I am reading a book, the story of a British agent in France in ww2, the title is "The next moon" by Andre Hue. Very interesting, but I cannot believe some of it, for instance he says his group had jeeps delivered by air drop's, I would like to know what aircraft were used for this? I know some gliders were capable of carrying light tank's but surely not aircraft. He talks of several aircraft dropping supplies several times a week, as far as I know there were only 2 squadrons at Tempsford to service the whole of Europe, though some Liberators did some drop's, sound's a bit far fetched to me. Any one got any info on the subject?
Halifax mainly. A translated web page here Click on the Halifax picture at the bottom for even more..
On the night of 16/17 December 1943 the weather in the UK on ttheir return was terrible. 161sq and 138sq (SOE) lost three Halifaxes each. This is one of them! Halifax LL115 Information Type Halifax Serial Number LL115 Squadron 138 X1D NF-A Operation SOE Date 1 16th December 1943 Date 2 17th December 1943 Further Information LL115 was one of three 138 Sqdn Halifaxes lost on this night on three separate operations. See: LW280; LL119. Airborne 2030 16Dec43 from Tempsford on OPERATION DETECTIVE 3, a target in the hills roughly 25 km SE of Carcassone, should have dropped twelve containers and five packages. They had been in the air 9.44 hours when the Halifax crashed at Capel Green attempting to land at RAF Woodbridge at 0530. F/S J.G.A.Watson KIA Sgt N.M.Gillis RCAF KIA Sgt J.R.Hoddinott KIA P/O J.Pearcey RAAF Inj Sgt H.D.King KIA Sgt G.Osborne KIA Sgt I.Scaellenberg Inj Sgt W.F.Sutherland Inj There is also a report published in 'Agents by Moonlight' (Freddie Clark) that of the eight man crew on LL115 there was only one survivor. Awaiting clarification. " __________________
In 1944 a whole RAF Group was tasked to supply the resistance in France this was 38 Group, these were missions in addition to the two SD Squadrons at Tempsford and the USAAF Carpetbaggers at Harrington, Drops of Jeeps and Anti tank guns were normally done from specially adapted Stirlings where the jeep was mounted on a beam. For more info on 38 Group www.raf38group.org
Just looking at one site it shows 116 aircraft lost just Doing SOE and some SIS operations. These were a mixture of Halifax, Stirling, Whitley and Lancaster.
had a look and found some images, the drawing was actioned at Bonham's last year - was not published in 1944 for security reasons but clearly shows beam used when droping from Stirlings
Think Lancasters were used only a couple of times for SD ops, main aircraft types were Halifax, Liberator, Whitley, Stirling and Albermarle used in France 1944
Perhaps thge biggest handicap to supplying the Resistance in France was the switch from the Special Forces HQ being supersceded by the French controlled EMFFI just after DDay, the change was done for political reasons and it took the new French HQ time to find its feet and become accustomed to its role. There were many complaints from Jedburgh Teams and circuit organisers about the lack of response to supply requests. The aircrews of 38 Group also took time to get the knack of SD missions with drops being executed too high - inexplicably some containers had been packed (and sabotaged) by Axis POWs and either exploded in the air or on landing.
Think Lancasters were used only a couple of times for SD ops, main aircraft types were Halifax, Liberator, Whitley, Stirling and Albermarle used in France 1944 Only two amongst the fatalities, that's why I put them last however you would feel that when used, there would have been a specific requirement. ED886 was one of two No.617 Sqdn Lancasters lost on SOE operations this night. See: ED825 Airborne 2112 10Dec43 from Tempsford for an arms supply drop over Northern France. While trying to establish a pin-point between Boulogne and St-Pol, the Lancaster was hit by Flak and crashed at Terramesmil (Somme), 6 km SSE of Doullens. The two airmen killed are buried in Terramesnil Communal Cemetery. In captivity Sgt Wiltshire exchanged identity at Oschaltz with a Pte F.Taphouse. W/O G.F.Bull PoW sgt C.C.Wiltshire PoW Sgt C.M.Chamberlain PoW Sgt J.McL.Stewart KIA F/S N.Batey PoW F/S J.H.McWilliams Evd F/S D.M.Thorpe RCAF KIA F/S N.Batey was interned in Cap 4B.m PoW No.267434, with W/O G.F.Bull, PoW No.267441 and Sgt C.M.Chamberlain, PoW No.267442. Sgt C.C.Wiltshire in Camps 4B.L3, PoW No.267494. This crew had been transferred 'in toto' from No.49 Sqdn. Their last operation with that Sqdn had been against Mannheim 23/24Sep43 " ED825 was a Mk.111 and was delivered to 617 Sqdn 15Apr43, Type 464 (Provisioning) Lancaster, 3rd prototype. det. to A & A.E.E.Boscombe Down and Farnborough for brief performance and handling trials, described 'as an aircraft specially modified to carry a certain item of stores' (i.e. the Dambusting bouncing bomb), 2May43. Rejoined 617 Sqdn 14May43. Also carried the ID AJ-E/T Took part in the following key Operations: As AJ-T, Operation Chastise (Second Wave) 16/17May43; To Boscombe Down. As AJ-E, Antheor Viaduct 11/12Nov43; SOE Target, France 10/11Dec43-Lost. When lost had a total of 180 hours. ED825 was one of two 617 Sqdn Lancasters lost on SOE operations on this night. See: ED886 Airborne 2035 10Dec43 from Tempsford for an arms supply drop over northern France. Hit by Flak, while flying at low altitude, and crashed. Six are buried in Meharicourt Communal Cemetery, but WO2 Cummings has been subsequently re-interred in the Calais Canadian War Cemetery. F/S Walters was an American from Oakmont, Pennsylvania. F/O G.H.Weeden RCAF KIA Sgt A.w.Richardson KIA P/O R.N.Jones KIA F/s E.J.Walters RCAF KIA F/S R.G.Howell KIA Sgt B.Robinson KIA WO2 R.Cummings RCAF KIA "
I thought the book was excellent, many things that occured in Occupied France, seemed incredible but as they say some times 'fact is stranger than fiction'. More on Hue here. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/france/18035-andre-hue.html
