6 – 14 July 1943

Overview

12 Sqn took part in one minelaying mission and three bombing operations this week, to Cologne, Gelsenkirchen and Turin. Two aircraft were lost on operations and one during a training exercise – 18 aircrew were killed and 4 became prisoners of war. Operations to Italy must have been pretty spectacular as the Lancasters had to fly over the Alps both out and back. This particular raid was the most successful of the ten against Turin carried out by Bomber Command.

There is some mystery about the aircraft that crashed into the Firth of Forth on a training flight, with some suggestions of sabotage, and there are plans to raise the aircraft to see if it can be established what the actual cause of the accident was.

Extract from Station Diary

Extract from Appendix to 12 Sqn Operational Record Book