Overview
No operations were flown this week from Wickenby, although 617 Sqn, led by Wg Cdr Leonard Cheshire, did carry out a 12 Lancaster attack on the Gnome and Rhone aero-engine factory. The importance of this raid revolves around the use of low level marking using a Mosquito bomber by Cheshire, which was very successful and led to the destruction of the factory and minimal French civilian casualties. Although this method was adopted by 5 Group it was never used on large raids by the Pathfinders of 8 Group, even though it was shown subsequently that losses in marking aircraft, if Mosquitoes were used, were low.
In the Station Diary for 8th February, it states that a photographer from “Illustrated Magazine” took pictures of aircraft and crews – these appeared in the March 1944 addition and we have a copy of that magazine in the museum and some of the original prints that were not used. The photographs were taken from the balcony of the Watch Tower, which is now the RAF Wickenby Museum.
Extract from Station Diary
RAF Wickenby - This week in history - World War 2 