WWII 1944 - 1945 (8)

…... important road junctions were heavily defended by 88 mm guns.


Artillery reconnaissances were directed mainly at gun pits and frequently successful shoots were recorded. There were few pre-arranged targets and the Squadron pilots were generally briefed to do area searches to find targets of opportunity. These proved to be particularly hard to locate because the Germans knew only too well that, with an aircraft over their area, if they started firing with any gun it would be spotted and this would bring fire down on them from the Allied batteries. Where the target was outside the range of our batteries, the pilot would pass the target details to our forward fighter controller who would then relay the information to our fighter bombers.


The Squadron had a big celebration in the middle of the month when it was announced that Flight Lieutenants Perry and Champneys had been granted the immediate award of the DFC for their work during the Casino show and since.


See Flt Lts Perry and Champney’s awards
in the Honours Section at this link:


Towards the end of the month the Wing was honoured by a visit of no less a personage than The King, travelling under the nom de plume of General Collingwood but known more affectionately to the colonials on the camp as “Pin up Pommie No. 1”. There was a great panic to clean up the camp and flight sites the day that the news arrived. On the following day a parade was held on the aerodrome, and when the King drove past the Squadron there were no less than 180 personnel on parade. By the end of the month the Squadron was on the move once more, this time to Malignano near Sienna, and it was with regret that its members left the banks of Lake Trasimeno.


Throughout August the Squadron continued to maintain the pace of the previous month, a great deal of work being done at the request of 5th Army. The whole Wing was fortunate in being able to witness the arrival of the Prime Minister, Mr. Winston Churchill, who was on his way to 8th Army and Desert Air Force

…...continued

July 1944 King George VI Visits 208 Squadron Honours 6 - WWII (3)

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