A long mission in broad daylight didn't sound much fun but Keira IV survived to fight another day.
Friendly fighters kept the Luftwaffe at bay all the way to the Alps. Even here the only problem turned out to be the heavy flak that caused damage throughout the aircraft. None of it turned out to be serious and the bomb load was right on target.
Homebound we had just left German airspace when 4 Me109s appeared. Even though 3 were driven off immediately the 4th broke through from 12 o'clock high. At this point both Sgt Stanley in the nose and our mid upper gunner Sgt Worthington on his first mission, let the enemy have everything. Multiple hits sent the German spiralling downwards, eventually breaking up mid-air.
F/O Ken Marston [pilot: Keira IV]