I have a report on a 138 Squadron mission to Poland which is very easy to read and understand except that the drop zones are identified only as Point 154 with an alternative of Point 103. Is there any way to identify the exact (or even approximate) location of these drop zones?
You need to look at the ATF 6 Reports at TNA Kew - the coverage of the SD Operations can be patchy with a lot of the mid to late 1943 missions missing. Missions to Poland were later mainly flown from Italy as the route was safer.
Thank you Jedburgh22 - I will try to check that out at Kew next time I am in London. AlanW - the report is for the night of 20/21 February 1943 and the aircraft was a Halifax serial DT726 NF-H and the pilot was F/O Miszewski. For some (unexplained) reason the aircraft landed at RAF Middleton St George - which is now Durham Tees Valley Airport and a long way from RAF Tempsford.
Hi, The ORB does not divulge anything, apart from F/O Gelbik being the pilot of this Halifax, which took off at 18.35 for Operation "File" Poland. Operation successful, landed MSG at 07.29.
Thanks for your efforts AlanW, I think that the front sheets of all the reports will reflect the ORB entries. That means Jedburgh22 is right and I will have to check them out at Kew. But I appreciate your attempt to help me.
There was also a 2nd Op to Poland that night - FILE The a/c on this op also landed at MSG. I thought that I had all the Debriefing reports that were on file fotr that period but both those Polish ops are missing. Would you be willing to email me a copy of that report? Cheers Bob
Hello Hudson, The report I mentioned is for Operation File and yes, I will be happy to send you a copy of what I have - but it is only a single sheet.
Thanks for that AlanW, I would love to know why the two aircraft landed at Middleton St George - which is in County Durham instead of at Tempsford - over 250 miles away and not an obviously shorter distance if they were short of fuel.
Archivist, Have you found the ATF6 ? I have the same problem with the operation John35 of an Halifax of the 138 sqd. on the 7 to 8 february 1944. Cheers Andy