Last updated on
10 June, 2009
|
| Reference | AIR20/8498 AIR20/8497 |
||
| Name of operation | MANNINGTREE (combined with GAGS, PROPS) |
Date of operation | 15-16 Jul 1943 |
| Aircraft | Halifax "X" | Squadron | 161 Squadron, RAF |
| Based at | RAF Tempsford, Bedfordshire, UK | Crew | S/L Ratcliff
- captain, S/L Livry - navigator Sgt Hathaway - ?, F/Sgt Hall - w/operator F/L Corner - engineer, Sgt Morley - rear gunner Sgt Ritchie - despatcher, Sgt Allum - despatcher(?) |
| Personnel carried | 2 | Leaflets | as GAGS |
| Packages | 1 | Pigeons | as GAGS |
| Pinpoint | Belgium 49º 46' 30" N / 05 º 24' 50" E |
||
| Takeoff | 23:00 | ||
| Over target area from | 01:36 | until | 01:40 |
| Landing | 04:20 | ||
| Time dropped | 01:40 | Height above ground | 600' |
| Course | 250° | I.A.S. | 120 mph |
| How was pinpoint identified? | By ground detail |
| Estimated dropping points | North of road running East from Suxy |
| Reception arrangement | Blind Drop |
| Description of Target Pinpoint | Not
good owing to ground(?) being unsuitable, owing to high cliffs in area. |
| Recommended for future use | No |
| Routes | Beachy
Head 2347 hours - 5000' Pt Haut Banc (??) 0006 hours - 4000' Guise – Revin GAGS – PROPS – MANNINGTREE Revin – Guise Pt Haut Banc 0247 hours - 0000' Beachy Head 0309 hours - 2500' Reading – Base |
| Report by Despatcher: | Jumped
OK |
| Enemy opposition | Bopaume 0232 hours - 400' saw unidentified a/c behind us which disappeared. |
| Meteorological conditions | Clear over France and Belgium |
Note: this information was copied from original reports AIR20/8497 and AIR20/8498 held in the UK National Archives.