Sit here, Adolf – After Action Report
27/28 March, 1944 – Miss. No. 55
Operation: Detailed against Leipzig - Aircraft
Crew: Pilot: F/L Rick Abbotsford; Bomb aimer F/O Brian Holmes; Navigator P/O Colin Bright; Flt. Eng. F/L Ian Bellworthy; W/O Sgt. Sean Hemming; Mid-upper Sgt. Arthur Kingsley; Tail gunner Sgt. Rose Dillon
Weather en route: Clear all the way to the target.
Opposition:
Outbound: Attacked three times - accumulated damage: pilot's window and tail wheel damaged; raft destroyed.
Over target: Not caught by the searchlights, no e/a; moderate flak
Homeward: Attacked once on the homeward leg (over the Dutch coast) but it was brief because mid-upper put enough rounds into his fuselage that he broke off after the first pass (and after knocking out our starboard brakes). (Me-110 FBOA - mid-upper, Sgt. Arthur Kingsley).
Bomb run: 0% (In spite of not having any opposition of any kind the bomb run was off …)
Assessment of attack: Fires appeared to have been very scattered
Landing: Bit of a challenge with a damaged tail wheel and no brakes
Crew casualties: None
Comments: Considering the lack of opposition we should have done better …
F/L Rick Abbotsford, pilot