The 218 Sqdn left from Downham Market at 1944-02-22 at 18:10. Loc or duty Gardening

On Tuesday 22 February 1944, a member of the 218 Sqdn, Flight Lieutenant J I Wiseman, took off from Downham Market 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 18:10.

He flew with a Short Stirling (type III, serial EJ125, code HA-J).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS

(Eighth Air Force): HQ VIII Bomber Command is redesignated as HQ, Eighth Air Force.

Mission 230: "Big Week" continues with 799 aircraft dispatched against German aviation and Luftwaffe airfields; 41 bombers and 11 fighters are lost.

1. 289 B-17s are dispatched against aviation industry targets at Aschersleben (34 bomb), Bernburg (47 bomb) and Halberstadt (18 bomb) in conjunction with a Fifteenth Air Force raid on Regensburg, Germany; 32 hit Bunde, 19 hit Wernegerode, 15 hit Magdeburg, 9 hit Marburg and 7 hit other targets of opportunity; they claim 32-18-17 Luftwaffe aircraft; 38 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 141 damaged; casualties are 35 KIA, 30 WIA and 367 MIA.

2. 333 B-17s are dispatched to Schweinfurt but severe weather prevents aircraft from forming properly and they are forced to abandon the mission prior to crossing the enemy coast; 2 B-17s are damaged.

3. 177 B-24s are dispatched but they are recalled when 100 miles (160 km) inland; since they were over Germany, they sought targets of opportunity but strong winds drove the bombers over The Netherlands and their bombs hit Enschede, Arnhem, Nijmegen and Deventer; they claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-24s are lost and 3 damaged; casualties are 30 MIA.

These missions are escorted by 67 P-38s, 535 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s, and 57 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; the P-38s claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair and 6 are damaged; the P-47s claim 39-6-15 Luftwaffe aircraft, 8 P-47s are lost and 12 damaged, 8 pilots are MIA; the P-51s claim 19-1-10 Luftwaffe aircraft, 3 P-51s are lost and 3 damaged, 3 pilot are MIA.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS

(Ninth Air Force): 66 B-26s bomb Gilze-Rijen Airfield, The Netherlands; bad weather causes 100+ others to abort.

UNITED STATES STRATEGIC AIR FORCES IN EUROPE (USSTAF): HQ Eighth Air Force is redesignated as HQ, USSTAF.

Campaign report of the RAF:

21/22 February 1944

17 Mosquitos to Duisburg, Stuttgart and 2 flying-bomb sites, 1 Serrate patrol, 41 aircraft minelaying in the Frisians and off French ports, 10 OTU sorties. 1 Stirling minelayer lost.

22/23 February 1944

Mosquitos: 10 to Stuttgart, 8 to Duisburg and 3 to Aachen, 71 Halifaxes and 40 Stirlings sent minelaying off North German coast recalled because of bad weather at bases, 2 RCM sorties, 2 Serrate patrols. No aircraft lost.

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