Beauce
The 6 Group Halifaxes were ordered to carry "9 x 500 [lb.] MC or GP" bombs to Stuttgart on July 25th. "2 bombs fuzed LD 12-144 hours" "Remainder to be fuzed TD.025 secs".
LD is Long Delay, TD is Time Delay, MC is Medium Capacity & GP is General Purpose
Cheers
Dave Wallace

Hello Dave,

 many thanks for your answer.

 I try to explain my problem. I want to find a document where it's writing "  two  bombs  TD".Where had you find this information,please?

I look at on the" RCAF operations records books" but I d'nt  read these informations.

This Halifax fall down near my village,4 young men killed by a bomb during the day of 26 July 1944  (several hours after crash). Have  or have not a TD bomb in the Halifax of the Wing Commander Mc Donald?

That is the question.

 Many thanks.

 Best regards .Beauce 44

 

Hi Beauce - those details are specified in the 6 Group orders to attack this target, known as a "Form B". I have attached the relevant page. The target code for Stuttgart is BARBEL. I also looked at the bomb loads for the other Groups and they all carried Long Delay bombs. The later waves in the attack did carry incendiaries. Every 6 Group Halifax was ordered to carry two 500 lb. bombs that were set with long delays - 12 to 144 hours

-- Edited by dawallace on Thursday 26th of January 2017 05:11:05 PM

I don't know if he wrote any memoirs but his story is very interesting. It indicates that he warned the French locals about the delayed bombs and the danger they posed.

 MacDONALD, W/C John Kennedy Francis (C890) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.6 Group (now No.432 Squadron) - Award effective 19 January 1945 as per London Gazette of that date and AFRO 471/45 dated 16 March 1945. Born 5 January 1917 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia; home there. An engineering student when he enlisted and was commissioned in Halifax, 7 November 1938. Trained at Trenton and Camp Borden, 1938-1939. To No.10 (BR) Squadron, November 1939 (Canteen Officer). On course at Trenton, February to May 1940. With No.8 (BR) Squadron, May 1940 to December 1942 holding down such diverse tasks as Flight Training Officer, Photo Officer, and detachment commander. During this time he rose from Flying Officer to Squadron Leader. To No.149 (TB) Squadron, December 1942. To Halifax, May 1943, reporting in UK, June 1943. Further trained at No.18 (P) AFU (Oxfords, 1 October 1943 to 1 January 1944), No.23 OTU (Wellingtons, 1 January to 28 February 1944), although his MI.9 report says No.22 OTU, Pershore. With No.1659 HCU (Halifaxes, 28 February to 29 April 1944). Reported to No.432 Squadron, April 1944 to become familiarized with bomber operations, commencing operations on 29 April 1944. To No.432 Squadron as Wing Commander and CO, 30 May 1944. Shot down by night fighter, 26/27 July 1944, evaded, regaining Allied lines on 14 August 1944; returned to UK, 20 August 1944. To No.6 Group Headquarters, September 1944. Although entitled to leave in Canada, he declined this for early return to operations. There being nothing in his escape that prevented this, he was returned to No.432 Squadron, October 1944, continuing on operations until February 1945 when he was appointed Base Operations Officer, No.63 Base, and subsequently CO Station Middleton St.George. To Canada, July 1945. DFC presented 2 November 1946. Remained in postwar RCAF; reverting from Group Captain to Wing Commander. At No.2 Air Command, Winnipeg, November 1945 to March 1947. Attended RCAF Staff College. In September 1947 he was posted to North West Air Command Headquarters, Edmonton (Staff Officer Personnel Administration). To Station Sea Island, May 1949. To NWAC as Staff Officer Selection and Manning, July 1949. To Air Transport Command Headquarters, Rockcliffe, July 1950; to Station Lachine as CO, March 1951; to No.426 Squadron as CO, March 1951 to August 1952. Promoted to Group Captain; to No.1 Air Division, August 1952; to AFHQ (Director Air Plans and Programmes), December 1952 to February 1956 when he was took refresher flying training at Station Chatham. To No.3 (F) Wing, Zweibrucken, April 1956 to July 1960. AFHQ (Director of Air Policy), July 1960 to September 1963. Attended National Defence College, Kingston. To AFHQ (Director, Senior Appointments, Air Force), July 1964 to July 1965. Promoted to Air Commodore and assigned supervisory duties over training. To Training Command Headquarters, Winnipeg, January 1966 (Chief of Staff Support Services); to Maritime Command Headquarters, January 1967 (Commander, Maritime Operation Test and Evaluation Unit); Commenced released proceedings, May 1969; honourably released, 5 January 1970. Died in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, 14 January 1986 as per Airforce Magazine of July-August-September 1986. Awarded Queen\'s Coronation Medal, 6 November 1953. RCAF photo PL-42511 (ex UK-19620 dated 16 March 1945) is captioned as follows: ?Discussing the last RCAF Bomber Group attack on Cologne before the fall of that city are, left to right, W/C Lawrence MacKinnon, DSO, DFC, Ponoka, Alberta, G/C J.K. MacDonald, DFC, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and Major John Nicholson, London England. MacDonald commands the station from which the Moose and Ghost squadrons fly, while MacKinnon is in charge of operations on the same base. Nicholson, a British army officer though he sports an air gunner badge, and has flown on 13 sorties, is the flak expert of the group. The three have been interviewing fliers at interrogation.? No citation other than that in air operations he had \"displayed outstanding bravery, fortitude and devotion to duty, setting an example of a high order.\" DHist file 181.009 D.1513 (RG.24 Vol.20600) has recommendation for immediate award dated 19 November 1944 when he had flown 22 sorties (98 hours 55 minutes). On the night of 25/26 of July 1944, while flying on a bombing mission to Stuttgart, Wing Commander MacDonald and crew were attacked by an enemy fighter over France. Their aircraft was set on fire and the flying controls were so badly damaged that the aircraft was almost unmanageable. Wing Commander MacDonald, by superb pilotage, and despite intense heat from the fire, managed to keep the aircraft on an even keel before his crew took to their parachutes. Before this operation, Wing Commander MacDonald has flown many sorties against some of the enemy\'s most heavily defended targets. He has led his squadron in an exemplary manner and has won, by his inspiring leadership, the confidence and great respect of all personnel associated with him. After skilfully evading the enemy in France, he returned to this country. Waiving aside home leave, he elected to continue with his tour immediately. He is now once again commanding his old squadron and, as its commander, is an inspiring example and the personification of leadership and spirit. NOTE: Public Record Officer WO 208/3349 has his MI.9 evasion report derived from interview of 20 August 1944. The crew were listed as P/O H. Chamberlain (engineer, baled out), F/L R. Kemley (navigator, baled out), F/O M. Grimsey (bomb aimer, baled out), F/O W. Calderwood (radio operator, baled out), Flight Sergeant B. Justavson (mid-upper gunner, baled out), and F/O Wright (tail gunner, bale out, killed on landing). Under various headings he reported that he had departed Eastmoor at 2115 hours, 25 July 1944. He came down at Juvrainville at 0030 hours. He disposed of his parachute, harness and Mae West by hiding them in a cornfield. Secret documents and equipment were burned in the aircraft. I was the pilot of a Halifax aircraft detailed to bomb Stuttgart on the night of 25/26 July 1944. We were routed over the East side of the Normandy bridgehead. When on track approximately ten miles northwest of Chateaudun we were attacked by a Junkers 88 without tracer bullets. The attack came from behind and level 10 degrees to port. The visibility was good. The enemy aircraft scored hits on both port engines and bomb bay. Both engines stopped and I believe one engine was knocked out of its mounting. The aircraft then became uncontrollable and a fire started in the rest position. I gave the order to abandon aircraft on the intercom approximately a minute after we were hit. I heard the Rear Gunner say ?Rear Gunner going?, then my plug pulled out and I was unable to replace it. The rest of the forward crew took the necessary action. I was the fourth to leave the aircraft through the front hatch, the Flight Engineer having gone back to leave the aircraft from the rear exit. I left the aircraft successfully at approximately 7,500 feet and saw six other parachutes on my down. I followed my burning aircraft to the ground. It appeared to explode shortly before actually striking the ground. I landed on a ploughed field and severely strained my back. Owing to this injury I was unable to move and lay there for about three hours. As it was getting light I managed to crawl towards a cornfield where I dragged my parachute and Mae West, hiding them in the corner. I lay there until about midday and then succeeded in standing up. A farmer was working nearby and I approached him and disclosed myself. He pointed out a wood about one and one-half miles away and told me to hide myself in it. This I did. At about 1800 hours he turned up with another Frenchman. They brought food and drink and told me to remain where I was until after dark when one of them would return to fetch me. At 2300 hours the second Welshman returned with a cart and took me to his farm which was about three miles west of Villamblain. Here I slept until 0330 hours when the farmer and myself left by bicycle for the village of Villamblain, my back was now easier. I was taken to a merchant?s house who fed me. From this point my journey was arranged for me. This was supplemented by another report based on an interview of 19 August 1944 and actually written up on 8 October 1944. The merchant where I was taken on 27 July at Villamblain was about 33 years old, five feet eight inches in height and fair. I do not know his name but his shop was a small general store. He took me to a miller at about 0800 hours who lived just across the street from the church. He was about 45 years old, five feet eight inches in height, ruddy complexion, married with two daughters aged approximately 13 and 17. I do not know his name. He immediately gave me civilian clothes and fed me. About an hour later my mid-upper gunner, Flight Sergant Justavson, arrived. He was quite fit. At about 1100 hours a lad of about 20 arrived with instructions for Justavson and myself to accompany him on bicycles to Orgeres. We were taken to the home of M. and Mme. De Laubert, where I found Flying Officer Calderwood, my wireless operator, who had arrived the previous day. On our arrival at the De Laubert?s I met Jean Bapiste Lecourier, who I gathered was chief of the local Resistance. About one hour later he took Justavson and myself to the house of Mme. Clare Malaure. These people were butchers and her brother Edouard Pinsard was running the business. We stayed in this house for about 11 days. Whilst here I was told that arrangements were being made by M. Picourt in Chartres, a chemist who was an ex-French army officer, 44 years old. He told me he belonged to the French Intelligence and since 1940 had been instructed in passing information of value to Allied Intelligence by means of radio. It appears that he is now wanted by the Gestapo. On 9 August he stated he was leaving to take an active part in the organisation of the Maquis in Chartres area. I also gathered from him that the Maquis were very active in sabotaging German troop movements, lines of communication and ammunition dumps in the Chartres area. He was arranging to take us to Paris from where we were to be taken to England by air. The contact in Paris was a Belgian by nationality and was alive on 9 August. On 2 August another airman was brought in by a gendarme from Orleans. His name was Sergeant Balfour, A., a flight engineer from a Lancaster aircraft shot down on route to Stuttgart on 24/25 July. On the 11th day M. Picourt arrived and told us that the contact through Paris had not materialised. He prepared now to take us near the lines as possible towards Mortagne which he understood was in American hands. We moved to Chartres on bicycles, Calderwood and myself went ahead with Francois De Laubert (son) as guides, followed by Justavson, Balfour and Picourt starting half an hour later. Reaching a point three miles south of Chartres, we waited for Picourt. When he arrived he took us on to Chartres and Laubert returned to Orgeres. On the outskirts of Chartres we met M. Picourt?s wife and two sons. The elder then took us to a house two miles west of Chartres where we stayed the night. Next morning we were joined by Justavson and Balfour and then M. Picourt arrived at 1100 hours. That afternoon Calderwood and myself, together with an ex-air force officer whose name I do not know, left for Courville-sur-Eure followed an hour later by Picourt, Justavson and Balfour. We rendezvoused immediately west of Courville and the French air force officer returned to Chartres. Picourt returned to Courville and after being away an hour he picked us up where we had waited by the road, bringing with him a M. Chateau, an ex-French army officer who had the Croix de Guerre. We then moved in the acknowledged method (i.e. separated in groups) to the village of Bille Blon. Here we were taken to the house of M. Chateau where we stayed until picked up by an American reconnaissance patrol on the evening of 14 August. They moved us to Le Mans and up north to St. James approximately 20 kilometres south of Auranches [Avranches ?]. Nowhere could we find any information as to where we should report. From St. James, which was a fighter air strip, the operations officer on the advice of his intelligence officer sent us to Rennes (A.22 Air Strip). Calderwood succeeded in getting on to an aircraft at A.22 and so on to the UK presumably. I spent two nights at Rennes making enquiries as to where to report. I imagined the interrogation centre would be in London and I was looking for transport to get me there. Eventually I was taken to T.2 airfield northeast of Bayeux where we were directed to IS.9 (WEA) after having spent four days searching for it. A further report based on ?Loss of Bomber Aircraft? questionnaire lists the crew - W/C J.K.F. MacDonald, F/L H.J.S. Kenley (navigator), F/O W. Calderwood (WOP), P/O O.H. Chamberlain (flight engineer), F/O N.F.C Grimsley or Gumsby, RCAF (bomb aimer), Flight Sergeant B.R. Justason, RCAF (mid-upper gunner, killed ) and F/O S.P Wright (rear gunner, killed). The aircraft was Halifax NP687 (QO-A). This had a brief narrative: All the informants made satisfactory descents and landed in fields near the village of Villainblanc and Jouvraunville, about 10-12 miles southeast of Chateaudun. Six of the nine 500-pound bombs including two long delay bombs carried did not go off in the crash. The pilot warned the French of the danger of these but they disregarded his advice and when the long delay bombs eventually went off six persons were killed.

 

 

 

 

-- Edited by dawallace on Friday 27th of January 2017 04:47:10 PM