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Wellington X JN-V (LP118) hit by flak over Budapest April 3, 1944

My main interest in 150 Squadron R.A.F. is the period of time that 150 served as part of 330 Wing 205 Bomber Group R.A.F.. 205 Group was the main night bomber element of the R.A.F. in the Middle East. Squadrons of 205 Group had been in the desert from 1940 on and had participated in the seesaw battles across the desert of Libya and Egypt throughout 1940 -1942. Not only had they hit hard the enemy's supply ports at Benghasi, Tobruk and Tripoli, but they had provided close support for the troops of the 8th Army, both in its first offensive against the Italian Army and then in the subsequent fighting retreat to El Alamein. It then supported the offensive that drove Rommel out of North Africa at Tunis. Life on a Wellington Squadron in the Middle East was very different from life on a bomber station in the U.K. The Wellingtons of 205 Group were mobile in every sense - operating from tents and caravans, from airstrips carved from the desert and living on rations much the same as the army. Water was at a premium as was almost everything else. Every gallon of petrol, every nut and bolt, bomb and tin of bully beef had to be brought in from the UK or from North America. The squadrons of 205 Group that chased Rommel to Tunis were Nos. 40, 70, 104, 37, 148, and 178.

Meanwhile, from western North Africa came 330 Wing, stationed first at Blida, Algeria and then to a forward base at Fontaine Chaude. Its main targets had been the port facilities at Bizerte which supplied enemy troops fighting the Anglo - American attack from the West. This attack had begun as Operation Torch - the allied landing on the coast of Algeria and Morocco.

Flooded Airfield at Kairouan November 1943 forced move To Oudna, Tunisia (photo: Ian Cruttenden)

In June 1943, these Wellington squadrons met in Tunisia and with the ouster of Rommel and the Italians from North Africa, based themselves at the Holy City of Kairouan to prepare for the invasion of Sicily and of the Italian mainland. At this time, 205 Group became part of the Mediterranean Allied Strategic Air Force and was subject to the operational control of 15th USAAF, forming the night medium bomber force working alongside the American daylight bombers. In addition, three Canadian (RCAF) Squadrons came out to Tunisia in June - October 1943 to assist with the invasion of Sicily (Nos. 420, 424, and 425 RCAF).

Sergeant Aircrew of 150 Squadron  (photo J.A. Long Collection)

Throughout the period June 1943 - December 1943, 205 Group became part of the "interdiction plan" to support the invasion. The idea was based on the fact that there were only three routes that materiel could take from Germany down the boot of Italy. About 50 % of these supplies came through the Brenner Pass onto the plains of Northern Italy; about 38 % came through the Swiss lines (St. Gothard and Simplon) and the remainder came through the Eastern routes via Tarvisio and Postumia. Thus, the first strategic interdiction targets were the northern termini: Verona for the Brenner; Milan for the Simplon and St. Gothard and Turin for the French Riviera. Trieste and Fiume were targets for Balkan traffic which included about 2/3 of the oil shipped. Once materiel was in the country it could be interdicted by attacking the means by which it was moved south. Thus, the targets became main line railways, roads, bridges, marshaling yards, crossroads and motor transport. While a rail line or road could be repaired; it could be put out of action for a critical number of days. Other targets included airfields to catch both day and night fighters on the ground, as well as ports and harbours on the west coast of Italy. It was also important to cut communications links between northern Italy and the South.

Beau Geste! French Colonial Troops provided Airfield Security at Kairouan (photo: Ray Sedger)

As a tactical force,150 squadron along with other R.A.F. and USAAF units, attacked the island of Pantelleria and the island was so damaged that it surrendered without any ground attack. A glance at the map shows how critical this island was to the invasion of Sicily. Wellingtons of 150 Squadron helped prepare the Island of Sicily for successful invasion and then by interdiction bombing cut off the landing beaches of Salerno long enough for the Allied invasion force to get a toehold in Italy on September 8, 1943. Successive raids in September, October and November of 1943 were aimed at the interdiction of supplies running to the Germans in the south of Italy. By this time the Italians had surrendered and the enemy in Italy was the Nazi Wehrmacht and S.S. who held strongly fortified positions in the Apennines and beyond.

 Accomodations Italian Style (photo: J.A. Long Collection)

In October 1943, the Allied Armies pushing up the east cost of Italy captured the vital Foggia plain- a flat. almost featureless and mosquito infested plateau which forms the "spur" on the boot of Italy. This was a critical gain, for there were on the Foggia plain, some existing airfields. Airfield Construction Battalions of the USAAF and the R.A.F. moved in to create more - scraping runways out of olive groves, then covering them with gravel and PSP (Perforated Steel Planking) in order to create runways and taxiways, perimeter tracks and hardstandings. When 205 Group moved to the Foggia area along with the day bombers of the 15th and 12th USAAF all of Occupied Europe came under the threat of Allied bomber airpower - either from the UK or from Foggia. This was a turning point in the air war.

Living conditions at Foggia were brutal, especially in the winter. With the exceptions of a few farm buildings that served as administrative buildings and officers' messes, most of the crews and ground staff slept in tents, well-worn from the desert campaign. Heat came from jury-rigged oil stoves fueled with used oil from the engine sumps of the wimpies. Many tent fires can be traced to the explosive combination of oil, water and flame. Food was basic - bully beef, hardtack and well stewed tea, with locally bartered eggs and local vino. Beds were made from bomb fin cases and whatever else could be scavenged. Parachutes served as pillows and flight jackets became blankets. Many crews report that their 'chutes were never checked or repacked during their entire tour. Entertainment was either self-made or provided by traveling ENSA or USO troupes. Dysentery and malaria were rampant. Leave was taken at the R.A.F. rest Camp in Sorrento or at the beaches of Manfredonia or at Bari. This was definitely not the "Brylcreem boy" image of the R.A.F.!

Typical Tented Accomodations at Amendola (photo: Eric Mattingley)

At Kairouan and later into the Italian campaign, the squadron broke down into about 60% Australians in the dark blue of the RAAF, about 20% other Commonwealth crews (RNZAF, RCAF, and SAAF) and about 20% R.A.F. and RAFVR crews from the U.K. The major dangers in flying in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations were the weather (icing and cloud caused many accidents and losses), lack of navigation aids (dead reckoning and map reading were still the basic navigation tools until later on when some Gee coverage was obtained) and enemy action - mainly flak but also night fighters and searchlights. Aircraft serviceability levels were a great tribute to the "erks" who serviced the aircraft. Often these men had been on the squadron for 3 or 4 years and much or all of the service to aircraft at the squadron level had to be done in the outdoors - "down the flights". All fueling, arming and basic servicing was done outside on the hardstandings. However, as in other theatres, mechanical failures did occur and caused fatalities and injuries. Conditions at Foggia were described by one vet as "disgustingly slum-like" and all vets remember the living conditions to be almost, but not quite, as bad as the operations.

Cliff Grace - Rear Gunner in Norm Lord's Crew - "Shooting a Line" (photo: Norm Lord)

In December 1943, 150 Squadron moved to Cerignola Airfield near Foggia. It had a single PSP runway which was rather short with a quick right or left turn at the end onto the perimeter track. In the vicious Italian winter of 1943-44 the field turned to mud, and snow and ice and rain made the runways absolutely dangerous. There were several mishaps. In March 1944, partly because of the complaints of Group Captain W. "Bill" Morris, the Wing (150 and 142 Squadrons) was posted to Amendola Airfield. The B-17's of the USAAF shared the field and took the day shift while the Wellingtons of 330 Wing went by night.

Wimpy comes to grief at Cerignola (Torretta) (photo:Bill Baker)

The nature of the targets meant that 150 became night precision bombers. Going after bridges, oil tanks and other pin- point targets meant a high degree of skill in night navigation, bomb aiming and target identification and illumination. The objectives of the squadron included marshaling yards, airfields, aircraft plants, bridges and mining of the Danube. In April 1944 a major effort was begun against oil targets, mainly in Romania, but also against targets in Hungary, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. The damage done to these oil targets and the oil transportation and storage system that had the most effect on the outcome of the war as they decreased Hitler's ability to move troops and tanks into Normandy at the critical time in June when the D-Day landings had such a tenuous hold. Lack of aviation fuel also grounded many aircraft that could have severely damaged the invasion fleet as it lay off the beaches. Both Albert Speer and Adolph Galland credit the mining campaign of 205 Group as a crippling blow to the Nazi war effort, especially in the critical summer of 1944.

The important contribution of 205 Group and the 15th USAAF to victory in Europe is easy to document. However, at the time, many of the crews felt that they were in a "forgotten war" and events such as Lady Astor's famous "D-Day Dodgers" speech and the refusal of the R.A.F. to give aircrew the Aircrew Europe Star caused much bitterness amongst the crews. The living conditions did not help to bolster spirits yet most sources show that morale on squadron was very good and esprit de corps high.

In July 1944, the squadron was moved to Regina Italy - a very rough field from whence the squadron continued to operate against these same targets, even going as far afield as Munich and occupied France. The squadron also continued to provide close night bombing support for the army as well as a continuation of the night mining campaign. In October 1944 the squadron was disbanded and the remaining crews posted to 70 and 104 squadrons. The squadron was reformed in England as a Lancaster unit.

Click to view area map of 150 squadron operations 

Watch this spot for a more detailed list of operational targets to come!!!

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