Page 83 - Aviation News (February 2020)

(later Wing) which was part of 84 Group. The squadron spent much of 1943 at Exeter and Harrowbeer in Devon to counter ‘tip and
The wing flew intensively on operations and run’ raiders. Typhoon Ib, EJ917, was photographed at the latter airfield that September.
trained in army support control and close Via C H Thomas
support tactics directed by visual control
from forward troops.

NORMANDY
By early May, the tempo of operations
increased with V-1 flying bomb (‘Noball’) sites
continuing to be hit, as were rail and road
communications in France. Coastal radar
sites were also targeted and were usually
dive-bombed. Activity reached a climax in
the days prior to the invasion and just after
0700hrs on D-Day, June 6, 266’s Typhoons
hit pre-arranged targets near Bayeux,
Normandy, bombing from 1,500ft, hitting to devastate the armour of the German 7th Vendeville. From there it supported ground
some buildings. Armed recces were flown Army as it withdrew eastwards. Luftwaffe operations into the Netherlands, but with
later in the day, but in the evening near Caen fighters were still encountered and on the failure of the airborne operation at
Sgt E H Downe had to bale out of DN562. August 17, 266’s Typhoons destroyed or Arnhem the headlong Allied advance stalled
On the final mission by eight Typhoons, one damaged seven tanks, but were attacked for a period of time.
section attacked some armoured cars and by Fw 190s and 22-year-old Flt Sgt Wilfred
a 150mm gun while the other destroyed Love was killed. In return, two ’190s were SPECIAL OPERATIONS
three troop carriers. In all, 266 flew 24 sorties damaged. By the 18th, the Germans were The wing then became heavily involved in
through the momentous day. nearly encircled – only a small gap remained attacks on bypassed garrisons around the
On June 7, the squadron’s Typhoons around Chambois and the enemy troops Scheldt Estuary and on Walcheren Island
destroyed a lot of enemy transport, even were relentlessly harried, especially after the in Belgium. At the beginning of October
though they usually faced deadly light flak last permanent bridge over the Seine had it moved to B 70 Antwerp-Deurne where
“The pace of operations quickened in the first months of 1944 with escorts and anti-shipping attacks being made over France.”

that claimed several aircraft over the next been destroyed by 146 Wing. By July 25, soon afterwards the now-Sqn Ldr Johnny
few days. Nonetheless, the squadron flew little was left in the Falaise pocket and those Deall became OC. From its new base,
intensively to hinder enemy movement; one elements that had escaped were constantly 266 continued its interdiction campaign,
notable operation was on June 20 when a attacked as the Allied armies broke out and particularly V-1 and V-2 launch sites
railway tunnel east of Caen was bombed rapidly advanced deep through France and and supply areas. However, losses were
by the wing, sealing a train inside. Another into Belgium. not light. On October 25, the squadron
was on the 27th when, in concert with 2 The squadron was involved in a tragic participated in a special operation against
Gp Mitchells, 146 Wing Typhoons bombed incident on August 27, when an attack was the 15th Army HQ at Dordrecht in the
an infantry division HQ near Saint-Lô, ordered on a force of minesweepers – in the Netherlands. Led by Gp Capt Denys Gillam,
Normandy, killing the commanding general devastating rocket strike all four were hit and the attack killed many of the staff. This
and many of his staff. two sunk with heavy loss of life. Tragically, was followed by the Canadian assault on
Two days later, 266 moved to despite assurances to the contrary, they Walcheren Island, heavily supported by the
Eastchurch in Kent to train with the were British. A week after this tragedy, 266 84 Group squadrons, its capture allowing
highly effective rocket projectile (R/P) and Sqn moved forward to B 23 Morainville, full use of the port of Antwerp. Then, on
during the course Sqn Ldr J D ‘Barney’ then Manston, for attacks on French coastal November 26, 266 Sqn participated in
Wright assumed command. On July 18, areas before another move to B 51 Lille- another ‘special’, against the Gestapo HQ
he led the squadron to Hurn, Dorset, to
temporarily join 136 Wing. Interdiction of
enemy troops and transport in Normandy,
generally under Visual Control Post (VCP)
control, and attacks on ‘Noball’ sites were
then flown daily, often in the face of stiff
opposition. On the 19th, 266’s Typhoons
flying an armed recce to the Lisieux area
were bounced by more than 25 Bf 109s
of 1/JG5 resulting in three Typhoons shot
down and the pilots killed. In return, Plt Off
Ian Forrester claimed a Bf 109 of 1/JG5 that
was to be 266’s final air combat victory;
sadly, he was killed soon afterwards.
The day after this action came a move
to Normandy, initially to the airstrip B 3 St
Croix sur Mer, though within a few days it
moved to B 8 Sommervieu, thus beginning
a nomadic existence for the rest of the war.
Conditions were primitive and dust caused
many problems with the Sabre engines.
Nonetheless, 266 was soon into action with Typhoon Ib, MN258/ZH-Q, provides a backdrop for Flt Lt Johnny Deall at Harrowbeer in March
the 2 TAF Typhoon squadrons proceeding 1944. J H Deall via C H Thomas

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