Special Liberator Flight - NZ special ops in B-24's

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Errol. Interesting stuff.

[gehel84]

Jan 7, 2017 13:34:38 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

I find the work of No. 267 Squadron's SOE Dakotas and X-Flight's Liberators totally fascinating, and especially so because there were so many RNZAF members that were their key men.

Does anyone know if the X Flight Liberators were modified in any way to achieve the missions they were flying? 13 to 15 hours sounds like they must have been lightened and fitted with long range tanks? I think the normal bomber version had a duration of only 9 to 10 hours, didn't it?

I wonder what model/s of B-24 they flew?

Best wishes for 2021

Hello I am a French historian and I work today on the special operations of the SOE in the south-east of France between 1943-1944. During the night of August 10 to 11, 1944, an exceptional operation (Nuptial) was carried out by an aircraft of No. 267Sqn piloted by F / O .B.E.T ROSTRON.

His Dakota landed on the (LZ) Spitfire field, in the Vaucluse department. Men and equipment were disembarked and the plane was able to leave with 22 passengers. I know from the British archives that a photograph was taken on arrival at Borgo airfield in Corsica. Would anyone have had information or the ability to educate me and direct me to useful sources.

I'm also looking for a photograph of the Rostron crew.

Thank you

MP.

[chinapilot]

You may already have this but it’s taken from the PDF ‘History of WWII Infiltrations in France’.
This was on the net but appears to have been removed and the last update I have is 2016.

Correction - it is back on the net and updated in 2020.

RAF 267 Sqn - Dakota (F/Lt B Rostron) - Mission Massingham - via Corsica Reception Pierre-Camille Rayon aka Archiduc – 21 passengers + F/Lt Mc Cairns: René Obadia aka Pioche John Goldsmith aka Valentin, 13 USAAF airmen + X left to pour Bari (Italy) 8 USAF did not embark plane overloaded.

13 passengers + F/Lt Mc Cairns did round trip - BCRAA Tindouf Mission: St/Lt Alain Pescalidis aka Douf pseudo Mac Paul pseudo Albert Prudhomme, Louis Pinneteau pseudo Jean Masson pseudo René Martin aka Douf 1 & WT Pierre Velasco pseudo Manent aka Toulouse aka Douf 2 (Military Intelligence Alpes Maritimes, Bouches du Rhône & Var) - BCRAA Ifrane Mission: Cpt Claude Le Sourd aka Rane 100 pseudo Claude Galimard aka Dussiples & radio Jacques Laloy aka Rane 101 pseudo Jacques Leroy (Military Intelligence Gard, Ardèche & Drôme & transmission to Algiers) - Jedburgh Graham : (Maj Michael M.Crosby aka Huge & Cpt Pierre Gavet aka P Gouvet aka Crispin (To sustain Guerrilla in Basses Alpes) NB : WT Sgt William H Adams aka Desire was dropped later - IAM Vaucluse: SOE F Maj John Goldsmith (Second in command to support résistance in Vaucluse) - BCRA :, Francis Louis Closon (CL) aka Fouche & préfet Charles Luizet (CL) aka Storck aka François (To rejoin Paris), - BCRA : Lt/Col Jean Constans aka Saint-Sauveur & Cpt Louis Jonveaux aka Bernard aka Rosaire (Sabotage Gap & Dieulefit regions.

AN46 Mi 2 – Mission Tindouf AN 46 Mi 18 – Jonveaux L KEW HS07/11 – SO Med – App O KEW HS7/129 SOE History 90A KEW HS9/597/5 – Goldsmith J KEW HS9/810/9 – Jonveaux L KEW HS9/328/5 – Closon FL NARA M1623 – R8 – V4 –BVI – Graham SHD LN 40 - 5.6.12 650 – Jonveaux L SHD GR16P332733 – Laloy J SHD GR16P367591 – Le Sourd Cl SHD GR16P295619 – Pichard M SHD 16 P 588038 – Velasco P SHD 16 P 479204 – Pinneteau L SHD GR28P3 43 – Mission Ifrane SHD Dictionnaire Historique LtCol W Irwin – The Jedburghs.
H Verity - Ed 2000 - App B


5 km W Saint Christol, 18km N Apt, LZ Spitfire/Archiduc (44° 01' 40'' N – 05° 25' 00'' E), Vaucluse Vaucluse, France

[gehel84]

apologies for not responding to your email.
I am aware of this website and its information, thank you very much.
best regards * LG

[marksheppard]

Jan 10, 2017 13:49:30 GMT 12 pjw4118 said:

Dave the NZBCA archives hold details of some Bomber Boys who also did SOE ops in Europe and the Middle East.
Phil Small , originally a w/op became a dispatcher on 148/624 out of Brindisi flying in Stirlings and Halifaxes. Amongst his photo album is a shot of the ops board of 334 Wing which shows 67 ops for that day , 57 to Yugoslavia , so a lot of aircraft working for SOE . His work included mainly drops but there is a photo of a Halifax unloading in a field .
Of interest is when we were preparing Kiwis Do Fly , Phil commented that at their last reunion , all were reminded of the 100 year rule of non disclosure so its not suprising not much is known. We approached the UK Military Attache in Wellington for clearance and after a couple of weeks they rang to say that Whitehall would prefer no details were published and certainly no names as people in those countries have very long memories. I am happy to post a couple of pictures though.

[marksheppard]

Jan 10, 2017 13:49:30 GMT 12 pjw4118 said:

Dave the NZBCA archives hold details of some Bomber Boys who also did SOE ops in Europe and the Middle East.
Phil Small , originally a w/op became a dispatcher on 148/624 out of Brindisi flying in Stirlings and Halifaxes. Amongst his photo album is a shot of the ops board of 334 Wing which shows 67 ops for that day , 57 to Yugoslavia , so a lot of aircraft working for SOE . His work included mainly drops but there is a photo of a Halifax unloading in a field .
Of interest is when we were preparing Kiwis Do Fly , Phil commented that at their last reunion , all were reminded of the 100 year rule of non disclosure so its not suprising not much is known. We approached the UK Military Attache in Wellington for clearance and after a couple of weeks they rang to say that Whitehall would prefer no details were published and certainly no names as people in those countries have very long memories. I am happy to post a couple of pictures though.

[marksheppard]

Jan 10, 2017 13:49:30 GMT 12 pjw4118 said:

Dave the NZBCA archives hold details of some Bomber Boys who also did SOE ops in Europe and the Middle East.
Phil Small , originally a w/op became a dispatcher on 148/624 out of Brindisi flying in Stirlings and Halifaxes. Amongst his photo album is a shot of the ops board of 334 Wing which shows 67 ops for that day , 57 to Yugoslavia , so a lot of aircraft working for SOE . His work included mainly drops but there is a photo of a Halifax unloading in a field .
Of interest is when we were preparing Kiwis Do Fly , Phil commented that at their last reunion , all were reminded of the 100 year rule of non disclosure so its not suprising not much is known. We approached the UK Military Attache in Wellington for clearance and after a couple of weeks they rang to say that Whitehall would prefer no details were published and certainly no names as people in those countries have very long memories. I am happy to post a couple of pictures though.

[marksheppard]

My father WO Gerald Sheppard was Phil Small's navigator. I met him when I was a child.

[marksheppard]

Jan 10, 2017 13:49:30 GMT 12 pjw4118 said:

Dave the NZBCA archives hold details of some Bomber Boys who also did SOE ops in Europe and the Middle East.
Phil Small , originally a w/op became a dispatcher on 148/624 out of Brindisi flying in Stirlings and Halifaxes. Amongst his photo album is a shot of the ops board of 334 Wing which shows 67 ops for that day , 57 to Yugoslavia , so a lot of aircraft working for SOE . His work included mainly drops but there is a photo of a Halifax unloading in a field .
Of interest is when we were preparing Kiwis Do Fly , Phil commented that at their last reunion , all were reminded of the 100 year rule of non disclosure so its not suprising not much is known. We approached the UK Military Attache in Wellington for clearance and after a couple of weeks they rang to say that Whitehall would prefer no details were published and certainly no names as people in those countries have very long memories. I am happy to post a couple of pictures though.

[marksheppard]

My father WO Gerald Sheppard was the navigator in Phil Small's crew.