Quite a lot of activity for what turned out to be a shortened trip.
We were surprised by a 110 with upward firing cannon whilst still way short of the target over France. He missed us with his first pass but then managed to concentrate his fire on the port wing. Finally Sgt Webster from the nose turret, and Sgt Callaghan from the mid upper got their act together and shot the blighter down.
Fuel however was now pouring out of the port outer tank. A quick calculation revealed that pressing on to the target would mean not reaching the channel coast on the return leg so we turned for home there and then. At that point new boy Sgt Peter Jackson surprised us all by both spotting an enemy fighter sliding in beneath us and downing it with his very first burst fired in anger.
Over the channel we dumped the bombs and as we did so a third Me110 showed up. His cannon shells passed through the mid upper turret, smashing the guns there. That was however the end of the excitement and we eventually put down at the fighter airfield at Duxford.
F/O Roger Landon [pilot: Sally Anne II]