Aprés moi, le déluge
I have very little information on this raid.
http://monsite.wanadoo.fr/st-leu/
My website about the base "LEOPOLD".
Most has come from Steve Darlows book "Sledgehammers for tintacks" page 102.
17 Lancasters, 1 mosquito and 1 mustang bombed the site with their Tallboys. This was carried out by 617 Squadron Only 11 Lanc's dropped their load.
"Operations record book states"
Extensive flying training programme carried out. Seventeen Lancaster, one Mosquito and one Mustang aircraft were detailed for operations. All took off safely. The target was an Area Dump at Creil, near Paris. The operation was successful, and all aircraft returned safely. The weather at base was cloudy with continuous rain. (This raid was to a V1 parts store situated in a series of chalk caves and which was to be followed up by the main force.)
One Mustang, one Mosquito and seventeen Lancasters were detailed to take part in an attack on the Flying Bomb Storage Dumps in the Creil Area. The Squadron was to have its own aiming point which was to be marked with red spot fires by the Squadron Commander flying the Mustang. It was hoped that the 12,000 lb bombs carried by the Squadron would cause the roof of the cave, in which the flying bombs were stored, to collapse.
Both the P.F.F. area markers and the flares were accurate. The Squadron Commander dropped his red spot fires and although he did not see them other aircraft reported that they were accurate. The marking for the Main Force spread over some 600-700 yards.
During the course of the attack there was a direct hit on the red spots and may have extinguished them or they may have become obscured by the spread of the Main Force marking. In any case they were not seen again.
Eight of the Lancasters bombed on the red spots, three judging their aiming point from the position of the Main Force Markers and the remaining Lancaster, unable to pick out the aiming point, brought their bombs back to Base.
Mustang III Pilot: W/C G.L Cheshire
Target indicators 2 x Red
Mosquito VI NT205 (L)
F/L G.A. FAWLE Pilot.
F.O T.A. BENNETT Nav. B.
Lancaster LM485
F/L D.J.B. WILSON Pilot.
F/S CHERRINGTON A. F/Eng.
AUS. F/O J.K. STOTT Nav.
CAN. F/O E.W. FINLAY A/B
AUS W/O JORDON A.J. W/Op.
F/S GRIFFITHS L.D. MU/Gunner.
F/S VAUGHAN M.D. R/Gunner.
Lancaster I ME557 (S) (this lanc was lost on a raid to Rilly La Montagne another V1 dump)
F/L C.J.G. HOWARD, Sgt. HAWKINS A.W, F/O C.A. MACDONALD,
F/S HARTLEY L, F/S LUCAN C, W/O WOODS J, F/S CLARKE J.
http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=2726
Lancaster I. ME559 (Y)
F/O G.S. STOUT, P/O J.R. GURNEY, F/O P. INGLEBY, CAN.
F/O W.A RUPERT, F/S NUTTALL A, F/O H.W. CORNISH-UNDERWOOD
W/O SMITH R.
http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=3748
Lancaster I DV391 (O)
F/L A.F. POORE, F/S JOHNSON J, F/O R.A. ROBERTS, F/O R.J. ELSEY
F/S THOMPSON J.T, F/S TOOKEY W., F/S CASTLEMAN R.
Lancaster I ME560 (H)
P/O I.S. ROSS AUS, Sgt. WALTER W, F/O T. O’BRIEN, F/S TILBY E.G.
F/S JENKINSON K.,Sgt. KING C.T., P/O MCKELLAR A.F.
Lancaster I ME561 (R)
LT. KNILANS H.C. USA., P/O K.J.RYALL, CAN. P/O L.H.GELLER,
F/O C.G. ROGERS, F/O C.L.KNELL, CAN. Sgt. MCNALLY A.F.
AUS. P/O R.A. LEARMONTH
http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=3740
Lancaster I ME555 (C)
F/O W.A. DUFFY CAN, Sgt. BENTING A.W., CAN. F/O A.BELL,
CAN. F/O R.E.WOODS, CAN. F/O D.R.PEARCE, CAN. W/O PORTER K.R.
CAN. P/O W.G.EVANS
Lancaster I DV385 (A)
P/O J.A.SANDERS, Sgt. NUTLEY T.H., F/S BARRON J.B.,
CAN. W/O ALLEN H.G., Sgt. WARD A., Sgt. MACHIN R., Sgt. BRIARS R.A.
Lancaster III ED763 (D)
P/O F.H.A.WATTS, Sgt. LUCK H., F/S HOUSDEN C.H., F/S MCKAY M.L.
Sgt. COOPER D., P/O R.HEGGIE, Sgt. MATTHEWS G.
Lancaster I DV393 (T)
F/O E.WILLSHER, Sgt. HURDISS J., F/O T.H.J.PLAYFORD, P/O R.C.EVERETT
P/O F.W.BELL, F/S SALTER A.,
Lancaster III EE131 (B)
F/L J.E.R.WILLIAMS, Sgt. SOILLEUX J., F/O A.J.TALBOT, F/O A.B.WALKER
F/S POTTER.A.E., F/S BLAGDON A., F/S MCLEAN T.J.
http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=3739
Lancaster III JB139 (V)
F/O W.R. LEE. AUS, Sgt. MASON W., F/S MCKIE A.M., F/S HOYLAND G.
F/S RICHARDS F., Sgt. THOMAS D.G., F/S HUNNISETTE R.W.
http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=1979
Lancaster I DV402 (P)
F/O A.E.KELL. AUS., P/O G.W.CLARK, AUS. F/O J.L.HAGER
AUS. F/O R.MORIESON, AUS. F/O A.L.EVANS, AUS. P/O A.W.SNELL
AUS. P/O K.S.JEWELL
Lancaster I ME562 (Z)
F/L H.J.PRYOR, P/O R.J.A.TELFER, CAN. F/O R.L.PINDER
CAN. F/O C.P.PESME, F/S HEPWORTH A., F/S COLYER A.J.
P/O A.J.PATTERSON
Lancaster III LM489 (L)
P/O J.GINGLES, Sgt. GALLAGHER A., F/O G.G.BEALE, F/S HAZELL L
W/O RILEY J, F/L R.F.SCOTT-KIDDIE, AUS. F/O E.T.HALL
Lancaster III LM482 (W)
S/L J.L.MUNRO NZ., F/L F.G.RUMBLES, AUS. F/L C.K.ASTBURY
F/O A.J.WARD, F/L A.R.POOLE, CAN. F/O H.A.WEEKS
http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=3738
Lancaster III LM492 (Q)
S/L MCCARTHY USA, F/O W.G.RADCLIFFE, CAN. F/O D.A.MCLEAN
CAN. F/O W.A.DANIEL, W/O EATON L, W/O BATSON R.
CAN. F/L D.RODGER
Possible Tallboy damage
By Graham TAYLOR
Thanks to 617 Squadron, Steve Darlow, IWM, Volker Peltz, David Irving, Theo, fifi, M.Mavre, P.Mercier, Notes by Air Commodore C.N.H Bilney, Hitlers rocket sites by Philip Henshall