tactical focus of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) had shifted heavily toward the "Operation Bingo" campaign, which aimed to systematically destroy the rail communications in Northern Italy and the Brenner Pass to prevent German forces from retreating or receiving supplies. The raid on Castelfranco Veneto (OPREP No. 921) targeted a significant railway junction in the Veneto region. This location was a vital node connecting the primary lines from the Brenner Pass to the front lines in Northern Italy. By January 1945, the German Wehrmacht was increasingly reliant on these junctions for the movement of heavy equipment. The 21 Squadron's use of Martin Baltimore aircraft in concentrated "boxes" was the standard tactical response to the heavy flak concentrations protecting such critical infrastructure. The take-off time of 0945Hrs suggests a daylight precision strike, a hallmark of 21 Squadron operations during this phase of the Italian Campaign. Exhaustion Rule: Marginalia & Formatting Notes * Handwritten Rank Indicators: Above the typed names, handwritten rank indicators (e.g., "F/O.", "LT", "FL/SGT.") have been added to provide the most current status of the crew members at the time of the mission. * Page Numbering: The numeral "30" in the upper right corner signifies the archival page sequence within the AIR 27/271/1 ledger. * Horizontal Dividers: The dashed lines separate the different flight sections (Boxes) participating in the raid. * Crew Structure: Each entry lists the aircraft number and letter (e.g., 561 B) followed by the six-man crew, consisting of the pilot, observer/navigator, and gunners. 33 Phase 1: Verification & Extraction Identity Check: 2nd JANUARY, 1945.