MEN BEHIND THE MEDALS LIONEL COLES
16th/17th, a round trip of almost
nine hours. The following night
they returned to the ‘Big City’. This
baptism of fire was all the more
praiseworthy considering Coles -
with just 285 hours in his logbook- was one of the most experienced
members of the crew!
A few nights later they joined a
force of 148 aircraft and headed for
Hamburg. It was on this raid that
H2S was used for the first time,
although the results were only
modest. Nevertheless, it marked
the beginning of an increasingly
effective strategic campaign.
Dierkes and his crew went to
Wilhelmshaven on the night of
February 11/12. Cloud obscured
the target but the Pathfinders,
using H2S, marked with great
accuracy and extensive damage
was inflicted. The crew saw a
violent explosion – and it was
later learned that a huge naval
ammunition store had been
hit and 150 acres in the town
devastated. The raid represented
the first blind-bombing success
using the new navigation aid.War on U-boats
Just as Harris was getting his
force up to strength and better
prepared to attack the major
industrial centres in Germany, he
was to be frustrated by the War
Cabinet’s directive to commence
area bombing against the U-boat
operational bases on the west
coast of France. The main targets
were to be Lorient, St Nazaire,
Brest and La Pallice.
The port of Lorient had been
given top priority and on the night
of February 13/14 a force of 460
bombers delivered the heaviest
attack of the war on the U-boat
base. Coles and his colleagues
took Lancaster I W4236 on the 5
hour 20 minute sortie.
The next night they were
airborne for the long trip to attack
Milan. There was no let up; it was
Left
Coles recovering at Rauceby Hospital with his
neck in a splint.Below
Hampdens of 408 Squadron RCAF.22 FLYPAST May 201520-26_Medals_fpSBB.indd 22 09/03/2015 10:07