Historical Aircraft

April 1945

 

Sunday, April 1, 1945

A dull cloudy day, some rain.  Three operational trips carried out, patrols in the Emmerich, Xanten, Bocholt, Bochum, Ahaus, Coesfeld areas.  1st operation 12 sorties; 2nd operation – 12 sorties; 3rd operation – 4 sorties.  Uneventful.  The pilots are now well ‘dug in’ in their new surroundings, and seem to like this airfield a great deal better than old B.90.

Monday, April 2, 1945

Another dull rainy day.  One patrol carried out in the Emmerich, Wesel, Rhine and Munster area.  Uneventful.  12 sorties altogether.  Two new pilots reported to the Squadron for duty, J22222 F/L Rispler and JJ9081 F/L J.D. Lindsay who is an old timer on the Squadron, finishing his first tour with 403.  A great deal of the day was spent in the dispersal playing bridge.

Tuesday, April 3, 1945

Another dull day and poor flying weather for operations.  One patrol carried out proving uneventful, 12 sorties.  Day was spent around dispersal playing more bridge, and discussion on the war and movements of the ground forces.

Wednesday, April 4, 1945

The weather is just not breaking for us, with no clear weather since arriving at B.78.  Cloudy and dull again, with two dive bombing trips and two patrols carried out -uneventful.  1st operation – 12 sorties, 2nd operation – 12 sorties, 3rd operation – 12 sorties with one return – mechanical; 4th operation – 12 sorties.

Thursday, April 5, 1945

Three operational trips flown, but weather still poor.  1st operation – 12 sorties, 2nd operation 4 sorties, 3rd operation – 4 sorties, recalled due to weather.  Uneventful.  A bang up party in the Officer’s Mess this evening, with all the neighbouring Dutch girls showing up, and 403 in full strength.  A real success.

Friday, April 6, 1945

Three weather recce trips flown in the Rhine area, uneventful, with poor weather setting in again, a few rain storms in the early evening.  1st operation – 4 sorties, 2nd operation – 4 sorties, 3rd operation – 4 sorties.  The pilots were busy scrubbing down their aircraft and polishing them up a little.

Saturday, April 7, 1945

No. 6403 Servicing Echelon invited all pilots and personnel of 403 Squadron to a party held in Eindhoven to-night.  A real success and it afforded the opportunity of the pilots mixing with their ground personnel of the servicing echelon.  A really warm day, with visibility unlimited, and all the pilots eager to get on with their job again after nearly a week of poor flying weather.  Four operational trips completed, all patrols in the Lingen-Rhine area.  1st operation – 6 sorties, one return – mechanical; 2nd operation – 6 sorties; 3rd operation – 6 sorties; 4th operation – 6 sorties.

Sunday, April 8, 1945

A beautiful clear and sunny day, with two dive bombing efforts carried out in the Cloppenburg area.  Uneventful, but a few houses hit.  1st operation – 12 sorties, 2nd operation – 12 sorties.  Advance party left this afternoon for the new airfield at B.100 near Goch, Germany, and the Squadron expects to be moving off soon.

Monday, April 9, 1945

Another clear day and flying resumed fairly steady.  Four patrols completed in the Fürstenau-Lemford area.  Uneventful.  1st operation – 6 sorties; 2nd operation – 6 sorties; 3rd operation – 6 sorties, 4th operation – 6 sorties.  The eighth Canadian Victory Loan was launched in the Squadron today and the boys are really behind it for the first day of bond sales.

Tuesday, April 10, 1945

The Squadron is getting impatient to get on with our next move to the new airfield, as the advance party have now been gone two days.  One escort and two armed recces completed.  1st operation – 12 sorties; 2nd operation 12 sorties; 3rd operation 12 sorties.

Wednesday, April 11, 1945

The Squadron finally got their movement order, the pilots flying their aircraft down to B.100 airfield in the late afternoon, near Goch Germany.  Their effects are following them by transport, so it’s to be under the canvas again for a few nights at least.  Everyone is keen on getting into enemy territory, and just that much closer to Jerry’s back door.  This is apparently only a temporary move, where we will eventually end up is not yet known.  Four operational trips flown, patrols of the Meppen/Fürstenau area. 1st operation – 6 sorties; 2nd operation – 6 sorties; 3rd operation – 6 sorties, 4th operation – 6 sorties.

Thursday, April 12, 1945

Continued operations from B.100, three operational trips flown, armed recces in the Oldenberg area.  1st operation – 12 sorties, 2nd operation – 12 sorties, 3rd operation – 8 sorties.  Three new pilots arrived on the Squadron today, J29779 F/O A.A. Roy, J39160 F/O R. Young, and J40853 F/O W.V.J. Burdis, all beginning their first tour.

Friday, April 13, 1945

The pilots and the Spits arrived from B.100 to the Squadron’s new location at B.114 near Diepholtz, Germany and every one is in a jumble trying to locate quarters and to get temporarily settled.  The field looks a pretty fair one, but outside of that, Jerry has taken care that nothing very useful was left behind.  Practically all buildings and hangars have been blasted, and a lot of intentional damage everywhere.  Nil operations flown this day.

Saturday, April 14, 1945

Getting a little ‘dug in’ on the new airfield and the Squadron is again operating normally after this second move.  A good flying day with two operational trips carried out; armed recces in the Cloppenburg and Oldenberg areas.  1st operation – 8 sorties, 2nd operation – 8 sorties.

Sunday, April 15, 1945

Carried on with the usual routine, still fair flying weather.  Two armed recces completed in the Wesermunde-Lüneburg and Bremen areas.  Uneventful.  1st operation – 10 sorties, 2nd operation – 10 sorties.  Lots of MET to be seen along the roadways, but the boys are after a large convoy, and just waiting their time for a big kill.

Monday, April 16, 1945

A beautiful flying day, and one of the best kills the Squadron has had for many a month, many MET destroyed in the five armed recce operations carried out and the pilots are in very high spirits having so much action in one day.  Also one patrol in the Celle area, proving uneventful.  1st operation – 8 sorties; 2nd operation – 8 sorties; 3rd operation – 8 sorties; 4th operation – 7 sorties; 5th operation – 8 sorties; 6th operation – 4 sorties.

Tuesday, April 17, 1945

J40853 F/O W.V.J. Burdis was killed as a result of injuries received when he crash-landed just about eight miles N.E. of here.  Just his third trip with the Squadron, and really rough luck.  A stormy unsettled day, but managed two armed recces in the Bremen-Hamburg-Ülzen areas. F/L J.D. Lindsay scored a hit on a FW 190 of the five sighted south of Hamburg, but it got away in the smoke and haze.  1st operation – 8 sorties, 2nd operation – 8 sorties.

Wednesday, April 18, 1945

Good weather again, and flying continuing with the usual keenness shown around the Squadron.  Not much free time for the pilots now, and the few hours that they are down between trips are usually spent sitting in the sun at the edge of the airfield.  F/O Burdis was buried today in the civil cemetery near here, with a representation of the Squadron pilots present.  Three operations in the Hamburg-Salzwedel area and a patrol in the Bremen area carried out.  1st operation – 8 sorties, 2nd operation – 8 sorties, 3rd operation – 3 sorties.

Thursday, April 19, 1945

Another very good flying day, and the Squadron maintaining a high average of flying hours.  Several of the pilots, including some second tour, are looking forward to their repatriation now, with the hours mounting up so quickly.  A/V/M Johnson on his visit here made the statement that no Canadian fighter Squadrons would be used in the Far East campaign, which has taken the furrows off many a brow around here.  Eight operations flown today, with a great many MET, loco’s destroyed and enemy aircraft attacked, but no strikes seen.  1st operation – 8 sorties with one early return R/T trouble; 2nd operation – 4 sorties; 3rd operation – 8 sorties; 4th operation – 4 sorties; 5th operation – 8 sorties; 6th operation – 8 sorties with one early return mechanical trouble; 7th operation – 4 sorties with one early return, R/T trouble; 8th operation – 4 sorties.

Friday, April 20, 1945

A shower system was set up on the airfield and a laundry service also in the nearby town.  Many of us enjoyed our first good wash and clean clothes since arriving here.  F/L J.D. Lindsay, DFC, one of our keener types, left us today to take over new duties as a Flight Commander in 416 Squadron our next door neighbour on the airfield.  The boys are sorry to see Doug go, and wished him lots of success with his new gang of pilots.  An excellent flying day, operations continuing late in the evening now with the longer daylight hours.  11 operations completed,  all patrols. 1st operation – 4 sorties; 2nd operation – 4 sorties; 3rd operation – 4 sorties; 4th operation – 4 sorties; 5th operation – 4 sorties; 6th operation – 4 sorties; 7th operation – 4 sorties; 8th operation – 4 sorties; 9th operation – 4 sorties; 10th operation – 4 sorties; 11th operation – 4 sorties.

Saturday, April 21, 1945

A dull and rainy day with no flying done in the morning.  Four operations, armed recces completed in the afternoon, with much loco’s, troops, and transport destroyed.  S/L Zary (J.9261) and J.87255 F/O D. Leslie each bagged and destroyed an ME 109, making a total of seven destroyed and two damaged for S/L Zary and the first destroyed for F/O Leslie.  The boys had a bit of a celebration in the mess at night over these counts.  Both of these victories scored on the 2nd operation – armed recce in the Schwerin-Neumünster area.  Only the ME 109’s sighted.  1st operation – 6 sorties; 2nd operation – 6 sorties; 3rd operation – 6 sorties, 4th operation – 6 sorties.

Sunday, April 22, 1945

Another dull and rainy day, though we managed to get two patrols in.  Both in the Bremen Hamburg area and both were uneventful. 1st operation – 4 sorties, 2nd operation – 4 sorties.  It was very quiet around the Squadron, with a lot of the fellows off flying duties, playing bridge and poker up in the quarters.  More or less of a restful Sunday.

Monday, April 23, 1945

A good flying day, with the gang airborne at 0530 hours right through to 2037 hours in the evening, which was a very tiring day for most.  The Squadron has been flying with two pilots short up to today, and when J.7599 F/L C.S. Yarnell and J.11471 F/L E.O. Doyle walked in and reported for duty, they were greeted with open arms.  Both Second tour boys, so they pretty well know what the score is around here, and should be flying their ops very soon.  Fourteen operations flown, all patrols, mainly in the Hamburg- Bremen areas.  Another two victories scored in the Squadron on the early 0530 trip.  F/L H.R. Finley, J.14030 and F/L W.N. Dove, J.11000 each bagged an FW 190, giving F/L Finley a total of three destroyed and one damaged and F/L Dove his first victory.  These last four victories in the Squadron have really put the fellows in strong spirits, and it is no longer a case of who’s going to get up in the morning, as it is quite a scramble with the Huns flying about.  J.19939 F/O A.J. McLaren, not yet returned, made a crashed landing safely, but no word of his safety yet.  1st operation – 4 sorties; 2nd operation – 4 sorties; 3rd operation – 4 sorties; 4th operation – 4 sorties; 5th operation – 4 sorties; 6th operation – 4 sorties; 7th operation – 4 sorties; 8th operation – 4 sorties; 9th operation – 4 sorties; 10th operation – 4 sorties; 11th operation – 4 sorties; 12th operation – 4 sorties; 13th operation – 4 sorties; 14th operation – 4 sorties.

Tuesday, April 24, 1945

A beautiful day with thirteen patrols completed in the Rothem-Weser/Weser Bridge area.  1st operation – 2 sorties; 2nd operation – 2 sorties; 3rd operation – 2 sorties; 4th operation – 2 sorties; 5th operation – 2 sorties; 6th operation – 2 sorties; 7th operation – 2 sorties; 8th operation – 2 sorties; 9th operation – 2 sorties; 10th operation – 2 sorties; 11th operation – 2 sorties; 12th operation – 2 sorties; 13th operation – 3 sorties.  No word as yet on F/L A.J. McLaren, and he has been reported as missing.  J14030 F/L H.R. Finley transferred to 443 Squadron, and is going to hold a Flight Commander’s position there.

Wednesday, April 25, 1945

Another beautiful flying day and the Squadron really went to town on the Hun today, claiming three destroyed and five damaged.  A sure celebration in the mess to-night with these added victories to the Squadron’s credit.  Four operations flown, armed recces in the Stade-Bremen areas.  1st operation – 8 sorties; 2nd operation – 8 sorties; 3rd operation – 8 sorties, 4th operation – 8 sorties.  Word has come that the advance party will be moving off to our new airfield tomorrow.  Victories scored are as follows: Destroyed F/O R.C. Shannon – 1 FW 189; F/L A.E. Fleming – 1 ME 111; F/O D. Leslie – unidentified aircraft believed to be FW 189.  Damaged F/L E.O. Doyle – 1 ME 262; S/L Zary – 1 ME 262; and 1 JU 88; F/L R. Morris – 1 ME 262; F/S J.C. Pickering, F/L F.W. Town and F/O J.R. Baker sharing 1 DO 26.

Thursday, April 26, 1945

A few of the Squadron pilot’s who won’t be flying up the new airfield departed today by car, and the Orderly Room was also in the advance party in order to get organized when the majority of the Squadron flies up along with “B” party.  Another good flying day, three armed recces flown in the Neumunster area.  1st operation – 8 sorties, 2nd operation – 8 sorties, 3rd operation – 8 sorties.

Friday, April 27, 1945

A dull, cloudy and rainy day.  One patrol carried out in the Bremen Hamburg area – 4 sorties, abortive due to weather. R130382 WO1 Hallett D.M. a new pilot reported in to the Squadron this afternoon, first tour pilot.  We will be moving off to the new airfield, B154 near Soltau Germany, about one hundred miles north east of here.

Saturday, April 28, 1945

The Squadron pilots flew up to the new ‘drome’ this morning, their effects and the ground personnel moving off in convoy in the early afternoon.  Another victory in the Squadron to-day, F/L L. Foster destroying 1 DO 217 just near the new aerodrome.  This gives ‘Cap’ Foster three destroyed to his credit and one damaged.  One weather recce and eight patrols completed.    1st operation – 2 sorties; 2nd operation – 4 sorties; 3rd operation – 4 sorties; 4th operation – 4 sorties; 5th operation – 4 sorties; 6th operation – 4 sorties; 7th operation – 4 sorties; 8th operation – 4 sorties with one early return, mechanical trouble; 9th operation – 4 sorties.

Sunday, April 29, 1945

A fair flying day, two patrols in the bridgehead are completed.  1st operation – 2 sorties, 2nd operation – 2 sorties.  Uneventful.  J29149 F/O F.W. Town is slated as tour expired, and is feeling rather bad in having to quit at this time before the ‘show’ is over here in Germany.  All the boys are in very high spirits over the victories scored recently and really keen to get all their scoring in before it’s too late.  Quarters on the new airfield for the Squadron are fairly congested, but in a wooden building which is over and above what we expected here.  The dispersal is about a mile off the quarters, and set up in a marquis tent, which means a great deal of running back and forth each day.  3rd operation – 4 sorties.

Monday, April 30, 1945

A very cold day, a little hail falling and rather miserable flying weather with a low ceiling.  Three armed recces and one patrol near the Bridgehead completed. 1st operation – 8 sorties; 2nd operation – 6 sorties; 3rd operation – 8 sorties with three early returns; one lost in cloud when in formation, one RT trouble with one escort back to the airfield; 4th operation – 7 sorties.  Another victory to wind up this month with F/L A.E. Fleming destroying 1 ME 108; ‘Al’s’ second this week.  J87984 F/O M. Silver, a new pilot, reported in this afternoon, starting his first tour.

The Squadron morale remains at a high peak, with the numerous victories scored recently, some of the boys trying to fly every trip in the hope of increasing their scores.

Total number of Sorties for the month of April 1945 – 747

No. 403 Squadron strength and flying times for the month of April 1945

Officer – Flying     22                Officer Ground –  2
Airman – Flying    5                Airman Ground – 4
U.S.A. Personnel Nil

Flying times for Month        Aircraft on Strength

Operational Hours        1079.05        SM 671    TB 752
Non-Operational Hours               49.30        SM 421    SM 285
Auster                 Nil           SM 190    SM 203
1128.35        SM 426    TD 130
TD 141    SM 316
TD 286    SM 308
TD 289    TB 340
TB 630    TD 257
TB 922    TD 114

Casualties for Month

Can/J40853 F/O W.V.J. Burdis, killed 17-4-45
Can/J19939 F/O A.J. McLaren, Missing 23-4-45

Enemy Casualties for Month

1 FW 190 Damaged    F/L J.D. Lindsay     17-4-45
1 ME 109 Destroyed    S/L H.P.M. Zary     21-4-45
1 ME 109 Destroyed    F/O D. Leslie        21-4-45
1 FW 190 Destroyed    F/L H.R. Findley     23-4-45
1 FW 190 Destroyed    F/L W.N. Dove    23-4-45
1 FW 190 Destroyed    F/O R.C. Shannon    25-4-45
1 ME 262 Damaged    S/L H.P.M. Zary    25-4-45
1 JU 88     Damaged    S/L H.P.M. Zary    25-4-45
1 ME 262 Damaged    F/L E.C. Doyle    25-4-45
1 HE 111 Destroyed    F/L A.E. Fleming    25-4-45
1 DO 26    Damaged    shared by F/O J.R. Baker,
F/O F.W. Town,
F/S J.C. Pickering    25-4-45
1 DO 217 Destroyed    F/L L. Foster        28-4-45
1 ME 108 Destroyed     F/L A.E. Fleming    30-4-45
1 unidentified a/c destroyed (possible FW 189) F/O D. Leslie    23-4-45

signed by
(A.E. Fleming), Flight Lieutenant,
Officer Commanding,
No. 403 Squadron (RCAF)