James Thompson - Missions

 James Thompson Missions with 58 Sqn during 1940:

1.   13 Jun.  Target Ruhr. ORB says target Laon.  Whitley V N1434.   2^nd Pilot to Fg Off Russell.  2100-0445.  4 x 500 lb, 6 x 250lb.  Unable to identify target so town of Marle (15 nm NE of Laon) was bombed from 6000’.
2. 14 Jun.  Target Ruhr.  Russell / Thompson not seen in ORB.    Whitley V N1459.  2^nd Pilot to Fg Off Russell.  4 x 500 lb, 6 x 250lb.
3. 17 Jun.  Target Wedau (Ruhr).  Whitley V N1428.  2^nd Pilot to Fg Off Russell. 2120 – 0340.  4 x 500 lb, 6 x 250lb.  58 Sqn sent 5 ac to Gelsenkirchen and 4 to Wedau; one of the Gelsenkirchen ac (L1463, GE-L) did not return (2 killed, 3 x POW).  Target identified and attacked in a glide from 12000’ to 10000’; bombs seen to fall in target area.  Bomber Command sent a total of 139 ac (Wellingtons, Whitleys, Hampdens) to various targets in Germany; 2 of the 51 Whitleys failed to return.
4. 18 Jun.  Target Dusseldorf (Ruhr).  Whitley V N1428.  2^nd Pilot to Fg Off Russell.  4 x 500 lb, 6 x 250lb.  One of ten 58 Sqn ac on operations; 5 to Dusseldorf and 5 to Castrop-Rauxel; one ac failed to return.  Target bombed in a gliding attack from 15000’ to 12000’; railway sidings hit and fires started in marshalling yards and the town.  Bomber Command sent 69 ac, 38 Whitleys, 26 Wellingtons and 5 Hampdens to oil and railway targets, of which 2 Wellingtons and one Whitley were lost.
5. 20 Jun.  Target Essen (Ruhr)  Whitley V N1470.  2^nd Pilot to Fg Off Russell.  4 x 500 lb, 6 x 250lb.  Difficulty in locating target due to intense haze.  Bombed from 15000’ to 10000’ but no results seen.  One of seven 58 qn ac on the raid, one of which failed to return; this was the first ac lost on a raid over Essen, with all 5 crew members becoming PoWs.  The RAF sent 39 Whitleys and 17 Hampdens to the Rhineland; one Hampden and one Whitley lost.
6. 26 Jun.  Target Ichendorf (Ruhr).  Whitley V N1428.  2^nd Pilot to Flt Lt Russell.  2130-0420.  4 x 500 lb, 6 x 250lb.  58 Sqn sent 10 ac, 4 of which identified the target and bombed, 2 of which jettisoned their bombs.  This crew was unable to identify the target so bombed rail and canal junctions at Weert from 4000’.  Returned along the Hollandshiep estuary at 300’ but sighted no shipping.  Landed Linton.
7. 28 Jun.  Target Moorst (Logbook says Ruhr).  Whitley V N1436.  2^nd Pilot to FS Moore.  4 x 500 lb, 6 x 250lb.  Target attacked from 10000’.   One of ten 58 Sqn ac sent to the target, one of which returned early and 2 of which did not identify the target and brought their bombs home.  One ac overshot Linton and was attacked by AA at Newcastle and forced to land at Thornaby by Spitfires.
8. 1 Jul.  Target Kiel (Scharnhorst).  Whitley V N1469.  2110 – 0420.  2^nd Pilot to Flt Lt Russell.  One of five 58 Sqn ac, three of which bombed and one failed to return.  Bombed in a dive from 12000’ to 2500’; bombs seen to burst in NW corner of floating dock.
9. 11 Jul.  Target Cologne (Leverkusen, Ruhr).  Land Abingdon.  2^nd Pilot to Plt Off Rail.  4 x 500 lb, 6 x 250lb.  No mention of this crew in the 58 Sqn ORB.  Six 58 Sqn ac sent on this mission, one of which bombed the target and one of which was shot down by AAA near Antwerp with the loss of the crew.
10. 22 Jul.  Target Paderborn.  Whitley V N1466.  2030 – 0525.  2^nd Pilot to Plt Off Pike.  4 x 500 lb, 6 x 250lb.  Target could not be located, possibly due to skilled camouflage.  The crew located the road leading to the target and bombed the approximate position in a gliding attack from 12000’ to 9000’.  One small hole in starboard wing.  One of eight 58 Sqn ac sent to Bremen and Paderborn, one of which was shot down by AAA with the loss of the crew.
11. 24 Jul.  Target Hamburg (Ships Bismarck, Bremen, Europa).  Whitley V N1433.  2055 – 0440.  2^nd Pilot to Plt Off Pike.  4 x 500 lb, 6 x 250lb.  Due to poor weather over the target, ops were abandoned and bombs brought back.  One of six 58 Sqn ac, one of which bombed. 
12. 29 Jul.  Target Dusseldorf (Reizholz Oil Refinery, Ruhr).  Whitley V N1466.  2100 – 0330.  2^nd Pilot to Plt Off Pike.  4 x 500 lb, 6 x 250lb.  Unable to locate target so bombed on DR and ETA from 6000’.  Cloud, icing and Flak.
13. 4 Aug.  Target Sterkrade (Oil Plant, Ruhr).  Whitley V N1466.  2035 – 0305.  2^nd Pilot to Plt Off Pike. 4 x 500lb, 6 x 250. 2 x incendiary.  Target located by flares and bombed from 10000’ at 2357.  Bombs seen to burst in target area.  One of 11 Bomber Command ac on operations, 5 of which were from 58 Sqn.
14. 10 Aug.  Target Frankfurt (Oil Refinery).  Whitley V N1466.  2005 – 0410.  2^nd Pilot to Plt Off Pike.  2 x 500lb, 4 x 250 + incs.  Unable to locate primary or secondary targets, so bombed Hangelar aerodrome (4 nm NE of Bonn).  Diverted to Hatfield, returning to Linton at 1310 on 11 Aug.
15. 13 Aug.  Target Milan (Caproni ac factory).  Whitley V N1428.  1435 – 1240.  2^nd Pilot to Plt Off Pike.  2 x 500lb, 5 x 250lb, 3 x inc.  One of ten 58 Sqn ac, 7 of which refuelled at Harwell and continued.  Target attacked with bombs seen to burst on the works.  Returned via Harwell.  One of 35 Whitleys sent to Milan and Turin – the first attacks on Italy since the Battle of France.
16. 16 Aug.  Target Jena (Zeiss works).  Whitley V N1466.  1945 – 2245.  2^nd Pilot to Plt Off Pike.  Fired on by British AAA 2 miles E of Norwich.  Starboard and main tanks holed; RTB. 
17. 18 Aug.  Target Rheinfelden (Aluminium factory on German /Swiss border)  Whitley V N1434.  2000 – 0550.  2^nd Pilot to Plt Off Pike.  2 x 500lb, 5 x 250lb, incendiary.  One of ten 58 Sqn ac.  Bombed target from 7000’ and saw roof blown off and chimney collapsed.  Machine gunned the target from 3500’ and also dropped flares and started fires in the Black Forest 12 nm North of target. 
18. 27 Aug.  Target Milan (Margenti Magneto Works).  Whitley V N1466.  1945 – 0655.  2^nd Pilot to Plt Off Pike.  Refuelled at Abingdon and set off for target.  Icing conditions – unable to climb plus insufficient boost.  Returned with bombs and leaflets.  Diverted to Bibury then returned to Linton via Abingdon.  Logbook mentions Switzerland.   
19. 30 Aug.  Target Berlin.  Whitley V N1434.  1st Pilot; 2^nd Pilot:  Plt Off Forth.  ORB states that a Syko message was received which couldn’t be decoded so operations abandoned.  Logbook states a Fuel stoppage, forced landing at Leeming and a return to Linton with unserviceable hydraulics.
20.  2 Sep.  Target Frankfurt (Oil storage plant).  Whitley V P5089.  2050 – 0520.  1st Pilot; 2^nd Pilot:  Plt Off Forth.  2 x 500 lb, 5 x 250.  Flash Camera.  Primary and secondary targets obscured by haze and cloud so RTB initiated.  Attacked factory at Neuwied and an airfield, probably Wiesbaden.  Diverted to Honington for fuel then Linton. (Six 58 Sqn Whitleys tasked to bomb Genoa… 5 airborne from Honington, 2 ditched on return due to lack of fuel).
21. 5 Sep.  Target Regensburg (Oil Refinery).  Whitley V N1496.  2030 – 0630.  1st Pilot; 2^nd Pilot:  Plt Off Forth.  2 x 500 lb, 5 x 250, Razzle incendiary, bomb camera.  Attack made as near as possible in the absence of flares; Wurzburg aerodrome also bombed and incendiaries dropped Koblenz – Wurzburg.  Returned via Martlesham and Wyton.
22. 8 Sep.  Target Bremen.  Whitley V N1496.  2205 – 0645.  1st Pilot; 2^nd Pilot:  Plt Off Forth.  2 x 500 lb, 4 x 250.  Primary target not located; secondary – Delfziul – bombed from 8000’ with bursts observed near road & rail junctions to N or town.  Electrical storm, freezing level below 6000’; ac iced up.
23. 10 Sep.  Target Bremen (logbook quotes Hamburg).  Whitley V T4134 GE-T.  2325 - .  1^st Pilot; 2^nd Pilot: Plt Off Hadley.  Bombs dropped – shot up by flak – engine lost – forced to ditch in Baltic.  Sgt Ball wounded.

 German Forces capture Thompson's Whitley (aircrewremembered.com)

German Forces Recover Thompson's Whitley (aircrewremembered.com)