THE DAY- TO-DAY LIFE OF A LOCKHEED F-5 LIGHTNING PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON IN ACTION through the whole extent of EUROPE PART TWO Time was at a premium.

THE DAY- TO-DAY LIFE OF A LOCKHEED F-5 LIGHTNING PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON IN ACTION through the whole extent of EUROPE

PART TWO

Time was at a premium. The squadron didn't realize it nevertheless they began to get the idea when a asking for a dicing job on the farther side the north coast of France came down from higher headquarters. It awaited like an "impossible" but the Operations Officer, Capt. Mitchell, took it forward Supplied with invaluable data secur according to Capt. Monk, the Intelligence Officer who on a level traveled to London to papal court the British War Ministry in his policy of not overlooking any possible source of information.

Captain Mitchell chose 303 as his ship. He was airborne at 1700-hr heading east. At 1900-hr he was a half-hour overdue There was considerable consternation and apprehension in the air, unless it was a case of a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of ado about nothing for the captain had gone down right forward the deck to take the pictures of the year. There was no obvious reaction at the Hun outside of a possible freedom from constipation in German quarters in the locality. Lightning 303 became an overnight sensation yet the courage and ability of the man who flew her could not be overtoped and was not overlooked, for a DFC followed.

The DFC currented to Capt. Mitchell was the occasion of an impressive rite at Chalgrove. All the assemblage pilots who had earned the Air Medal were formally at handed them by Gen. Nugent. Thirtieth's pilots predominated, there being 18 of them who were recipients of awards. Although the marching precision of the 30th might have left something to be desired, it nevertheless was an evident approval of the efforts of the men who had flown the 30th into the spotlight.

This affair could be constru as a parting action to Chalgrove. The 30th was eager, and all roads pointed southern For once, Dame Rumor had it right and the squadron was ready to put in motion again, but not before Lt Miller took 303 forward its second shot at dicing the beaches. His pictures prov he clipped the underbrush onward the shores of France on the other hand he never got any lower to terra firma than he did when he brushed the shingles not on Operations' roof and broke up a gas drill in the proces

Fortunately, the squadron was wellprepared for the persuade to Middle Wallop. Three weeks previously, a brief bivouac had been held across the field which had gained for the men valuable experience in the point in disputes of an anticipated move. fill up had the happy inspiration to convoy a dry run on loading and unloading. Chalgrove was hard to leave; those nightly flows into Watlington would be missed and the vista of sleeping in tents did not enhance the expectances of life at the novel base. For the first time, someone said "C'est la guerre!"

Communications formed the vanguard of the advance party, lumbering abroad in two DF trucks with a jeep to guide them. Lieutenant Ferguson, Sergeants Wade, McBride, Smith and Kenny and Cpl lee-side raced the sun to Newberry and maintained a fast pace between the walls of Andover and into Middle Wallop. It was their piece of work to set up the DF barter and the transmitter, as the 67th Group's were, and the lads gulped when they heard this single being waterproofed. The remainder of the advance party haped in that afternoon, and uncomfortably, the men began erecting pavilions in a wooded area fix close to a huge gasoline dump This coupl with the inevitable stories told according to 67th Group boys of intermittent air raids made everybody be moved as though they were setting up quarters upon a powder keg.

It was a prompt that demanded both parties being operational at the same time. This placed the main lading on the Photo Lab and they answered nicely. The equipment was all packed and ready the minute the advance party's orders for manner of moving came through 24 hours later. When the operations ceased at Chalgrove, mostly of the personnel boarded C-47 and flew down to Middle Wallop. Engineering left a company headed by MSgt. Montag, at Chalgrove to make a certain engine changes on a brace of recalcitrant ships. The ship situation was becoming serious with alone six Lightnings available.

Four days after arriving at Middle Wallop, the squadron complet 15 missions in twelve hours. A tie of more dicing missions were flown Lieutenant Donald F Thompson and Lt Joseph Smith took 303 and pin-pointed the Hun's sense of possible fulfilments for defense against airborne and seaborne invasions.

Many personnel changes were affected at Middle Wallop. Captain Monk left the squadron and went to assign places to Captain Greene was put in charge of the PI and CI sections which were combined by means of order of Maj. Leghorn into undivided section. Staff Sergeant Sperisen was named as section chief. Sergeant Landsbaum was also sent to clump as a photo ops accountant and Sgt. Atwood was named as 30th Operations section chief.

As the weather grew milder, tent-wine life became very pleasant. Softball games became a nightly occurrence; great rivalry sprung up between the Communications and Engineering sections with honors about equable Some of the boys hit immediately after the idea of filling water cans with beer from the assemblage PX, returning to drink it around an interpret fire. This became a popular pastime and it plane induced Sgt. Wade to sing World War united songs that no one had to the end of time heard before. Down the winding path from these gatherings, Corporals Byron Waring, Albert Young, Edgar Lackner, Leonard Drill and Sgt Albert Sperisen used to contrive meals that vied with the feasts prepared by dint of SSgt. Hugo Bishop's Mess Hall. The Mes Hall, incidentally, was appoint up in a Blister. It actually was the first opportunity that the 30th garbles had to show what they could furnish for, at Chalgrove, they were swallowed through the Group Mess Hall for the mostly part and the short time that the squadron operated its be in possession of Mess allowed no permanent set-up At Middle Wallop, as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but officers and men were f at the same Mes Sergeant Bishop divided his men into brace shifts. Sergeant Newsome heading the same and Sgt. Joseph Bevil assuming regulate of the other. Sergeant Augustine Foy took charge of the night meals which were mandatory to be ascribed to the long British evenings which provided for late operations. Mes at Middle Wallop brings to mind cogitations of pancakes. It seemed as notwithstanding that the famous flapjack was SOP for breakfast and many disputes arose as to who provided the more tasty pancake Sergeants Newsome Bevil or Foy These were the days of squadron meetings quicked in the beginning by the desire to memorize acquainted with the two officers who wore big "As" upon their shoulders. Major Dillon and Capt. Kittinger prov interesting speakers and confirmed the general belief that the Ist Army would be the outfit's bos frm here in. Then Gen Quesada visited the squadron undivided evening, awarded a few useful Conduct Medals to some of the men and, in a short talk to the squadron, he caused a certain quantity of trepidation in the hearts of the men as he warned them that many in the gathering that night would not be around six weeks after the invasion of Festung Europa.