and for the crews, many were fatal. The ‘cut’ was the bête noire for the
Mosquito pilot.
F/O Le Rossignol and Sgt. Green completed their training at High Ercall
on the 16th July 1943 and were subsequently posted to 23 Squadron at Area
Head Quarters (AHQ) Luqa in Malta, arriving there from the UK on 22
August 1943.
53 For both men, after a period of training that began in June
1941, this was probably their first operational posting. Luqa was an important
base for the British, fighting from there for naval control of the
Mediterranean, for ground control of North Africa and now providing air
cover and Intruder operations for the imminent invasion of southern Italy.
23 Squadron were a seasoned outfit, based in Malta since December 1942,
but they also had an impeccable pedigree—Douglas Bader being a member
when he lost his legs in a crash in December 1931—and John Augustin and
Sgt. Green must have felt quite at home because they met up with other
members of 51 OTU viz., F/O Rapson and navigator Sgt. White who had
arrived there a few days earlier on 13 August 13. (Plate 17.9) At the time of
John Augustin’s arrival however, Luqa was in transition. The allied forces
gathering in Sicily and North Africa for the invasion of Italy caused the Axis
forces to withdraw their bombers beyond the ‘economic’ range of the
Mosquito, it was decided therefore that the Squadron operate from a forward
base in Sicily. It was impractical to move the whole Squadron and so an
advanced party of 30 ground crew were sent to Sigonella on the east side of
the island to prepare the landing ground. From 05 of September 1943,
aircraft were flown from Malta to Sigonella each evening, re-fueled, and after
operations, returning to Malta at dawn.
54
Prior to the invasion, John Augustin flew two sorties from Malta. The first
was on 30 August 30 in Mosquito FB VI HJ737, an uneventful four-hour
patrol over Taranto Bay, ‘up’ at 18.40 and ‘down’ at 22.30. The second sortie
was on 01 September now in HX814, again an uneventful patrol over
Taranto Bay but this time ‘up’ at 18.30 and ‘down’ at 22.20. On 03
September the main allied invasion force landed at Salerno near Naples in
Operation Avalanche, while two supporting operations took place in Calabria
(Operation Baytown) and Taranto (Operation Slapstick). On Sunday 05
September, the first five aircraft of 23 Squadron—including Le Rossignol and
Green in HX814—left Luqa for the new advanced base at Sigonella, arriving
at dusk and able to operate even though the weather that night was poor.
John Augustin flew an Intruder operation in the region of Monte Corvino
just north of the landing beaches. ‘Up’ from Sigonella at 20.20, the two men
flew an uneventful sortie for several hours … and then it happened.
Somewhere near Naples an engine ‘cut’.
434
D. Sheppard
Mosquito pilot.
F/O Le Rossignol and Sgt. Green completed their training at High Ercall
on the 16th July 1943 and were subsequently posted to 23 Squadron at Area
Head Quarters (AHQ) Luqa in Malta, arriving there from the UK on 22
August 1943.
53 For both men, after a period of training that began in June
1941, this was probably their first operational posting. Luqa was an important
base for the British, fighting from there for naval control of the
Mediterranean, for ground control of North Africa and now providing air
cover and Intruder operations for the imminent invasion of southern Italy.
23 Squadron were a seasoned outfit, based in Malta since December 1942,
but they also had an impeccable pedigree—Douglas Bader being a member
when he lost his legs in a crash in December 1931—and John Augustin and
Sgt. Green must have felt quite at home because they met up with other
members of 51 OTU viz., F/O Rapson and navigator Sgt. White who had
arrived there a few days earlier on 13 August 13. (Plate 17.9) At the time of
John Augustin’s arrival however, Luqa was in transition. The allied forces
gathering in Sicily and North Africa for the invasion of Italy caused the Axis
forces to withdraw their bombers beyond the ‘economic’ range of the
Mosquito, it was decided therefore that the Squadron operate from a forward
base in Sicily. It was impractical to move the whole Squadron and so an
advanced party of 30 ground crew were sent to Sigonella on the east side of
the island to prepare the landing ground. From 05 of September 1943,
aircraft were flown from Malta to Sigonella each evening, re-fueled, and after
operations, returning to Malta at dawn.
54
Prior to the invasion, John Augustin flew two sorties from Malta. The first
was on 30 August 30 in Mosquito FB VI HJ737, an uneventful four-hour
patrol over Taranto Bay, ‘up’ at 18.40 and ‘down’ at 22.30. The second sortie
was on 01 September now in HX814, again an uneventful patrol over
Taranto Bay but this time ‘up’ at 18.30 and ‘down’ at 22.20. On 03
September the main allied invasion force landed at Salerno near Naples in
Operation Avalanche, while two supporting operations took place in Calabria
(Operation Baytown) and Taranto (Operation Slapstick). On Sunday 05
September, the first five aircraft of 23 Squadron—including Le Rossignol and
Green in HX814—left Luqa for the new advanced base at Sigonella, arriving
at dusk and able to operate even though the weather that night was poor.
John Augustin flew an Intruder operation in the region of Monte Corvino
just north of the landing beaches. ‘Up’ from Sigonella at 20.20, the two men
flew an uneventful sortie for several hours … and then it happened.
Somewhere near Naples an engine ‘cut’.
434
D. Sheppard