100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
BOMBERS RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION 65Above, left
and right
Based at Great
Massingham, 107
Squadron began to
re-equip with Boston
IIIs in January 1942,
and the opportunity
was taken to use
AL754 ‘D-for-Don’
for a photo session.
On an operation to
Eindhoven, Holland,
on December 6, 1942,
AL754 was badly
damaged by fl ak.
The pilot brought the
Boston home to Great
Massingham, but it
overshot on landing
and was wrecked.Left
Personnel and Boston
IIIs of 88 Squadron
parading for the press
at Swanton Morley in
July 1941.DOUGLAS BOSTON
huge significance as the unit had
been formed in April 1943 from the
remnants of French Air Force units
evacuated from North Africa. The
liberation of their homeland was
beginning.
Taking off at 05:00, the bombers
headed for Normandy: 88 Squadron
was to take the eastern sector, 342
the western side. In a carefully
choreographed operation, a Boston
was to fly low, laying a smoke screen as
the landing craft came up the beaches.
Flying a ‘racetrack’ pattern, another
Boston would replace its colleague
at ten-minute intervals. Flying low
and trailing smoke, the bombers
represented a very exposed target for
the defending Germans.
Both 88 and 342 both lost
an aircraft, BZ243 and BZ213
respectively crashing into the water
close to shoreline, with the three
crew on each being killed. Flt Lt O
B Smith of 88 Squadron brought his
flak-damaged BZ214 T-for-Tare back
to Hartfordbridge, but it was written
off when it crash-landed. Smith and
his gunner, Sgt Loake, survived but
the navigator, F/Sgt Allan, was killed.
Throughout the early hours of the
amphibious invasion, 88 and 342
managed to maintain a smoke screen
over much of the beachhead.
The two units soon returned to their
usual fare, low-level strikes at pinpoint
targets. For example, on June 22, two
dozen Bostons from 88 and 342 were“Taking off at 05:00, the bombers
headed for Normandy... In a carefully
choreographed operation, a Boston was to
fl y low, laying a smoke screen as the landing
craft came up the beaches.”
Above, left Above, left Above, left Above, left Above, left
and rightand rightand right
Based at Greatengaged in a very successful assault
on fortifications near Caen, allowing
ground forces to break the impasse
and move on.
On October 17, both units touched
down at Vitry-en-Artois, east of
Arras, from where operations could
continue without long ‘dead legs’
back to Hampshire. At Vitry, 88
Squadron disbanded in April 1945.
The Frenchmen did not stay in home
territory for long, during that month,
342 began conversion to North
American Mitchells ready
to re-locate to Gilze-
Rijen in Holland before
disbanding there in
December 1945.