Australia’s War Diary

October 2 – Eastern Front. Operation Typhoon, the German assault on Moscow begins.

Germany. Flown by test pilot Heini Dittmar, the third prototype Me163A rocket fighter achieves an unofficial world speed record of 623. 85mph (1,003. 96km). However, the record will remain a closely guarded secret until the war is over.

Britain. The USA and Britain agree to send to Russia each month: 400 aircraft; 500 tanks; 200 gun carriers; 41,656 tonnes of aluminium; 22,352 tonnes of rubber; and 3,922 tonnes of machine tools plus large quantities of food, medical supplies and raw materials.

452 Squadron’s Irish flight commander F/Lt Paddy Finucane shoots down his 21st enemy aircraft, an event which receives wide coverage in the press. His wingman, Sgt Raife Cowan of Brisbane, sends down another when it tries to surprise Finucane from behind. It crashes into the sea.

Leading the Biggin Hill Wing is S/Ldr Desmond Sheen DFC, CO of 72 Squadron RAF. Near Abbeville, they bounce a large formation of Bf 109Es. Sheen dives on one firing as he rapidly closes in and has to break away to avoid ramming. His victim slowly rolls onto its back and falls into a dive “beyond the vertical”. October 3 – North Africa. Near Baq Baq seven Bf 109s bounce a 451 Squadron RAAF Tac R Hurricane escorted by six Hurricanes of 33 Squadron RAF. One of the escorts is shot up and Sgt Ranger Lowry of Turramurra, NSW, has to bail out as his aircraft bursts into flames. Lowry will spend the next three months in hospital. Britain. Sgt Keith Chisholm of 452 Squadron receives the DFM for his six enemy aircraft destroyed. He is the first Australian to win this award. Bluey Truscott, also with six, receives the DFC and takes command of “B” Flight.

October 7-Australia. John Curtin becomes Prime Minister. October10-Eastern Front. Factories in Moscow begin to be disassembled for evacuation to the east.

Germany. German night fighter intruder activities over Britain are halted by the explicit order of Hitler. The Luftwaffe chief of staff has questioned the need to maintain a Gruppe of valuable Ju 88Cc and Do 17Zs for such operations. All are posted to the Mediterranean. Actually, the work the fern Nachtjagd did in harrying returning RAF bombers landing at their home bases has been causing serious disruption and concern to Bomber Command. It is a fortunate decision for the RAF because for the remainder of the war Bomber Command’s activities on its airfields will receive little interference from the Luftwaffe. October 10/11 – Britain. A “freshman” crew of 455 Squadron RAAF raids Dunkirk. The French port is a useful target for giving new crews early operational experience.

October 11-Eastern Front. Russian T-34 tanks go into action for the first time inflicting severe losses on the Germans.

October 12 – Eastern Front. Despite poor weather and determined Russian resistance, the German advance on Moscow continues with the fall of Kaluga.

North Africa. It is not a good day for the Australians. Operating with 2 Squadron SAAF near Bir Sheferzen, 3 Squadron RAAF becomes involved in a bitter dogfight with Bf 109s. F/O Roberts crash lands in Allied lines, Sgt Scott crash lands at Sidi Haneish and Sgt Parker manages to bail out of his blazing Tomahawk but is severely wounded, dying before his parachute reaches the ground. Sgt ” T iny” Cameron claims a Bf 109 and F/O W Jewell a probable. The South Africans lose one Tomahawk and another force lands.

In a later battle, 10 112 Squadron Tomahawks encounter 15 Bf 109s and 10 G-50s. P/O R Jeffries of Mosman Park, Western Australia, shoots down a Bf 109F but other Australians in the squadron suffer. Sgt W E Carson is wounded, Sgt Rudolf Leu and P/O Parker are shot down and Sgt McWilliam’s aircraft is badly shot up but he manages to reach home. Both Parker and Leu are found slightly injured during the night by the Coldstream Guards. In two days they will be back with their squadron. Britain. Circus 107. 23 Blenheims bomb the docks at Boulogne. Finucane of 452 Squadron shoots down another Bf 109 but Keith Chisholm fails to return. For the resourceful dental student from Petersham NSW, who bails out into the sea near Berck-sur-Mer and is picked up by a German launch, this marks the beginning of an incredible odyssey of escape and evasion which will last until August 1944 when, after fighting with the French Resistance during the liberation of Paris, he will at last be liberated himself and returned to England.

October 12113 – Britain. 455 Squadron RAAF dispatches four Hampdens to bomb the synthetic rubber plant at Huls. The target is mostly covered by fog and only three manage to attack. October13-Britain. Circus 108A. Six Blenheims escorted by six wings of fighters bomb the ship lift at Arques. 452 Squadron RAAF claims its highest score of the month, all Messerschmitt Bf 109s. Finucane two, Truscott two, Thorold-Smith one, Sgt Jack Emery one and Sgt Eric Schrader claims a probable which will be later upgraded to destroyed. Sgt Jack Elphick bails out into the Channel and is picked up by the Dover lifeboat.

452 Squadron has now been credited with a total of 51 enemy aircraft destroyed. During a party at night Finucane falls and fractures his foot.

October 13114 – Britain. Two Hampdens of 455 Squadron are sent to bomb Cologne but one fails to find the target. Another Hampden carries out a minelaying sortie.

October 16-Australia. Air Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham, C-in-C Far East, is visiting again and he tells a meeting of the Advisory War Council that the strength of the air force in Malaya is improving. He specially mentions his five Buffalo squadrons and remarks that these aircraft are superior to the fighter types flown by the Japanese and well suited to Malayan conditions. October 20/21 – Britain. Unlike 455 Squadron whose number of sorties has been limited these past months because of the slow delivery of Hampdens, 458 Squadron RAAF, equipped with Wellingtons, has had no difficulty obtaining aircraft and crews. On this night 458 dispatches seven aircraft to bomb Antwerp, two to Emden and one to Rotterdam. One of the Antwerp Wellingtons is lost. Three 455 Squadron Hampdens bomb Bremen and a fourth carries out minelaying.

October 22 – North Africa. All Australian soldiers of the 9th Division, except for the men of the 2113th Battalion, have now been evacuated from Tobruk. The “Tobruk Ferry Service” relief convoy on its way to the fortress had been obliged to turn back because of air attack stranding the unit. General Morshead hands over his command to the officer commanding 70th British Division. The 2113th will remain at Tobruk until the siege ends. Britain. F/Lt Reg Burrage and crew in Sunderland W3986, RB-U, of 1 O Squadron RAAF makes a special flight to meet and escort a Whitley of 502 Squadron RAF returning with engine trouble from an anti-submarine patrol off north-west Spain. After a search a dinghy is discovered with the six Whitley crewmen on board. In spite of less than ideal surface conditions, Burrage brings the big flying boat down and successfully recovers them from the ocean.

October 22123 – Britain. Eight Wellingtons of 458 Squadron bomb Le Havre.

October 23 – North Africa. On the Benghazi “Mail Run”, the almost nightly RAF attacks on Axis supplies coming into Benghazi harbour, Wellington 1C/T 2832 of 108 Squadron RAF is hit by flak. On board is Queenslander P/O Allan Simpson for experience acting as substitute navigator. He is on his first “Mail Run” op having arrived in the Middle East 30 days earlier and joined the squadron only five days ago. Losing height, the Wellington limps towards LG 104, its advanced landing ground in Egypt but south of Sollum, over “no man’s land”, Simpson and the others have to bail out. Just after dawn they are found by a staff car occupied by South African war correspondents who are on an “unofficial, unauthorised inspection” ahead of the forward British positions! Two nights later, Simpson is in another Wellington back on the Benghazi “Mail Run”, this time with his own crew.

October 23/24 – Britain. 455 Squadron sends four Hampdens to Kiel. Out of the entire RAF attacking force of 114 aircraft, only 69 {three out of the Australian squadron’s four) reach the target. Hits are scored on the Deutsche Werke U-boat yard, the naval base and in civilian areas.

October 24-Britain. In the early morning darkness, 10 Squadron Sunderland P9605/RB-K flown by F/Lt Attie Wearne and crew is on its way to an anti-submarine patrol when it is fired on unexpectedly from below. Wearne takes evasive action. It is not until daylight it is realised that the port outer wing tank has been holed and is streaming oil. Fitters Cpl Ted King and LACD Hunter patch the holes and cut another in the top of the tank to refill it from a spare drum. Then, with King keeping check on the gauges, Hunter stays in the cramped wing for the next two hours keeping the engine running smoothly by collecting oil draining into the nacelle in a jug and pouring it back into the tank until reaching PembrokeDock. Later, it is learned that the Sunderland had unintentionally flown over a trigger-happy “friendly” convoy. October 26/27 – Britain. Two Hampdens of 455 Squadron bomb Cherbourg and two others, out of three sent, raid Hamburg where there are several fires reported. Two more Hampdens lay mines in Kiel Bay.

October 29 – North Africa. 94 (Hurricane) Squadron RAF, commanded by Australian Battle of Britain veteran S/Ldr Clive MayersDFC, arrives at LG 103 after serving as night fighters in the Canal Zone.

October30-NorthAfrica. Ever trying to evolve tactics to combat the high-flying Messerschmitts, British and Commonwealth fighter squadrons now usually fly in pairs. To avoid their individual weavers falling victim to the German fighters, each whole squadron weaves. 238 and 250 Squadrons carry out a sweep over Gambut and Bardia. In a clash with Bf 109Fs, Sgt Robert Whittle of 250 Squadron claims one out of two shot down. Sgt C Cornell has to bail out of his Tomahawk 15 miles (24km) west of Bardia and 238 Squadron loses a Hurricane and its pilot.

October 31-Malta. After the arrival of replacement tyres for his P RU Spitfire, F/Lt N H E Messervy had flown various hazardous long-range reconnaissance sorties over Italian ports and military installations often in poor weather before returning to England. His work will earn him aDFC.

Britain During the month 124 pilots, 55 observers, 90 WAGs and seven AGs have arrived under the EATS.

Eastern Front. The German assault on Moscow halts. Poor weather has made the ground muddy and soft, hindering the mobility of tanks.

Atlantic. Because a number of U-boats have been diverted into the Mediterranean, Allied shipping losses have been lighter. They account for 159,000 tonnes out of a total of 221,790 tonnes sunk. October 31/November 1 – Britain. Because of bad visibility over the target, Hamburg, only 56 RAF aircraft out of 123 dispatched, including two Hampdens from 455 Squadron, successfully drop their bombs. Elsewhere, two 458 Squadron Wellingtons fly the Dunkirk “milk run” and five 455 Squadron Hampdens go minelaying