Page 11 - 576 Squadron History

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On the 3 September 1944 15 Lancasters and crews from the Squadron took part in a daylight
raid on the Luftwaffe airfield at Eindhoven. This was followed 2 days later by 4 daylight raids in 5
days on the German fortified positions around Le Havre in support if the Allied armies in the field.
2 of these raids were aborted by the Master Bomber because of cloud cover over the target. On
the night of the 15/16 September 10 Lancasters and crews from the Squadron undertook mine
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laying operations at various points off the coast of occupied Europe.

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On the 17 September 17 Lancasters and crews from the Squadron were detailed for an early
morning attack on the Luftwaffe airfield at Leeuwarden, Holland as part of Operation Market
Garden in support of airborne landings by British and American troops at Arnhem and Nijmegen.
The same day 10 Lancasters and crews returned to bomb German flak positions in the
Flushing area.

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A night raid on Neuss followed on the 23/24 September when 19 Lancasters were detailed and 1
failed to return, that of Pilot Officer A. J. Alderidge and crew.
The Squadron made a return to French targets when 5 daylight attacks were made against
German fortified positions around Calais and also the gun batteries at Cap Gris-Nez. On the raid
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to Calais on the 24 September Flight Lieutenant E. Bennett and crew were shot down in the
target area. The sole survivor from the crew, Flying Officer Playfoot, managed to evade capture.

During September 576 Squadron had flown on 16 operations, 12 in daylight, and detailed 216
sorties from which 3 failed to return. Most of the raids during the month had been of a tactical
nature in support of the Allied armies in the field and had been carried out with great
success and accuracy.
Squadron Leader Slater completed his second tour of operations during the month. He had been
with 576 since February. At the start of September the Bombing Leader, Flight Lieutenant C. F.
Jenkinson R.C.A.F, was posted back to Canada. He was one of the first members of the Squadron
to arrive at the Elsham Wolds. His quiet efficiency and pleasant manner made him extremely
popular. He was succeeded by Flying Officer N. Fisher DFM.

There had also been great emphasis on training both in the air and on the ground during the
month and much practice bombing was undertaken. It was largely due to the efforts of Flight
Lieutenant Mead that 8 fully trained crews familiar with the H2S ground mapping radar were now
on the Squadron strength.

In October much of the Squadron’s effort was again directed at German targets behind the
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German front line in support of the Allied ground forces. An interesting raid took place on the 3
October 1944 when the Squadron detailed 13 Lancasters and crews to attack the sea wall at
Westkappelle and flood the island of Walcheren submerging some of the gun batteries on the
island. These were guarding the approaches to Antwerp harbour. The sea wall was breached and
the island was flooded. 2 nights later 576 detailed 22 Lancasters and crews for a successful raid
on Saarbrucken at the request of the American Third Army which was rapidly
advancing on the city.

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Emmerich was attacked in daylight in a very accurate attack on the 7 October followed, on the
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11 and 12 , by daylight attacks on the gun batteries at Fort Frederik Hendrik on the south bank
of the River Scheldt.