Australia’s War Diary

October 2 — Britain

Six Sunderlands of 461 Sqn operate from Sullom Voe on Shetland for ASW patrols off Norway. Suffering its last operational loss of the war when F/O H Codsall and crew in ML735/UT-A go missing off Bergen. The detachment will return to Pembroke Dock at the end of October.

October 2/3 — Britain

A highly successful night for 464 Squadron Mosquitoes bombing and strafing trains and marshalling yards in the Osnabruck area.

October 3 — Britain

German V-2 bombardment of Britain resumes from new launch sites in Holland. Some 35 rockets will be fired before the 18th when the Germans withdraw further east.

October 5 — Britain

227 RAF Lancasters and a Mosquito attempt to bomb Wilhelmshaven through 10/10ths cloud using H2S. One Lancaster from 463 Squadron is lost.

Burma

No 159 Squadron Liberators carry out a railway strike in Siam. One aircraft, with F/O R Hocking mid upper gunner, disappears (Hocking becomes a POW) and P/O W Anderson & crew battle a Japanese fighter for five minutes before escaping into cloud. Another B-24 with W/O E Ford and F/O J Nelson aboard is shot up and disappears trying to reach Chittagong. A Liberator of 355 Squadron, with three Australians aboard, attacking the railway line between Bangkok and Chiengmai, is also shot down.

October 6 — Britain

320 aircraft accurately bomb synthetic oil plants at Sterkrade and Scholven/Buer. Four Halifaxes and two Lancasters are lost at Scholven and three Halifaxes at Sterkrade. Eighteen Halifaxes from 466 and eleven from 462 are in the Sterkrade attack. AAA proves particularly heavy. Rear gunner Sgt Higgison of 462’s Halifax “V” is killed and Sgt J Griffith of aircraft “H” wounded. Halifax LW372 of 466 Squadron (P/O T Kenyon & crew) is lost, flight engineer Sgt P Jack being the only survivor. Eight 455 Squadron Beaufighters attack a convoy off the Hook of Holland, scoring probable hits on three minesweepers.

October 6/7 — Britain

Mosquitoes of 456 Squadron fly regular patrols over the Holland and Belgium fronts. W/O J Mulhall & F/O J Jones in HK317/Y destroy a Ju 188. Hopes for more successes are dashed when bad weather for most of the rest of the month restricts flying. 464 Squadron flies 13 sorties. F/Lt J Farrally & F/O R Burrows in Mosquito HR187 crash near Lille. Both are killed. A force of 253 bombers successfully attack Bremen, the last of 32 major Bomber Command raids on this target. It costs five Lancasters, including one from 463 Squadron.

October 7 — Britain

350 RAF bombers attack Emmerich which, together with Kleve (also bombed), stands on approach routes by which German units can threaten the Allied right flank near Nijmegen, exposed by the failure of Operation Market Garden. Three Lancasters are lost including that of 460 Squadron’s F/Lt E Greenacre DFC. It crashes southwest of the target but the crew bales out. F/O B Gratton’s Lancaster is struck by flak in the starboard engine and wing, and then bombed by incendiaries from aircraft above. Three crewmen bale out but Gratton manages to fly back and make an emergency landing at Hawkinge.

October 8 — Noemfoor

RAAF Kittyhawks bomb enemy positions on the Vogelkop Peninsula throughout October. 77 Squadron’s F/Sgt B Johnson is killed when his P-40N Kittyhawk A29-825 crashes while landing after a sweep.

October 9 — Italy

Led by W/O Hewitt, six Kittyhawks of 3 Squadron break up a German counter attack northwest of Sogliano. Six other Kittyhawks led by F/Lt C Wannan destroy a large ammunition depot near Logiono.

October 10 — Pacific

Four Kittyhawks from 75 Squadron become separated in heavy weather east of Misool Island. Only F/Sgt M Roberts reaches Middleburg, Dutch New Guinea, and reports the others missing. On the 12th, searching aircraft from No 80 Squadron find F/O D Andrew, who had baled out, and he is rescued by Catalina. F/Lt A Morrison and W/O J Bates are lost. During October, Bostons and Beaufighters of No 77 Wing sink 24 vessels, including transports and barges.

October 11/12 — Australia

During October, RAAF Catalinas lay mines at Soerabaya, Liakang Bay, Pare Pare Bay, Balikpapan, Tarakan and Makassar. No 42 Squadron flew against Makassar on four nights, encountering antiaircraft fire on each occasion. On this night all four aircraft involved return to Melville Bay unscathed.

October 12/13 — Australia

Four Catalinas of 42 Squadron return to lay mines at Makassar. Two are damaged by AA fire, F/Lt Ray Gibson beaches A24-96, holed by cannon fire, at Doctor’s Gully, Darwin and A24-102 (F/O Lindsay Oats) has most of its tailplane shot away by fire from a destroyer, but again, all aircraft despatched return safely.

October 13 — Australia

Two Beaufighters of 31 Squadron, A8-8 (F/Lt S Sippe & F/Sgt MacKenzie) and A8-5 (F/O D Strachan & F/Sgt Brassil), sweep towards Lautem airstrip. On the way, some 200 Japanese soldiers are sighted crossing a river bridge but the Beaufighters cannot fire before passing. Panic stricken troops are seen jumping off the bridge. At Lautem, Dinahs parked in a dispersal bay are destroyed.

Italy

Although the Luftwaffe has 70 aircraft of various types in Italy, these now mostly operate after dark. However, German Anti-aircraft fire is highly accurate. Sgt Brooks of 450 Squadron force lands in enemy lines and is captured. He is the 17th pilot of 450 to be captured.

October 14 — Noemfoor

W/O P Schlencker of 77 Squadron in Kittyhawk (A29-824) disappears without trace from a bombing mission to Manokaari.

Britain

Operation Hurricane. In a massive demonstration of “..the overwhelming superiority of the Allied Air Forces”, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 1013 aircraft to bomb Duisburg. 3631 tonnes of high explosive and 833 tonnes of incendiaries are dropped for the loss of 13 Lancasters and one Halifax. RAAF units in the force are 460 Sqn-26 Lancasters; 462 Sqn-14 Halifaxes; 466 Sqn-15 Halifaxes; and 463 Sqn one Lancaster carrying a film unit. The 8th USAAF dispatches 1251 B-17s and B-24s and 749 fighters to bomb targets around Cologne. US casualties are five bombers and one fighter. No Luftwaffe aircraft are seen.

October 14/15 — Britain

Operation Hurricane continues. 1005 British aircraft attack Duisburg again. Five Lancasters and two Halifaxes are lost. RAAF involvement is 460 Sqn-25 Lancasters; 462 Sqn-13 Halifaxes; 466 Sqn-14 Halifaxes. The Halifax of F/Sgt A Cockerill of 462 Sqn is coned by searchlights, and flak severely injures Cockerill’s left eye. Although half blind, in severe pain and weak from loss of blood, he completes his bombing run. After a hazardous return flight, he makes a successful emergency landing at Manston, Kent. F/O F Stephens of 514 (Lancaster) Sqn clashes inconclusively with German jet fighters. Nearly 9150 tonnes of bombs have fallen on Duisburg in less than 48 hours. Elsewhere, 233 Lancasters and seven Mosquitoes bomb Brunswick, its worst raid of the war. There are minor and diversionary operations to Heligoland, Berlin, Hamburg, Mannheim and Dusseldorf. Total RAF effort for the 24 hours is 2589 sorties for 24 aircraft lost. Total tonnage of bombs dropped in 24 hours: approximately 10,210 tonnes. These record totals will not be exceeded in WW2.

Australia

Two aircraft of 42 Squadron return to Makassar for mine laying. Catalina A24-90 (F/Lt Chas Williams & crew) is shot down in flames.

October 15 — Britain

Six 455 Sqn aircraft led by F/Lt Pilcher, attack 4 armed coastal vessels and 2 smaller vessels off the Dutch coast. Underwater rocket hits on one armed trawler and cannon hits on 4 other vessels are claimed. One Beaufighter ditches afterwards. F/Sgt N Steer & F/O B Roberts board their dinghy but are subsequently reported killed. In the afternoon, a search for a large convoy by 70 Beaufighters, including 14 from 455, turns up only four small luckless enemy vessels. One is sunk and two others left on fire.

Italy

3 Sqn bombs and strafes Verona marshalling yards.

October 15/16 — Britain

Target Wilhelmshaven for 506 aircraft, the last of 14 major Bomber Command raids on Wilhelmshaven since 1941. Seven bombers are lost including Halifax MZ299 (F/O A Monroe & crew) of 466 Sqn.

October 16 — Italy

Twelve Kittyhawks of 3 Squadron, led by S/Ldr Rex Bayley, attack an enemy headquarters west of Mensa. Bayley and W/O Cotterill score direct hits.

October 18 — Pacific

Apparently hit by enemy ground fire, the Kittyhawk of 82 Sqn’s F/O A Weymouth crashes into the sea at the Kai Islands. Three other Kittyhawks returning from a sweep to Geser Island encounter bad weather and F/O M Bellert disappears near Manokwari. F/Lt K Milne of 76 Sqn experiences engine trouble and bales out 35 miles from base. He is recovered by Catalina next day.

October 19 — Australia

The convoy patrol missions flown by 13 Squadron increases from 76 to 87 during October. F/O J Branigan’s Ventura A59-83 ditches in the Torres Strait because of engine failure. It sinks in just 60 seconds but all the crew reaches Banks Island in the inflatable dinghy. They are recovered by a crash launch.

October 19/20 — Britain

Stuttgart is raided by 565 Lancasters and 18 Mosquitoes causing widespread damage. Six Lancasters are lost including two out of 26 from 460 Sqn, those piloted by F/Os D Hamilton and P Fontaine.

October 20 — Pacific

The Allied invasion of the Philippines begins at daybreak after a three hour bombardment by the US 7th Fleet. MacArthur’s invasion of Leyte will precipitate one of the decisive battles of the Pacific war.

Italy

No 3 Squadron Kittyhawks attack a group of supply barges off the Po estuary. One is reported sunk and two others are left sinking. Operational activity for 3 and 450 Squadrons will be restricted for the rest of the month because of poor weather conditions.

October 21 — Pacific

At Leyte Gulf, the first Kamikaze aircraft choose HMAS Australia as a target. Two are shot down by AA fire but the third crashes onto the bridge, killing Captain E Dechaineux DSC.

October 22 — Britain

With enemy shipping so scarce in the northern approach to the English Channel, 455 Squadron shifts back to Scotland, to RAF Dallachy, to look for convoys escaping towards Denmark from Norway.

October 23-26 — Pacific

Battle of Leyte Gulf. The main result of this crucial battle is that it totally cripples the Japanese Fleet leaving it without aircraft carriers but a major concern is the appearance of Kamikaze (Divine Wind) suicide aircraft which, packed with explosives, attempt to destroy Allied ships by diving into them.

October 23 — Australia

Led by S/Ldr W Tritton, six Beaufighters from 31 Squadron destroy nine trucks at Cape Wetoh sweep. Shortly afterwards, 31 Squadron is grounded because of fuel transfer system faults.

October 23/24 — Britain

1055 aircraft stage the heaviest raid on Essen to date. The number of RAF aircraft dispatched is also the greatest sent to any target so far. Five Lancasters and three Halifaxes are lost. The Halifaxes of F/O H Hagstrom of 466 Sqn and F/O J Bennett of 78 Sqn RAF are crippled by flak but manage to limp home. F/Sgt J Grace, a 462 Sqn bomb aimer, is thrown out unconscious when his Halifax collides with a Lancaster near Aachen. While falling he recovers and pulls his rip-cord to become the only survivor. P/O D Richins of 460 Sqn crashes on return to England, only the mid upper gunner, F/Sgt J Cannon, thrown out of the aircraft on impact, surviving.

Australia

Three Catalinas of 42 Sqn return to Makassar planting mines. After dropping one, A24-100 (P/O Cliff Hull & crew) is hit by flak in the starboard engine which stops. One hour from Makassar, the port engine fails too and Hull alights on the sea. Daylight top cover over the stricken Catalina is given by a USAAF P-61 Black Widow and later by two B-24s. Eventually, another Catalina, A24-59 of No 43 Sqn captained by F/O Etienne, arrives and recovers Hull and his crew. A24-100 is strafed and destroyed.

October 25 — Pacific

F/O H. D. Summons of 77 Squadron from Noemfoor in Kittyhawk A29-821 is lost, last seen entering cloud while preparing to make a bombing run.

October 27 — Australia

An advance party of 21 Sqn flies to Fenton, from Leyburn, in B-24s A72-55 (piloted by W/Cdr Peter Parker) and A72-52 (F/O Evans). No 21 Sqn “Parker’s Panthers” is the second RAAF unit equipped with Liberators. By the end of October it will have 11 on strength.

October 29 — New Guinea

S/Ldr R Wallace and F/O R Hider are killed when their Beaufighter A19-216 of 31 Squadron crashes into the sea near Ambon.

October 29/30 — Britain

Three Mosquitoes of 464 Squadron led by F/Lt S Clayton & F/Sgt H Morrison in NS943/N successfully bomb and strafe a train carrying V-2 rocket components at Sneek, Holland.

October 31 — Britain

In a daring low-level raid, 25 Mosquitoes 140 Wing RAF, including eight from 464 Squadron, destroy Gestapo HQ buildings in the University of Aarhus, Denmark. More than 200 Gestapo and Sicherheitsdienst (Security Service) personnel, including high ranking officers, are killed, records are destroyed and some Danish Resistance prisoners escape.