148 Sqn Halifax

[Peter Kassak]

Hi
I am looking for any info on Halifax BS-F BB338 of 148 Sqn RAf who flew dropp mission on September 18, 1944 with P/O Carpenter.
Also any info on this flight and crew? pilot Carpenter, nav Stabley...??

Thansk

[Michal]

According to article by Juraj Rajninec: Dalšia letecká zahraničná účasťz v SNP, Letectví a kosmonautika No. 21, 1984, page 827 had plane code BS-M and were piloted by P/O R. W. Carpenter and navigator was F/O Stubley. Halifax B.Mk. II took off from Brindisi Airport, Italy on 19.40 hours, Oct 18 1944. He reached Central Slovakia on midnight Sept 18/19 1944. Crew dropped in area of Tri Duby SOE Group (Maj H. M. Seymour, Lt A. Daniels, Sgt V. S. Zenopian (Royal Artillery) and radiooperator Corporal O. T. Davies (Royal Signal Corps) and 20 containers with radio and medical material. Weight of dropped cargo (including soldiers) were 1680 kilograms. On the way back they dropped 150 kolograms of pamphlets over Hungarian town Szentes. Plane safetely landed at Brindisi at 3,37 hours morning.

RAF helped to Slovakian Uprising only two times. On Oct 16 1944 took off from Hunsdon Airbase, UK, two Mosquitos FB Mk. VI, belonging to 418th Squadron RCAF (pilot F/Lt H. R. Cotteril, navigator F/O C. G. Finnlayson and pilot F/Lt Stuart N. May, navigator F/O Jack D. Ritch. They interlanded at St. Dizier, France, and attacking Piešťany Airbase at 7.50 hours on Oct 17 1944. Plane of F/Lt May was hit by 20 mm Flak and crashlanded on left bank of river Váh, nearby village of Brunovce. Crew were unhurt and later with jelp of partisans were liberated by advancing troops of Rumanian Army (probably at December 1944). It seems that attack on Piešťany Airbase were not succesfull.

Does somebody have any Luftwaffe losses on Oct 17 1944, Piešťany? And does somebody have code and serials of two Mossies?

[Peter Kassak]

HI Michal...

Of course I know work of Mr. Rajninec...but I am trying to get more info, and photos of this pilot, crew, plane...that is why I am looking for any contact to someone whoo may be of help or has knowledge about 148 Sqn RAF.
But as my personal experience, Mr. R was not always right...so I am trying to confirm this info...just off discussion, two names of agents as mentioned are only "alias" names...their trues names were different as official SOE papers reveals...

About Mosquito, nice book from pen of Mr. Bohus Ferianec has been published. Do you know it?

I do not think that attack on Piestany a/f was any succesfull...did not find any data so far...

if you are interested in air war over slovakia navigate to:
http://[URL="http://www.kaso.ahoj.sk/the_15th_usaaf"]www.kaso.ahoj.sk/the_15th_usaaf[/url]

regards

[Michal]

Ahoj,

I am interested more about Air War over Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. Slovakia is only on edge of my interest although I have collected some infos (for example about ARR over Slovakia in April and May 1945 or about ZG 76 in 1944, which was based for some times at Prague Airfields and had several clashes with 15 AF over Slovakia).

Information about Mr. Rajninec is interesting. Bit correcting my view on matter.

Maj se

Michal

[Peter Kassak]

Michal please contact me off board...we probably ahve more to exchange or discuss
pkassak AT gmail.com