OCTOBER 8, 1943
JAPANESE AIR RAID AT 2100 HOURS
BACK
PHOTOS AND EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS.
Leslie Braund - Equipment Officer.
October 8, arrived back from Milne Bay at 0800 hours and met Flying Officer Jenkins, the Squadron’s new Equipment Officer (my replacement). Air raid, seven bombs dropped on strip at 2100 hours. We had 100% serviceability today. Thomson and Maguire promoted to squadron leader rank.
George Dusting - Fitter IIE.
October 8, terrific explosion down at the strip. They say a Beaufort blew up. Rumour that OTU from Wagga is taking over here and we will take their place down there. Alert just gone. Couple of Jap planes dropped a lot of daisy cutters in the dispersal area, the first one starting a large fire. We think it is down near Servicing Flight’s area. We had a marvellous view. Our radio gets on to the RDF exchanging messages with the fighters. Interesting to hear the fighters asking for the position of the enemy aircraft the bandits. We could follow the progress of the fight without seeing them. Now 2300 and the fire is still burning. Hope it’s not one of ours.
Laurie Crouch - Fitter/Armourer.
October 8, Fosso and I changed front tyre of Jeep and then went into production on watchbands; turned out five before lunch and one after. Got rid of one to Bob Mills; had a haircut hope it might be my going-home one, but not much chance of that. Trev went on stooge flight with George Drury in A19-134 to Kiriwina, Woodlark and Milne Bay. Parcel No 18 arrived, also some papers. Cake in good order. Worked on course at night. Our tent must be a popular resort judging by the large number of visitors we get each evening. An Alert at 2100; about 2 Japs over and 10 bombs dropped in dispersal area; started a fire which burnt a petrol tanker; a Beaufort riddled by a Daisy Cutter shrapnel. Raid No 34 since we landed in Moresby.
Don Kirkwood - Navigator.
October 8, Friday, rained heavily during the afternoon. Air raid tonight. One tanker hit by first bomb, bursting into flame immediately. Nil interception by night fighters.