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During January 1944,
information was received in London that over 100 loyal Frenchmen
were being held in the jail at Amiens, France, awaiting execution
for their efforts in the allied cause. The local Resistance requested
an urgent airstrike to break open the prison walls – even
at the risk of killing some of the patriots.
At 1055 hours on the 18th February, with
snow falling, 19 Mosquitos took off from R.A.F. Hunsdon to execute
OPERATION JERICHO and one by one they disappeared into the murky
sky, hoping to meet up with their Typhoon escort over Littlehampton.
Their task was to breach the 20ft. high, 3ft. thick outer wall,
open the main building and destroy the guard’s quarters.
One of the R.A.F.’s most celebrated
airmen was overall commander of the raid, Grp. Capt. P.C. ‘Pick’
Pickard, who was last over the prison – the exact moment
captured in Gerald Coulson’s remarkable painting –
just seconds before the delay fuse bombs explode. Pickard remained
in the area to assess the results which were filmed by a specially
equipped Film Photographic Unit Mosquito. Flt. Lt. Tony Wickham
and his cameraman Plt. Off. Lee Howard flew three passes over
the prison filming the results of 487 and 464 Squadrons’
attack. Prisoners could be seen making their escape through the
gaping holes in the walls and running in all directions across
the snow-covered fields to be spirited away by Resistance comrades
who had requested the airstrike. The prearranged success signal
"Hello Daddy, RED-RED-RED" was transmitted to 21 Sqn.,
who gratefully returned home without bombing.
Price £ call.
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THE SIGNATURES
Wg Cdr I S Smith - Squadron Leader
Pilot: EG*R 487 Sqn.
Plt Off Maxwell N Sparks
Pilot: EG*T 487 Sqn.
Plt Off Arthur C Dunlop
Navigator: EG*T 487 Sqn.
Flt Lt B D 'Tich' Hanafin - Flight Leader
Pilot: EG*Q 487 Sqn.
Plt Off C Frank Redgrave
Navigator: EG*Q 487 Sqn.
Plt Off D R Bob Fowler
Pilot: EG*J 487 Sqn.
Wg Cdr R W Bob Iredale - Squadron Leader
Pilot: SB*F 464 Sqn.
Sqn Ldr A Ian McRitchie - Flight Leader
Pilot: SB*T 464 Sqn.
Flt Lt Tom McPhee
Pilot: SB*V 464 Sqn.
Flt Lt Geoffrey W Atkins
Navigator: SB*V 464 Sqn.
Flt Lt D A 'Buck' Taylor - Flight Leader
Pilot: YH*D 21 Sqn.
Flt Lt Arthur E C Wheeler
Pilot: YH*C 21 Sqn.
Flt Lt G Ian Mallett - Flight Leader
Pilot: XP*R 174 Sqn.
Flt Sgt Frank E Wheeler
Pilot: XP*Y 174 Sqn.
Plt Off W Don Burton
Pilot: XP*C 174 Sqn.
Flg Off Harry V Markby
Pilot: XP*A 174 Sqn.
Flt Lt E B Ted Sismore
Navigator: 2 Gp Op Navigator
Andre Pache
Amien Prison escapee - prints 1-450
Raymond Bonpas
Amien Prison escapee - prints 451-850 |
