On Saturday 31 July 1943, a member of the 78 Sqdn, Flight Sergeant G A Rourke, took off from Breighton in the United Kingdom. His mission is mentioned elsewhere on WW2 History Europe. You can find the other details of this mission by searching here. Training and cargo flights are not separately mentioned as a mission. The plane left at 22:08. He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type II, serial JD329, code EY-G).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
(Eighth Air Force): VIII Air Support Command Missions Number 11A, 11B, 11C and 11D: The targets are 4 airfields in France: 1. 21 B-26B's are dispatched against Merville Airfield; 20 hit the target at 1120 hours; 2 B-26's are damaged. 2. 21 B-26B's are dispatched against Poix/Nord Airfield; 19 hit the target at 1122 hours; 1 B-26 is lost and 5 ared damaged; casualties are 7 MIA. 3. 21 B-26B's are dispatched against Abbeville/Drucat Airfield and all hit the target at 1617 hours. 4;. 21 B-26B's are dispatched against Tricqueville Airfield; 18 hit the target at 1623 ours; they claim 0-1-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-26's are damaged. Lille and Amiens, France are bombed by Royal Air Force (RAF) bombers, also fighter-escorted, in conjunction with US raids. HQ 392d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and it's 576th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) arrive at Wendling, England from the US with B-24's. They will fly their first combat mission on 6 Sep 43 and remain at this station until Jun 45.
Campaign report of the RAF:
30/31 July 1943
273 aircraft - 95 Halifaxes, 87 Stirlings, 82 Lancasters, 9 Mosquitos - were dispatched to the previously unbombed town of Remscheid on the southern edge of the Ruhr; only 26 people had been killed in Remscheid, by stray bombs, in the last 3 years. This raid marks the true end of the Battle of the Ruhr. 15 aircraft - 8 Stirlings, 5 Halifaxes, 2 Lancasters - were lost, 5.5 per cent of the force.
8 aircraft laid mines in the Frisian Islands without loss.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!This record can also be found on the maps of WW2 History Europe with Google coordinates. You can find the maps by clicking on this link on this location.
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