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2/1/43 – 12 #Boston & 1 #Mosquito bomber, dispatched on a daylight raid to #Cherbourg (the main target being a ‘whaling factory ship’), were recalled.

3/1/43 – 24 #Wellington & 18 #Lancaster bombers carried-out mine-laying off #Biscay ports overnight without loss.

3/1/43 – 2 O.T.U. sorties were flown overnight. Both aircraft returned safely.

3/1/43 – 11 #Boston aircraft, dispatched on a daylight raid to #Cherbourg, were recalled.

3/1/43 – 6 #Mosquito bombers carried-out daylight attacks on railway targets in the #Amiens & #Tergnier areas. All aircraft returned safely.

4/1/43 – 3 #Pathfinder #Mosquito aircraft & 19 #Lancaster bombers of #5_Group attacked #ESSEN overnight in a continuation of the experimental #Oboe-marking bombing raids…

…#Essen reported that the city centre was bombed with some property damage & 6 casualties. 3 #Lancaster aircraft were lost.

4/1/43 – 39 #Wellington & 6 #Lancaster bombers carried-out mine-laying off the #French & #Dutch coasts overnight without loss…

…#427_Squadron, part of the newly formed ‘6 (Canadian) Group’, provided 6 of the #Wellingtons for #6_Group’s 1st operational sorties. 3 of these successfully laid mines in the #Frisian_Islands but the other 3 had to return early with mechanical difficulties.

4/1/43 – 3 O.T.U. sorties were flown overnight. All returned safely.

5/1/43 – 4 #Pathfinder #Mosquito aircraft & 29 #Lancaster bombers of #5_Group attacked #ESSEN overnight. ‘Skymarker’ flares were dropped by the #Mosquitoes using the #Oboe co-ordinates, allowing the #Lancasters to bomb accurately. 2 #Lancaster aircraft were lost...

…A report from #Essen indicated concentrated bombing in the #Borbeck suburb, north of the city centre. 42 buildings were destroyed and 64 seriously damaged. 14 people were killed in the raid.

Flight Lieutenant Alfie Martin DFC, a bomb aimer of a Halifax, has died (20/12/17) aged 97. Alfie Martin's aircraft was shot down over Belgium in 1943. He survived & evaded capture with the aid of the Belgian Comet Escape Line - R.I.P. telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/201…

8/1/43 – 3 #Pathfinder #Mosquito aircraft & 19 #Lancaster bombers of #5_Group attacked #ESSEN overnight without loss…

…This attack was not as effective as the earlier #Oboe trial raids with only ‘incendiary’ bombs recorded as falling on #Essen. Nevertheless, 9 buildings were destroyed & another 34 seriously damaged. 10 people were killed.

5 years ago I started tweeting about R.A.F. Bomber Command’s operations over Germany & occupied Europe during the 2nd World War - up to their final operation on the 3rd May 1945 & then back to the start of operations from the 3rd September 1939 to date…

…I have now come full circle and think now is the time to stop these daily entries. I intend to update this feed from time to time with details & activities of the various squadrons, aircraft & personnel, which, I hope, you will find interesting…

…I would like to acknowledge two books in particular that I have made reference to compile my tweets – ‘The Bomber Command War Diaries’ by Martin Middlebrook & Chris Everitt & ‘Bomber Command’ by Max Hastings. These & many other publications have proved invaluable, Thank-you…

…Finally, I would like to thank my many ‘followers’ who have shown an interest in what, I think, was a most important and critical part of British & World history despite the horror of it all…

…If you wish to continue reading a day-to day diary of Bomber Command’s operations, can I suggest Ken Marshall’s excellent posts on Facebook: facebook.com/groups/3607790…