The 15 Sqdn left from Mildenhall at 1943-09-16 at 20:39. Loc or duty Montlucon

On Thursday 16 September 1943, a member of the 15 Sqdn, Flying Officer L D Glenday, 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 20:39.

He flew with a Short Stirling (type III, serial BF569, code LS-V).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

(Eighth Air Force):: VIII Bomber Command Mission 97: 5 targets in France are hit: 1. 131 of 147 B-17's dispatched hit two targets in Nantes; 79 hit Nantes harbor installations at 1502-1512 hours and 52 hit Nantes/Chateau-Bougon Airfield at 1509-1512 hours; they claim 22-2-5 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 B-17's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 47 are damaged; casualties are 9 WIA and 60 MIA.

This mission is escorted by 79 P-47's; they claim 2-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft and suffer no losses or casualties. 2. 93 of 148 B-17's hit La Pallice harbor installations at 1755-1758 hours, Larochelle/Laleau Airfield at 1755-1758 and Cognac/Chateaubernard Airfield at 1731 hours; they claim 22-3-8 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17's are lost, 5 damaged beyond repair and 17 damaged; casualties are 44 KIA, 9 WIA and 30 MIA. VIII Bomber Command Mission 98: 5 B-17's of the 422d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), join the RAF in a night attack on the marshalling yard at Modane, France; there are no losses or casualties.

VIII Air Support Command Mission 59: 67 of 72 B-26's hit the Beaumont le Roger Airfield at 1735 hours and Tricoueville Airfield in France at 1735 hours; 2 B-26's are damaged. HQ 40th and 41st Combat Bombardment Wings (Heavy) transfer from Brampton Grange to Thurleigh and Molesworth, England respectively.

Campaign report of the RAF:

15/16 September 1943

Montluçon: 369 aircraft of Nos 3, 4, 6 and No 8 Groups - 209 Halifaxes, 120 Stirlings, 40 Lancasters. 5 American B-17s also took part. 2 Halifaxes and 1 Stirling lost. This was a moonlit raid on the Dunlop rubber factory at Montluçon in Central France. The Pathfinders marked the target accurately and the Master Bomber, Wing Commander DFEC Deane, brought the Main Force in well to carry out some accurate bombing. Every building in the factory was hit and a large fire was started.

8 Lancasters of 617 Squadron took off to carry out the postponed raid on the Dortmund-Ems Canal but the area was misty and 5 aircraft were lost, including those of Pilot Officer LG Knight, another of the Dams Raid survivors, and the new squadron commander, Squadron Leader G Holden. These heavy losses, and the losses of the Dams Raid, confirmed that low-level attacks on German targets, even when away from major defended areas, were not viable with heavy bombers and this type of operation was not repeated. 617 Squadron now started retraining as a specialist high-altitude-bombing unit.

16/17 September 1943

340 aircraft of 3, 4, 6 and No 8 Groups - 170 Halifaxes, 127 Stirlings, 43 Lancasters - to attack the important railway yards at Modane on the main railway route from France to Italy. 5 American B-17s also took part. The marking of the target, situated in a steep valley, was not successful and the bombing was not accurate. No report is available from France. 2 Halifaxes and 1 Stirling lost.

12 Lancasters - 8 from 617 Squadron and 4 from 619 Squadron - attempted to bomb the railway viaduct at Anthéor Cannes on the coastal railway line leading to Italy, but no direct hits were scored. 1 Lancaster of 619 Squadron was lost; it came down in the sea off Portugal, possibly while trying to reach Gibraltar.

5 Mosquitos to Berlin, 3 OTU sorties. No losses.

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

This record can also be found on the maps of Back to Normandy with Google coordinates. You can find the maps by clicking on this link on this location.

There are several possibilities to investigate the flight records on Back to Normandy. All the flights are plotted on maps, sorted "day by day", "by squadron", "by type aircraft", "by year or month", "by location" and much more! Don't miss this!!!

If you have any information that you want to share, please add your comment at the bottom of this record. Or send your information to [email protected]. This information will be added to the record.

Your photos and your information are very welcome! The young do care and with your help we keep up the good work.

we do care