The 14 OTU left from Cottesmore at 1942-09-14 at 23:54

On Monday 14 September 1942, a member of the 14 OTU, Sergeant T F Needham, took off from Cottesmore 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 23:54.

He flew with a Handley Page Hampden (type I, serial L4109, code GL-S).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

13 September 1942 (8th Air Force:) In England, the 15th Bombardment Squadron (Light), VIII Bomber Command, moves from Molesworth to Podington, with DB-7s; the 322d, 323d, 324th and 401st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrive at Kimbolton from the US with B-17s (first mission is 7 Nov).

14 September 1942 (8th Air Force:) After the transfer of the combat unit to the Twelfth Air Force (see below), the combat units assigned to the Eighth are: HQ 3d Photographic Group and 5th, 12th, 13th and 14th Photographic Squadrons and 15th Photographic Mapping Squadron with F-4s, F-5s and B-17Fs; HQ 4th Fighter Group and 334th, 335th and 336th Fighter Squadrons at Steeple Morden with
Spitfire Vs; HQ 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 66th, 67th and 68th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Cheddington with B-24s; HQ 67th Observation Group and 12th, 107th, 109th and 153d Observation Squadrons at Membury with no aircraft; HQ 91st Bombardment Group and 322d, 323d, 324th and 401st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Kimbolton with B-17Fs; HQ 92d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 325th, 326th, 327th and 407th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Bovingdon with B-17Fs; HQ 93d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 328th, 329th, 330th and 409th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Alconbury with B-24Ds; HQ
303d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 358th, 359th, 360th and 427th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Molesworth with B-17Fs; HQ 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 364th, 365th, 366th and 422d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Grafton Underwood with B-17Fs; and HQ 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 367th, 368th, 369th and 423d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Thurleigh with B-17Fs.

(Twelfth Air Force:) HQ Twelfth AF, XII Fighter Command, XII Air Force Services Command, and XII Bomber Command are attached to corresponding units of the Eighth AF in the UK; The Eighth subsequently handles the buildup of the Twelfth by assigning a large number of its own units to the new AF (appropriately dubbed JUNIOR) and supervises its training. The following combat units are transferred from the Eighth to Twelfth Air Force HQ 1st Fighter Group and 27th, 71st and 94th Fighter Squadrons at Ibsley and High Ercall with P-38Fs; HQ 14th Fighter Group and 48th and 49th Fighter Squadrons at Atcham with P-38Fs; HQ 31st Fighter Group and 307th, 308th and 309th Fighter Squadrons at Westhampnett with Spitfire Vs; HQ 52d Fighter Group and 2d, 4th and 5th Fighter Squadrons at Goxhill with Spitfire Vs; HQ 60th Troop Carrier Group and 10th, 11th, 12th and 28th Troop Carrier Squadrons at Aldermaston with C-47s; HQ 64th Troop Carrier Group and 16th, 17th, 18th and 35th Troop Carrier Squadrons at Ramsbury with C-47s; HQ 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 340th, 341st, 342d and 414th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Polebrook with B-17Fs; HQ 301st Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 32d, 352d, 353d and 419th Bombardment Squadrons at Chelveston with B-17Fs; and 15th Bombardment Squadron (Light) at Podington with DB-7s.

Campaign report of the RAF:

13/14 September 1942

Bremen

Training aircraft from 0.T.U.s were again included in the 446 aircraft dispatched. 21 aircraft - 15 Wellingtons, 2 Lancasters, 1 Halifax, 1 Hampden, 1 Stirling, 1 Whitley - were lost, 41 per cent of the force.

The Lloyd dynamo works was put out of action for 2 weeks and various parts of the Focke-Wulf factory for from 2 to 8 days. 5 nearly completed aircraft were destroyed and 3 more damaged. The report also lists 7 cultural and historical buildings hit in the centre of the town as well as 6 schools and 2 hospitals. 70 people were killed and 371 injured.

14 September 1942

5 Mosquitos bombed ports in Northern Germany without loss. Wilhelmshaven reports 4 bombs falling in the town centre, with an old folks' home and several houses hit and 10 people injured. Kiel reports 4 bombs on a nearby village with no particular damage and no casualties.

14/15 September 1942

Wilhelmshaven

22 aircraft of 5 types. 2 Wellingtons were the only aircraft lost. The 4 aircraft of 408 (Canadian) Squadron on this raid represent the last operational effort by Hampden raft with front-line squadrons.

The Pathfinder marking was accurate and Wilhelmshaven reports its worst raid to date. Housing and city-centre type buildings are listed as being hit hardest. 77 people were killed and more than 50 injured.

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

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