Operation Physician

[jcowie]

Hi All

On 13/14 May 1943 Halifax BB328 - NF-U of 138 Squadron (Templeford) crashed at Pont- Audemer in France all six of the crew were killed (normal crew 7)

The official squadron reports state:-

Operation PHYSICIAN 10/Roach 6, France"

Can anyone enlighten me as to what Operation PHYSICIAN might be?

Thanks

John

[FrankieS]

Hi John !
It was a mission supporting a Resistance network:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Suttill

Roy Tebbutt of the Carpetbagger Aviation Museum, Harrington, UK also states other operational codes for that mission:
"Airborne 2235 12May43 from
Tempsford on OPERATION ROACH
10/ LIME 16/ and DONKEYMAN 1,
setting course for France.
Homebound, and without being able
to complete LIME 16, was hit by light
Flak and crash-landed in open country
W of Troyes (Aube), France"

[jcowie]

Thanks Frankie

Very much appreciated - I would not have been able to find this information on my own.

Regards

John

[sit72300]

From Freddie Clark's Agents By Moonlight:-

"Ten sorties took off from Tempsford for France on the 13/14th 138 Squadron completing six of them, had the misfortune of losing another crew. F/O Noble, flying Halifax BB328 on operation PHYSICIAN 10 & ROACH 6, his aircraft crashing at Pont-Audemer (30km SE of le Havre). Sadly there were no survivors. His was a cargo flight and his objective was to drop ten containers onto PHYSICIAN 10 and five onto ROACH 6."

The crew were:
F/O T Noble
Sgt J Woods
Sgt D F West
Sgt K Hubbard
Sgt D A Ball
Sgt J P Keating RCAF

[jcowie]

Thanks for additional information

Regards

John