| 438
Squadron Operations Record Book, June 1944 |
OPERATIONS RECORD
BOOK
of (Unit or Formation) No. 438
(Can) Squadron. |
| Place |
Date |
Time |
Summary of Events |
| Hurn, Hants |
June 4/44 |
|
Another bright sunny
day. Arrived at Dispersal this
morning to find all aircraft with
their invasion markings painted
on them. Ground crew completed
the job between 1800 hours and
0300 hrs. in the morning. Word
was received that only local flying
was to be done with the marked
aircraft. Because of this and
because “big” doings
were expected very little flying
was done. Two trips were made
to Red Hill an Huntington in the
Auster and a Typhoon brought back
in each case. Another former pilot
of 438 Squadron arrived in the
evening in the person of F/O A.C.
Brooker (J. 26903). This last
posting gives us 26 pilots. Total
flying for the day, all non-op.:
- Auster III – 5:30 hrs.,
Typhoon 1B – 1:35 hrs. |
| Hurn, Hants |
June 5/44 |
|
The day opened cool
and bright after a very windy
afternoon and evening on Sunday.
Very little flying was done today.
One Squadron “ops”
flight was made with 11 aircraft
against another Radar installation
near Le Havre. It is believed
the target was destroyed. Neither
the Officer Commanding 438 Squadron
nor the Wing Commander, Flying
could take part as they had been
briefed for the Invasion. All
pilots of 143 Airfield were called
in for Invasion briefing at 2125
hours this evening. At 1140 hours
the Commanding Officer held a
meeting of all 143 Airfield and
announced the Invasion would get
under way with a paratroop landing
at 0300 hours tomorrow morning.
Personnel greeted this grand news
with cheers and it could be easily
seen that the Commanding Officer’s
action was much appreciated. 438
Squadron was put on one-half hour’s
readiness from 0400 hours tomorrow
morning with first “ops”
sortie at 0655 hours. Total flying
for the day:- operational:- 12:50
hours. Non-operational –
Typhoon 1B- 2:55 hrs. Auster III
3:55 hrs. |
| Hurn, Hants |
June 6/44 |
|
The day opened cool
and slightly cloudy. Everybody
was up bright and early this morning
to see our 11 aircraft off, led
by the Wing Commander, Flying.
No. 438 Squadron was assigned
the task of dive bombing two concrete
block houses overlooking the beach
on which the 50th British Division
was to land tanks. This operation
had to be performed just as the
tanks landing craft lowered their
ramps. Cloud conditions were 5/10
from 2,000 ft. up with the result
that the dive bombing had to be
done from a much lower level.
Despite this and the difficulties
of a heavy smoke cloud above the
beach direct hits were scored
on both targets with 1,000 lb.
Bombs and it is believed they
were totally destroyed. All pilots
came back safely with their aircraft
though one aircraft had a piece
of flak bounce off the prop. and
bash in the leading edge of the
wing. We had no more action until
1715 hours when 10 aircraft made
a sweep south of Caen. Attacks
were made on 4 recco. cars but
results are not known. One aircraft
had a flak shell pass right through
the wing puncturing the gas tank.
Despite this he was able to get
home on his nose tanks. Another
“ops” sweep was made
by 10 aircraft which left at 2050
hours. On this sortie attacks
were made on two convoys which
were unfortunately well strung
out. It is believed that in the
bombing or the one, two vehicles
were destroyed. Strafing of the
other resulted in four vehicles
left burning and ten damaged.
This is the first large scale
strafing the Squadron has done
and they came out exceptionally
lucky. One aircraft came back
with a large hole in the tail,
another hit some object and was
scraped from front to back. Others
had various rifle holes. Following
briefing, the O.C. spoke to the
assembled boys of 438 and 6438
Echelon illustrating the day’s
doings with the aid of a map.
This gesture was much appreciated
by the ground airmen and it is
the intention of the O.C. to give
them a nightly talk. Total flying
for the day: operational –
45:40 hrs., non-op Typhoon 1B
– 4:20 hrs., Auster III
3:40 hrs. |
| Hurn, Hants |
June 7/44 |
|
The boys were put
on all day “readiness”
this morning from 0430 hours on.
Four sit in their aircraft at
the end of the runway, and six
on three minute readiness at the
Dispersal. The day is cloudy and
cool with only moderate visibility.
Camouflage painting of the aircrew
tent and the officers’ tents
was started today. A limited amount
of flying was done in Typhoons
and the Auster. Two Typhoons (operationally
damaged) were flown away and two
new aircraft flown back for the
G.S.U. [Group Support Unit] for
the Servicing Section. One scramble
was called today and the two aircraft
made an hour’s sweep over
the Channel. Nothing was seen.
Total flying: operational- 3:25
hrs., non-op. Typhoon 1B –
2:00 hrs. Auster III – 3:50
hrs. |
|
 Four
pilots of 438 Squadron in 1943:
P/O R.E. Johnson on the wing
and, from left to right, F/O
R.F. Reid, F/O H.E. Dawber and
F/O R.M. McKenzie. Johnson and
McKenzie were killed in action
on July 15th, 1944, and July
18th, 1944. |
| National
Defence Image Library, PL 22802. |
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Next:
439
Squadron Operations Record Book, 9th August
1944  |
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Canada in WWII
