Australia’s War Diary

50 Years Ago…

December 1 Italy. The Kittyhawk of S/Ldr S Welshman crashes and he is killed just 24 days after assuming command of 450 Squadron from S/Ldr Bartle. S/Ldr K Sands takes over. December 1/2- Britain. 466 Squadron is operational again. 12 Halifaxes carry out mining sorties off Terschelling Island. One crashes while landing at Catfoss in very poor visibility- no casualties.

December 2 – Britain. Flying Spitfire VB “FU-A” (AD557), F/Lt E Esau of 453 Squadron destroys a Ju 88 with the help of F/O L McAuliffe in “FU-E”. It is the last scoring for 1943. December 2/3 – Britain. Bomber Command sends 458 aircraft to Berlin. Bombing is scattered and German night fighters create havoc. 40 bombers are lost, among them five from 460 Sqn including that in which two reporters, Captain Grieg of the Daily Mail and Norman Stockton of the Sydney Sun, are flying. The crews lost are those of S/Ldr E Corser DFC, F/O A Mitchell, P/O T Alford, P/OJ English and F/Sgt C Edwards. P/O G Hughes of 514 Squadron, who is on his sixth sortie to Berlin, is attacked by an Me 210. His violent evasive action extinguishes the resulting fire and he manages to fly his damaged Lancaster home on three engines.

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