The 622 Sqdn left from Mildenhall at 1943-09-22 at 19:46. Loc or duty Gardening

On Wednesday 22 September 1943, a member of the 622 Sqdn, Flying Officer S R Roberts, took off from Mildenhall 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 19:46.

He flew with a Short Stirling (type III, serial EF126, code GI-Q).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

21 September 1943 (Eighth Air Force):: VIII Air Support Command Mission 65: 44 of 73 B-26's hit the Beauvais/Tille Airfield in France at 0937-0938 hours; bad weather causes 20+ to abort; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-26 is lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 12 damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 4 WIA and 7 MIA.

22 September 1943 (Eighth Air Force):: VIII Air Support Command Mission 66: 2 airfields in France are targeted: 1. 72 B-26's are dispatched to Beauvais/Tille Airfield but abort due to bad weather. 2. 70 of 72 B-26's hit Evreux/Fauville Airfield at 1612 & 1614 hours; no losses or casualties. 240 P-27's sweep over NE France and Belgium and claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 is lost and 1 damaged beyond repair; casualties are 1 MIA; and 155 P-47's sweep over N Belgium and Dutch Islands. VIII Bomber Command Mission 99: 5 B-17's of the 422d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), join the RAF in a night attack on Hannover, Germany at 2143-2209 hours; there are no losses or casualties.

Campaign report of the RAF:

21/22 September 1943

26 aircraft minelaying in the Frisians and off Brest, 3 OTU sorties. No losses

22/23 September 1943

711 aircraft - 322 Lancasters, 226 Halifaxes, 137 Stirlings, 26 Wellingtons - on the first major raid to Hannover for 2 years; this was the first of a series of 4 heavy raids on this target. 5 American B-17s also took part in the raid, their first night raid on Germany. 26 aircraft - 12 Halifaxes, 7 Lancasters, 5 Stirlings, 2 Wellingtons - lost, 3.7 per cent of the force. Visibility in the target area was good but stronger winds than forecast caused the marking and the bombing to be concentrated between 2 and 5 miles south-south-east of the city centre.

21 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitos of No 8 Group carried out a diversionary raid at Oldenburg, dropping much 'Window' and many flares and target indicators to simulate the arrival of a larger force. The losses on the Hannover raid, lower than the recent average, may indicate that this tactic was partially successful. No aircraft were lost on the diversionary raid.

12 Mosquitos on a further diversion to Emden, 4 Stirlings minelaying in the Frisians, 7 OTU sorties. No losses.

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

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