Place

Date

Time

Summary of events

Sigiriya

Oct. 1

04.45




15.15

"V" Liberator FL 936 Captain F/O C. Hal & crew. Navig F/O J. Seger: took off for P.R. of Sabang. After successful P.R. encountered on return journey 100 W of Saban, one Jap Navy 01. Running fight of 25 minutes. Liberator damaged, tail plane and fuselage by cannon and .303. On W/AG (Sgt. Stokes) slightly injured. Fuel tanks damaged, message received from "V". sent "H" FL945 to home on to "V". "H" did not contact "V" which reached base without further incident.

1.

14.14 to 15.00

"H" Captain F/O Davie & crew

1.

07.00 to 18.00

"N" ?????? Captain F/O T. Wallace. Navig F/O G. Hamann??? Search for torpedoed ship and possible survivors. Nothing seen.

1.

09.10 to 11.00

"F" FL940 Captain Sgt. Landick & crew fighter affiliation.

1.

17.00

F/O Ross in Lysander to Ratmalana with photographs

2.

09.00

F/O Ross returned from Ratmalana in Lysander.

2.

10.00 to 12.00

"F" FL940 R/O Ross & crew. Fighter affiliation.

2.

15.55 to 16.40

"H" FL945 Captain F/Sgt. J. Rowley & crew. To Ratmalana with acute appendicitis case from R.A.F. Dambella.

3.

10.30 to 11.20

"H" F/Sgt. Rowley & crew. Returned from Ratmalana.

4.

P/O Servos & crew arrived by rail from Salbani, Bengal, having been there on temporary attachment since July. Flew in Libearator from Newfoundland to Karachi in six days. P/O R. A. Servos (Can.) P/O M. McKellar (Can.) 2nd pilot; P/O J. T. Knight (Can.) Wop/AG

Cuttack

Oct. 4

Cuttack Attachment

05.20 to 12.00

P/O Burns - Screen Captain to Sgt. Tomlinson & crew (354 Sqn.) Close Convoy Escort.

11.40 to 21.00

"P?" P/O C. Moody & crew. Close Convoy Escort.

Sigiriya

5.

16.00

"R" BZ886 Liberator MkVII (sic) arrived: piloted by Ferry Crew

Cuttack

6.

Cuttack Attachment.

13.10 to 19.50

F/O C. Moody: F/O Pinnell with P/O Hill's crew (P/O Hill in Hospital) Close Escort Convoy.
F/O Pinnell took off and flew aircraft for whole trip, except for night landing made by F/O Moody

7.

Signal from 354 Sqdn. Cuttack to say that F/O Moody had been killed, flying as captain of 354 Sqdn. aircraft.

Cuttack

7.

Cuttack Attachment

05.30

F/O C. Moody. Screen captain to F/O Breen? & crew - 354 Sqdn. a/c "D". Normal take off and circuit, but while on downwind leg, the a/c suddenly dropped its nose and from about 1,000 ft. did an almost vertical spin into the ground. It appeared to level out at the last moment, but crashed through paddy field into the side of a hill. The aircraft burnt out. F/O Moody and the whole crew were killed.

Signal to 354 Sqdn. stating that P/O Pinnell and P/O Flett (2nd pilots) were judged fit captains by day, and when given night landings, fit day and night.

Cuttack

7.

11.30 to 21.00

"A" P/O Burns & crew. P/O Burns o/c 160 Detach. Cuttack. Convoy Patrol

Sigiriya

7.

11.30 to 13.55

"H" FL945 P/O Ross & Crew. Photographic Pin-points.

8.

09.00 to 09.50

"H" P/O Servos & crew. Local Flying.

8.

10.00 to 12.15

"H" P/O Davie & crew. Photography: Pin Points.

8.

16.00 to 17.00

"H" P/O Brodingan & crew. Instrument circuits and landings.

8.

16.15

F/O Mullins - solo on Lysander - flew to Vavuniya.

9.

14.30 to 16.30

"H" F/O Mullins and P/O Boyle & crew. Instrument Circuits and landings.

9.

18.00 to 19.00

"H" F/O Mullins and F/O Wallace. Dusk circuits and landings. Bad weather stopped night landings.

Cuttack

9.

Cuttack Attachment

9.

06.15 to 15.37

F/O Pinnell & crew "D" Close Convoy Patrol.

9.

13.50 to 19.35

"A" P/O Burns & Crew. Close Convoy Patrol.

Sigiriya

10.

15.10 to 16.40

"H" F/L Brodigan & P/O Servos Instrument circuits and landings. Bad weather prevented night flying.

Cuttack

10.

14.00 to 20.30

"A" P/O Burns & crew. Close Convoy Patrol.

Sigiriya

11.

10.25 to 12.00

"H" F/O Mullins & P/O Tompkins. Compass Air Swing

12.

08.30 to 11.00

"H" P/O Wallace & crew. Fighter Affiliation with No. ?17 Sqn.

12.

15.50 to 18.00

"A" F/L Brodigan & crew. Low level bombing.

12.

16.00

Liberator BZ861 "C" arrived: ferry crew delivered.

Cuttack

12.

P/O Hill returned from hospital, fit for flying duties.

Sigiriya

13.

09.30 to 15.40

"N?" BZ7?52 F/Lt. Brodigan & crew; navig. F/Sgt. Follis Left for Gaz?? Island (Addu Atoll) carried 12 250 lb. Depth charges. Crew and ground crew of 14. Took 1800 yards take-off.

14.

14.00

"J" FL926. P/O Hall gave check dual to F/O Willson - circuits and landings as F/O Willson had not flown for some weeks after going solo.

14.

16.00 to 17.00

"J" P/O Servos & crew. Local Flying. Reported monsoon front approaching: tropical front being forerunner of N. E. Monsoon.

16.00

"R" BZ886. P/O Rowley & crew. Flew to Elephant Point to test guns. Returned late, weather very bad, rain storms. A/C on circuit, visibility 400 yards. A/c diverted to Ratmalana.

Addu Atoll

14.

07.10 to 18.10

"N" F/Lt. Brodigan & crew. Anti Sub Patrol. Nothing seen.

Cuttack

14.

09.00 to 20.50

"D" P/O Hill Capt. F/O Flett & crew. Convoy Patrol.

Sigiriya

16.

10.30 to 11.40

"P" Sgt. Landick & Crew. Instrument circuits.

16.

11.00

"C" BZ861 (note listed as "R" above) P/O Rowley & crew. Returned from Ratmalana.

17.

08.20 to 10.40

"J" FL926 P/O Rowley & crew. Fighter Affiliation.

17.

10.35 to 12.00

"H" FL945 Sgt. Landick & crew. Mosaic of Trincomalee. Not completed owing to cloud.

17.

11.30 to 13.10

"J" P/O Boyle & crew. Drogue firing. Not completed, as a/c was minus drogue.

17.

14.20 to 16.40

"R" P/O Hall & crew.
"H" P/O Ross & crew.
"J" F/O Mullins & crew. -- Formation Flying

Cuttack

17.

13.30 to 20.30

"A" P/O Hill & crew. Convoy Patrol.

Sigiriya

18.

07.30 to 09.30

"H" Sgt. Landick & crew. Mosaic of Trincomalee.

19.

10.30 to 12.00

"H" F/O Wallace & crew. Mosaic of Sigiriya aerodrome. Not completed owing to cloud.

19.

21.20 to 02.50

"R" BZ886 P/O Ross Capt. P/O Strachan Navig. Convoy escort. Forced to return early due to engine trouble.

20.

07.45 to 12.50

"J" F/O Mullins & crew. Navig. F/Sgt. Reilly. Met Flight. Returned early due to bad weather.

20.

08.10 to 12.25

"H" Sgt. Landick & crew. Mosaic of Trincomalee: did nine runs.

20.

15.10 to 16.40

"H" F/O Wallace & Crew. Fighter Affiliation.

Cuttack

20.

13.50 to 20.40

"A" P/O Burns & crew. Close Convoy Patrol.

Sigiriya

21.

07.30 to 11.20

"H" Sgt. Landick & crew. Continuation of Mosaic of Trincomalee.

22.

15.00 to 16.30

"P" P/O Ross & crew. Fighter Affiliation.

23.

08.30 to 10.40

"C" BZ861 P/O Ross & crew. Fighter Affiliation

24.

F/O Wallace in Lysander to Ratmalana, delivering photgraphs.

26.

08.30

"C" F/O Davie & crew. Navig. P/O Perera. To Karachi. Collection of spares.

16.45

Landed Mauripar Road.

26.

05.44

P/O H. F. Willson 2nd pilot
P/O C. W. Hamann?? (Can.) Navig; Sgt. H. R. Crest???? Wop/Ag; Sgt. K. B. Gillespie (Can.) Wop/AG; Sgt. C. R. MacGregor ; Sgt. R. Morgan Wop/AG; Sgt. T. Leckey Wop/AG;
Extract from Circumstantial Report: "Liberator IIIA FL926 took off from Sigiriya at 055.44/FG on 26/10/43 captained by F/O W. A. Wallace, to carry out a Photographic Rcco. of Car Nicobar Island. The aircraft was due over the target at 1100/FG and at 1109/FG it transmitted its call sign with one 30 second dash. D/F bearings of these transmissions indicate that the a/c was overthe Nicobar Island at that time. Since then there has been no further news. It is believed that the Japanese now have a small number of fighters which they operate from the Car Nicobar landing ground, with an adjacent R.D.F. Station whose range is believed to be in the neighbourhood of 100 miles. It is presumed that the a/c was intercepted by enemy fighters. An aircraft of this Squadron was destroyed by enemy action in the same area on 23rd September, 1943."

28.

08.40 to 13.40

BZ752 P/O Servos & crew. Navigation Exercise. Cross over patrol. 100 miles S. E. of R?atticaloa.

28.

10.10 to 11.15

"H" Fl945 S/Ldr. Brady & crew. Fighter Affiliation.

28.

15.30

"D" F/O Hill & crew returned from Cuttack. Cuttack attachment recalled by 222 Group. "A" to return on 31st. "F" unserviceable, awaiting engine change.

29.

08.40 to 14.30

"N" BZ752 F/O White-Gaze?? Capt. (P/O Hall's Crew) Navig. F/O Segar. Navig. Exercise. Cross over patrol 100 miles S.W. G?alle. 6 D/C's carried.

30.

08.30 to 14.00

"N" P/O Mullins & crew. Navigation Exercise N.E. Area. 6 D/C's carried.

30.

09.00 to 12.30

"H" FL945. Sgt. Landick & crew. Air to air firing: 10 miles west of Puttalam. Harvard towing drogue.

31.

09.50 to 11.35

"H" FL945 P/O Rowley & crew. Air to air firing: 10 miles west of Puttalam.

31.

11.20 to 11.50

F/O Mullins gave dual in Lysander to F/Lt. Brodigan. F/Lt. Brodigan later went solo.

31.

19.00 to 07.05

"N" BZ752 P/O Hill & crew. Navig. F/Sgt. Woodcock. Anti-Sub Patrol. Vicinity 05.37 N 80.54 E. 12 D/C's carried.