55
as the weather improved and a rush was made to finish the basic cover before it
was too late; Airfield sorties were more common than most others and much work
was put in on communications. The latter produced three outstanding dices;
one was by
Trevor Moody
who took photographs of the DORTMUND-EMS Canal at
LADBERGEN on March 5th which proved it was, once more, unserviceable; this
information was broadcast by the B.B.C. in the nine o'clock news that night and
a special message of congratulation on this sortie was received from the C. in C.
Bomber Command. The second dice, of ALTENBEKEN Viaduct about 160 miles
from
Eindhoven
, was by
Ken Snell
who took photographs at 1,000 feet, and the third
was by
Leagh-Murray
of the DORTMUND-EMS Canal again.
During March,
Sandy Webb
was posted away from the Wing Support Unit in order
to go back onto operations in
Typhoons
, and
Gordon Cole
went to
Hartford Bridge
to take his place. Sandy had joined 140 when it formed as 1416 Flight in 1941
and, apart from three months at the Staff College, had served continuously in that
Squadron or in 34 Wing where he had been responsible for much of the best work
that had been done. Gordon's place as Wing Commander Operations was taken by
Red Hardiman
.
An enemy jet-propelled aircraft made a lightning attack on
Melsbroek
on March 19th and dropped about 10 bombs, which did no damage to the Wing and no
casualties were caused. At the end of the month,
two
Spitfires
were sent
on detachment to GILZE RIJEN where they were to carry out experiments designed to
detect the launching sites of V-2s near ROTTERDAM but, owing to the activities
of our fighter bomber forces and the advance of the Armies, the Huns were unable
to launch any more of these weapons and the detachment returned after a few days.
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