No.38 Group Diverted

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smudgersmith218
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No.38 Group Diverted

Post by smudgersmith218 »

Hopefully Bruno our 38 Group expert can answer this question ( no pressure mate ;) )

Fourteen aircraft of No.38 Group were diverted to Methwold on August 11th 1944 with them was the group commander, Air Vice Marshall C.N Hollinghust C.B, O.B.E, D.F.C, were the aircraft returning from a supply operation, or on a training flight, cannot see the A.O.C flying on ops.

Any clues Bruno. ?

Steve
No.218 (Gold Coast) Squadron 1918-1945
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Re: No.38 Group Diverted

Post by K4KittyCrew »

These details might give an insight..............

Taken from the Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary site.

Campaign Diary
August 1944

10/11 August 1944

215 aircraft - 109 Lancasters, 101 Halifaxes, 5 Mosquitos - of 5, 6 and 8 Groups attacked oil depots at Bordeaux and La Pallice successfully and without loss.

104 Halifaxes of No 4 Group and 20 Lancasters of Nos 1 and 8 Groups attacked a railway junction and the railway yards at Dijon; much damage was caused. 2 Halifaxes were lost and a further Halifax crashed or crash-landed in the liberated part of Normandy.

32 Mosquitos to Berlin, 3 Lancasters of No 8 Group to Bremen, 8 RCM sorties, 37 Mosquito patrols, 12 Lancasters minelaying off Biscay ports, 8 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.

The 3 Pathfinder Lancasters which bombed Bremen were the first Lancaster Mark VIs flown on operations by Bomber Command and they dropped the Command's first 10,000lb bombs.

11 August 1944

459 aircraft - 270 Lancasters, 169 Halifaxes, 20 Mosquitos - of Nos 1, 3, 4 and 8 Groups attacked 3 railway yards and 1 bridge. Forces of between 133 and 142 aircraft attacked Douai, Lens and Somain; the bombing at these targets started well but ground features rapidly became covered by smoke and dust. 1 Halifax lost on the Somain raid. 49 aircraft attacked the Étaples railway bridge without loss and claimed direct hits on the bridge.

53 Lancasters and 3 Mosquitos of No 5 Group attacked U-boat pens at Bordeaux and La Pallice with 2,000lb armour-piercing bombs, but examination of the pens after their capture a few weeks later showed that these bombs could not penetrate the roofs. 6 Mosquito fighters of No 100 Group provided a partial escort cover for the Bordeaux raid but no German fighters were encountered. No aircraft lost.

40 Halifaxes of No 4 Group and 20 Pathfinder Mosquitos attacked 4 launching sites. Visibility was clear; the bombing was accurate and no aircraft were lost.

11/12 August 1944

179 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and 8 Groups carried out an exceptionally accurate attack on the railway yards at Givors. No aircraft lost.

33 Mosquitos to Berlin and 2 to Trossy St Maxim, 9 RCM sorties, 28 Mosquito patrols, 8 Stirlings and 6 Lancasters minelaying off Biscay ports, 14 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Mosquito lost from the Berlin raid.
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smudgersmith218
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Re: No.38 Group Diverted

Post by smudgersmith218 »

Hi John,

Thanks for the gen, I am not sure the Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary site would cover No.38 Group activities. ?

I find it hard to believe that the A.O.C No.38 Group would fly operationally, saying that Baldwin did against Cologne on the 10000 raid. :o

Steve
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Re: No.38 Group Diverted

Post by Bruno »

Hi,

This night 8 Stirlings of 190 Squadron were on Operation for the SOE and 14 Stirlings of 620 Squadron were on Operation for the SAS. These two 38 Group Squadrons had taken off from their base Fairford.
At their return the cloud base at Fairford had fallen to less than 500 Feet. One 620 Squadron Stirling (which returned early due to an unserviceable Gee set) managed to land at an other 38 Group base Brize Norton but the rest of the Fairford aircraft had to be diverted much faster east, to land at Bourn, Methwold, Newmarket, Heath, Tempsford, and Waterbeach.

Air Vice-Marshal Leslie Norman Hollinghurst was an energetic Commander. By example, already AOC of 38 Group, he was co-pilot of the very first allied aircraft to take off for D-Day operations (an Albemarle of 295 Squadron, 38 Group, which took from Harwell at 23h03 on 5 June 1944 with on board pathfinders of the 22nd Independent Parachute Company who were the first airborne forces to touch the French soil).
It should be difficult to forbid something to Leslie Hollinghurst. Something tells me that he shouldn't tell everything to his higher commanders!
Regards.

Bruno
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smudgersmith218
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Re: No.38 Group Diverted

Post by smudgersmith218 »

Hi Bruno,

Just the information I needed. Thank you. :D

Can you let me know what squadron AVM Hollinghurst was flying with this night, or what squadrons diverted where. ?

It appears that Air Vice-Marshal Leslie Norman Hollinghurst was one of those commanders who led from the front. Brave man considering his rank.

Thanks again mate.

Steve
No.218 (Gold Coast) Squadron 1918-1945
The Nomads
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