Transcript - Operation Pistol - Dropping

Escape to Honour
By Larry Harris & Brian Taylor

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All parties left Keevil aerodrome by Stirling on the night 15/16th September. A, B and C parties dropped. D party returned because fog prevented recognition of the D.Z. Five more attempts, of which three became airborne were made to drop D. but all were unsuccessful.

Dropping.

Party A : Planned D.Z. Q 288485 : Actual D.Z. Q 284485, Q 299471 : Error 1 mile : Height in feet 500 : Comments 1 torch flashing seen by A/C. Stick broke in two. Enemy on D.Z.

Party B : Planned D.Z. Q 650445 : Actual D.Z. Q 7233 : Error 7 miles : Height in feet 800 : Comments Dropped at Stick Comdr's discretion through cloud. Stick broke in prearranged halves.

Party C : Planned D.Z. Q 595235 : Actual D.Z. Q 415418 : Error 15 miles : Height in feet 800 : Comments Panniers not dropped by A/C as arranged to ground signals. Stick very scattered.

Party D : Planned D.Z. V 695320 : Actual D.Z. - : Error - : Height in feet - : Comments Between 12th and 17th Sept 5 attempts were made to mount this operation. Unfavourable weather reports only permitted 3 flights, and these were unsuccessful as ground fog and cloud conditions made it impossible to recognise the D.Z., especially as the A/C were flying sufficiently high to negotiate the summits of the Vosges Range.
 
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