Category: 1945/02
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February 28th 1945 – London
I set off with a bottle of champagne and six eggs on the Dakota on the 26th, and am now in town on 7 days leave. I stay at the Wings Club, where I meet S/L Pallot, ex 268, on his way to India. First night I try Gay Priestley, but nought doing, so I […]
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February 24th 1945
I play rugger again yesterday during a ‘clamp’. Today I go round area 2 as No.1 at 7.30am, a beautiful dawn with V1s flaming across the sky as we go out to be briefed. I see not much as there is a ground mist, through which stick the spires of Utrecht. Later I do a […]
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February 22nd 1945
Three days of fog which lift yesterday afternoon, whilst I am out with George Thornton getting some four dozen eggs. Steve got a bar to his DFC for a photo run down the Rhine by Emmerich the other day, and does the honours in champagne. I manage to do a No.1 successfully in area 4, […]
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February 13th 1945
I go up with Woodbridge and he works with a contact commander of 51st Division, “Longbow Mike”. They ask him to look at various bridges on the Maas and he dives down whilst I stay up at 8000’ or so. I go too low once and get mixed up in some light flak being shot […]
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February 11th 1945
The 1st Canadian Army advances on the 8th into the Reichwald forest. We put up 30 sorties with 12 a/c and I do two myself. Continuous Arty/R (JDW: Artillery Reconnaissance) cover which fails due to low cloud and a few Tac/R (JDW: Tactical Reconnaissance). I go out with Peter Crane and he insists in flying […]
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February 10th 1945
I go out three more times, one abortive due to weather, and another at Zutphen where I get another, more accurate, dose of 88mm flak. One bursts in front and above to the left. Today as No. 2 to Selkirk who takes some obliques (JDW: photographs) – many aircraft in the sky and my goggles […]
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February 8th 1945
More snow. Yesterday I manage to get up as No. 2 to S/L Maitland, and see the gliders at Arnhem. Am pursued by some 88mm flak from Zutphen and arrive back with 5 gallons, and try and land on the wrong runway. I eventually taxi back with 2.5 in the tanks. V1s rush overhead day […]
A Story of War 