Sortie Report (Form 541)
R.A.F. Form 441 A.SORTIE REPORT(Part A.)NIGHT OP.K 104Sheet No.Oprep. Ref. No. 374Date. 12/13 Aug 43Squadron. 21 SAAF ADVType of Aircraft. 4 Baltimores MK 3AAircraft No. )Aircraft Letter. ) as per listLeader of formation.Captain Lt. WILLMOTTCrew. Lt. BORCHERDSOther aircraft followed similar courses at 20 min intervals.Time Up. 2255 hrs LT 1st aircraftTime Down. 0155 hrs LT last aircraft.Total Time. 8 hrs 30 mins.Aerodrome or L.G. LUCAType of Cloud. S/CuAmount of Cloud. 2/10Base of Cloud. Patches over mountain topsVisibility. 5 milesGeneral Weather. GoodMap or Chart Reference.1:500,000 SICILIA.NE 36/12Task or Duty. BOMBING ATTACK ON ROADS LINGUAGLOSSA TO D 0048 OR NOVARA VILLAGE.| Time | Height | Place | Narrative ||---|---|---|---|| 2255 | | Luca | Airborne || 2302 | 2000 | Malta | S/c GELA Beacon. || 2324 | 7000 | Gela | S/c NICOSIA || 2346 | 10000 | Nicosia | S/c LINGUAGLOSSA and road NORTH to D0048 || 0000 | 8000 | D0048 | Bombed || 0002 | 8000 | Target | S/c NICOSIA || 0012 | 5000 | Nicosia | S/c GELA BEACON || 0024 | 5000 | Gela | S/c MALTA || 0105 | | | Landed || 0155 | | | Last aircraft landed. |(Signature: J. S. Bester) Capt.SIO. 21 SQUADRON SAAF.
Transcriber's Notes
- R.A.F
- Royal Air Force.
- NIGHT OP
- Night Operation.
- Oprep. Ref. No
- Operational Report Reference Number.
- SAAF ADV
- South African Air Force Advanced (Headquarters).
- MK 3A
- Mark 3A (designating the specific Baltimore aircraft variant).
- Lt
- Lieutenant.
- L.G
- Landing Ground.
- S/Cu
- Stratocumulus (cloud type).
- S/c
- Set course.
- Nicosia
- A central Sicilian town used as a high-altitude waypoint (10,000 feet) before the aircraft descended for their individual bombing runs in the heavily defended volcanic sector. Historical Context: The Evacuation of Sicily
Abbreviations and Technical Terms Expanded
hrs LT: hours Local Time.
Lieutenant Willmott and Lieutenant Borcherds: This crew served as the formation leader for the four-aircraft detachment. They were veteran pilots of 21 Squadron, frequently paired for these hazardous night intruder missions.