Mission Notes: Lens
( see map at bottom of screen )
Operation Summary:
270 Lancasters attacked Douai, Lens and Somain.
Planes from 115 Squadron:
29 (9 from A flight, 9 from B flight, 10 from C flight)
Planes lost from 115 Squadron:
None
Johnston’s Plane: KO-W (W.PB 131)
Take-off: 2:05 pm
Landing: 6:00 pm
Round trip time: 3 hrs 55 mins
Bombing Height: 15,000 ft
DIARY NOTES
Location
RAF Bomber Command, 115 Squadron at Witchford, near Ely
Daylight - Daytime operation/mission
Lens - French city 200 kms north of Paris near the Belgium border
Prang - Usually refers to crashing a plane on landing or takeoff at the airfield, but in this case means the target was successfully bombed
Turn twenty - Order in which returning planes have been cleared to land – a plane given “turn twenty’ would land twentieth
Barb - Johnston’s girlfriend in Ontario
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August 11, 1944 (Friday)
Operation # 19 - Lens
Eleven 1,000 pound and four 500 pound bombs
Did a daylight to Lens this afternoon and what a trip! There was no opposition to speak of and it was a good prang.
I did as we were told on the way back and got back turn twenty of all times! Then I made one of the worst landings of my career – out in the grass, slid right off the runway! Oh, I was cheesed with things.
Stayed in and had a shower tonight - which is about all I did. I got a letter from Barb this morning.
Lens bombing run
from 15,000 ft |
