The 627 Sqdn left from Woodhall Spa at 1944-09-20 at an unknown time. Loc or duty Rheydt

On Wednesday 20 September 1944, a member of the 627 Sqdn, Squadron Leader J B Warwick, took off from Woodhall Spa in the United Kingdom. His mission is mentioned elsewhere on Back to Normandy. You can find the other details of this mission by searching here. Training and cargo flights are not separately mentioned as a mission. The plane left at an unknown time .

He flew with a de Havilland Mosquito (type XX, serial KB267, code AZ-E).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

AIRBORNE OPERATIONS

(IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ IX Troop Carrier Command moves from Grantham to Ascot, England.

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS

(Eighth Air Force): 679 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s are dispatched to support the First Allied Airborne Army in the Arnhem and Nijmegen areas of the Netherlands; 644 aircraft strafe and bomb ground targets; intense light flak claims 1 P-51 plus 1 P-38, 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 damaged beyond repair and 3 P-47s and 4 P-51s damaged; air attacks aid ground troops in taking valuable bridges in the area and in the advance toward Arnhem.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS

(Ninth Air Force): In Germany, about 40 B-26s hit the marshalling yard at Trier and defensive positions at Herbach to complicate rail transportation and aid in the Allied ground attack on Aachen; fighters fly air cover for the US V and VII Corps in W Germany near the Dutch boundary and the US XV and XX Corps in the Nancy, France area, and fly armed reconnaissance over the Bonn, Mannheim, Hamburg, Koblenz, and Ruhr Valley areas.

In Belgium, the 109th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, moves from Buc to Gosselies with F-6s; and the 153d Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to First Army), moves from Stree to Verviers with L-5s.

In France, the 406th Fighter Squadron, 371st Fighter Group, moves from Beuzeville to Perthes with P-47s; and the 512th Fighter Squadron, 406th Fighter Group, moves from St Leonard to Mourmelon-le-Grand with P-47s.

Campaign report of the RAF:

19/20 September 1944

227 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and No 5 Groups to the twin towns of Mönchengladbach/Rheydt. 4 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito lost. Bomber Command claimed severe damage to both towns, particularly to Mönchengladbach.

The Master Bomber for this raid was Wing Commander Guy Gibson, VC, DSO, DFC flying a No 627 Squadron Mosquito from Coningsby, where he was serving as Base Operations Officer. Gibson's instructions over the target were heard throughout the raid and gave no hint of trouble, but his aircraft crashed in flames - according to a Dutch eyewitness - before crossing the coast of Holland for the homeward flight over the North Sea. There were no German fighter claims for the Mosquito; it may have been damaged by flak over the target or on the return flight, or it may have developed engine trouble. It was possibly flying too low for the crew to escape by parachute. Gibson and his navigator, Squadron Leader JB Warwick, DFC were both killed and were buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery at Steenbergen-en-Kruisland, 13km north of Bergen-op-Zoom. Theirs are the only graves of Allied servicemen in the cemetery.

Aircraft of No 100 Group flew 15 RCM and 17 Mosquito sorties without loss.

20 September 1944

646 aircraft - 437 Lancasters, 169 Halifaxes, 40 Mosquitos - attacked German positions around Calais. Visibility was good and the bombing was accurate and concentrated. 1 Lancaster lost.

7 RCM sorties, 5 Hudsons and 2 Lysanders on Resistance operations. No losses.

20/21 September 1944

2 Mosquitos and 1 Fortress of No 100 Group took off but were quickly recalled because of the widespread fog in England which prevented major operations being mounted.

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

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