Outbound
"A walk in the park" – just the kind we like! Some navigational difficulties as we left the North Sea to swing south towards Berlin which resulted in our losing the stream. First and only enemy attack outbound - a JU-88 which did no real damage but was sent on its way with a burning engine. (Both bomb aimer, Sgt. Leighton and mid-upper, Sgt. Freeborn claimed credit. They flipped and Freebie won the toss.) (JU-88 - FBOA – Sgt. Basel Freeborn).
Over target
No opposition. Angle of approach to Berlin was at about 90 degrees to the stream. Despite the navigational problems, a good recovery by bomb aimer Sgt. Leighton put us on target (we were probably the last to bomb): Run was on, estimate about 30%
Return
Just outside the Berlin area hit by an Me-110 which nicked us a couple times, slightly wounding the tail gunner, Sgt. Southgate. No damage other than a few rounds into the waist which knocked out the ammo supply on the port side; apparently lost enthusiasm and left. Not long after the tail gunner started singing Vera Lynn songs in falsetto and talking nonsense. As he had reported the wound was to his shoulder we couldn’t figure out why the falsetto and then realized his oxygen must have been hit also. Flight got him on a bottle of oxygen and I dropped to ten thousand feet. No further problems and the landing okay.
"No Mice!"
(Signed) F/O Arthur Blackwell (Pilot)
Pilot: F/O Arthur Blackwell
Bomb aimer: Sgt. Guy Leighton
Flight engineer: P/O Todd Smyth
Navigator: P/O Layton Fox
W/O operator: Sgt. Stuart Hammond
Mid-upper gunner: Sgt. Basel Freeborn
Tail gunner: Sgt. Clive Southgate