We got up 3rd as one of the lead ships which helped out a lot as I think we got the drop on Jerry. No action was encountered until zone 6. A 110 started his stock but Cpl Billard spotted him first. It must have startled some as he missed on his 1st 2 passes. However he hit us on his last from 12:00 level. Only superficial hits in the waist but it knocked out the heat in the tail. As we carried on into Germany Billard started getting frostbite. The poor weather was helping us as we moved deeper and deeper into the Reich. Buy the time we got to Berlin however the gig was up. We were jumped by a 110 who slipped in unobserved. He shot up the Stbr wing and gave us a scare when a shell burst in the bomb bay, superficial though. We lost him and then slipped through the lights. No Flak, it was grand. Then all of a sudden a 109 came out of the blackness a was downed by P/O Cummer in the nose. However in all the confution it put us off our bomb run and we missed the target. A first for us. We turned and mae speed for the coast. As we were leaving we were jumped again in zone 9. Cpl Billard despite painful frostbite spotted him driving him off. The next 2 passes were half hearted with no hits.
Things went well untill we were back over the North Sea in zone 6 again. A 110 got the jump on us no blaim to Cpl Billard. He made 2 good passes and knocked out the bomb controls (No problem), and damaged the Port wing root. We lost him and made it back too England no problems. The MO told us not to worry, Cpl Billard will make a full recovery. The best news of the night. It's still early so I think we'll all head down to the pub and tie one on!
Cheers
Damage: 84 pts
F/L John Dingy
Brown