Sortie Report (Form 541)
BA: GUN POSITIONS C412058 — 409052 — 418055BB: 1331 A HrsBC: Medium level bombing 230º/12,000'24 x 500 M.C. 43 Dets 27 Pistols36 x 250 G.P. do do (Rods)2 x 500 M.C. 43 Dets 27 Pistols) Jettisoned at H5909903 x 250 G.P. do do )BD: Target identified. Undershoot with 9/12 bombs in sea, direct hit on RR and bursts among buildings and covering Eastern half of triangle on course to C416053. Small amount of black smoke on edge of cliffBE: NILBF: NILBG: Verticals and Obliques of bomb burstsBH: 12/14 MET stationary on Rd C420010 — 403013AIRCRAFT AND CREW LIST.356Z MAJ. STUART LT PAWSON W/O FREESTONE LT HALL383W LT GREDER LT ROSE. F. F/SGT GREYLING A/SGT AIREY387R LT RICHARDS LT ROSE. A. F/SGT ROBBERTSE A/SGT McCRINDLE181Y MAJ COULL LT McARAVEY F/SGT PERKINS F/SGT VAN ROOYEN445U CAPT VAN BREDA LT NAUDE F/SGT GRATTON A/SGT ROBERTSON181T LT ROBERTSON LT HANNING F/SGT DU PIESANIE A/SGT LEISCHING240O CAPT DUGMORE LT MASTERS F/SGT MAASDORP F/SGT ROGERS426J LT LONGMORE LT KENDAL F/SGT THEUNISSEN A/SGT MACKAY916K LT WITTE 2/LT RUSHFORTH F/SGT EATON A/SGT MARAIS545A LT MURMAN LT WALTERS F/SGT ODENDAAL A/SGT STEWART586B CAPT JOB LT OWEN-HUGHES F/SGT JARVIS LT SHAW437H LT HEWITT LT HORWITZ F/SGT KIDNEY A/SGT BOWEN
Transcriber's Notes
- RR
- Railroad.
- MET
- Motor Enemy Transport.
- Rd
- Road.
Expanded Abbreviations
Lieutenant Robertson and Lieutenant Hanning: Flying in aircraft 181T. This crew was a regular presence in the squadron's manifests during the Sangro campaign. Tragically, both would be killed just three weeks later in a takeoff accident at Tortorella on November 28, 1943.
Fossacesia / Sangro River (C412058 — 409052 — 418055): The targets were German gun positions on the coastal cliffs near Fossacesia in the Abruzzo region. These batteries commanded the northern bank of the Sangro River.