First mission after joining the squadron. A bit apprehensive about the mission to Schweinfurt but know the lads are keen to get at Jerry. Take-off and flight over the channel uneventful but Evans missed the ME-110 climbing out of the 6 o'clock as we came in over the Dutch coast. I'll give it to jerry, either he was a veteran or Evans was dozing but the next thing I know, shells are banging around the waist and bomb bay. Bloody amazing nobody was hit but Evans started firing into the night and screaming at Jerry in Welsh. Hits all over the waist with no real damage except to the tail gun ammo track on the starboard side but it was a couple of hits to the bomb bay that caused problems. Thank God the bombs didn't explode or someone else would be giving the report but I couldn't open the bomb bay doors. Yelled a few choice words over the comm to Morgan and aborted the mission. A quick trip and not very satisfactory. At least the follow-on attacks didn't cause further damage but Evans couldn't hit anything either. I am sending him off to gunnery retraining for a few days, partly to get him up to snuff and partly because I believe he was taking a kip when Jerry jumped us.
Pilot Officer T.E. Thomas, RAF
314th Squadron