Hi John,

10/11 April 1944: Rear gunner was Sergeant I.D. Han*****. Aircraft was W/77 (LL126), target Tergnier. Special equipment (Aural Monica) not used. Time was 0013, height 11,000 feet, heading 298 Magnetic; position 49.46 North 01.37 East. Visibility was good above, poor below, full moon. Three fighter flares seen astern, five minutes before attack. First visual was by pilot, at 500 yards, port bow down. Enemy aircraft carried a light in the nose. Aircraft took evasive action during attack, losing 1,000 feet. Flight engineer and mid-upper gunner kept watch while rear gunner (Han*****) fired about 112 rounds.

The pilot first saw the enemy aircraft on the port bow below at approximately 1,500 feet flying on a reciprocal course, but before he could state the exact position the Halifax was subjected to heavy flak, immediate combat maneouvres being taken.

The Rear Gunner then saw enemy aircraft on port beam, range approximately 700 feet, slightly below. He instructed the pilot to prepare to turn port and as he gave these instructions the enemy aircraft turned into attack from the port quarter, range 400 yards. As the enemy aircraft turned it opened fire, the Rear Gunner returning the fire immediately with a long burst.

The enemy aircraft was seen to blow up in mid-air at approximately 200 yards.

The Mid-Upper Gunner [Brooks] meanwhile was not able to bring his guns to bear owing to the obstruction of the tail plane, but he saw the enemy aircraft explode and fall in flames and burn on the ground.

The Air Bomber who was lying in the nose confirms the destruction of the enemy aircraft which he saw on fire and burning on the ground.

At the time of the attack there was no searchlight activity but roughly five minutes before the attack, three fighter flares were dropped dead astern.

Source:-

http://airforce.ca/awards.php?search=1&keyword=&page=85&mem=&type=rcaf

The online N/A combat reports have an entry for 10th April 1944.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7758918&queryType=1&resultcount=5

Mike H