Allied forces in Corsica 1943

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500
Member
Posts: 5
Joined: 03 Mar 2009, 19:35

Re: Allied forces in Corsica 1943

#16

Post by 500 » 16 Nov 2012, 00:59

It is not true that every Nazi/German had been pushed out of Corsica by October the 4th. Some poor German fellows were found rip roaring drunk hiding in the mountains. Others were left to watch events and report back but were also captured in the mountains according to first hand information from people that were there.

500
Member
Posts: 5
Joined: 03 Mar 2009, 19:35

Corsica Ghisonaccia 1943

#17

Post by 500 » 25 Jan 2013, 01:08

Thought you may like to know this update re Ghisonaccia Gare. RAF 500 County of Kent Squadron got to Ghisonaccia Gare setting up the aerodrome in October 43. An RAF Hudson was ordered in with consent from SO in early October 1943 while the Nazi's were still there. Others followed in November 1943. In December, the American engineers started to arrive from various locations.
The first planes in to Ghis. Gare Corsica:
( The initial two SO 500 flights were followed by three more 500 squadron flights into Ghisonaccia Gare, the latter all by Lockheed Hudson 'V'):
Hudson ‘?’ Date: Pre-Oct 2nd 43 ( SOE connected -Unrecorded ) Blida - Ghisonaccia - Contained passenger Frederick ‘Torso’ Bennett
Hudson ‘F’ 4th Nov 43 ( SO )– Group Captain Tuttle? Bone – Sardinia – Ghisonaccia. Contained passenger Hal Hallonquist
Hudson ‘V’ 16th Nov 43 - Bone - Ghisonaccia Gare F.O V.C Pockson or Pookson/ P.O W.S Shea / Flgt Sgt G. Gamble or Bomble / F. Sgt H.F Mc Cloud;
Hudson ‘V’ 18th Nov 43 - Bone - Ghisonaccia Gare P.O D.F Fuller / P.O R.H Garlick / F. Sgt J.D Pag(e) / F.Sgt J.J Key
Hudson ‘V’ 25th Nov 43 - S.Ldr J.H Simpson / J.C Reed.
The jobs done by the Brits ( also Canadians, Auzzis and NZ's) of RAF 500 Sqdn were very different from the American engineers although both equally as valid. RAF 500 Squadron's orders in October 43 were ' To Establish Squatters right' ...the exact wording! This meant they had to effectively land on a bomb cratered strip of 700 mtrs and which had been left unserviceable by the germans, take away obstructions - scuttled aircraft and lorries, fill the craters as best as possible and clear mines, set up the NAAFI and accom in the nearby village for those to follow and organise the Italians there. So essentially, RAf 500 Squadron's task was to reckie, land on the field, do as much as could be done and then report back to what needed to be done, which is where the American engineers came in, in December 43 and Jan 44.There will be a book out soon and much on the web so keep eyes open as the landings on that runway were as you can imagine a bit hair raising. Just caught your website in passing and thought it was really good you may want to up date your site as to RAF 500 Squadron's escapades who were the first into Ghisonaccia Gare aerodrome after the Germans left in October 43.

Not much has been found to date re RAF 500 as a lot of mistakes have derived from the internet where some information seems in my opinion to have tended to have been missed or omitted from UK squadron histories, etc. My information I have obtained from either from log books, operational record books in the archives or the men of RAF 500 squadron who were on those early flights. Anyway thought you may find this interesting too.
Regards.
Ben1


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