433 Squadron (RCAF) 6 Group Skipton-on-Swale

April 10, 1945 Lanc BMQ Railway Yards Leipzig

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Wilf Abdullah explains how the pictures were taken.

".. our job was to set up the cameras and the cameras took pictures 8 by 8, and we had to rig them up so that when the bombardier pushed the bomb tip, the camera took a picture, and then it took a sequence of nine pictures. And at night, the pathfinders would lead the parade with their flares and the bombardier would push the bomb tip but just to activate the camera and take a picture of the area before the bombing and then it was three seconds later it would take one, two, three pictures, and then three seconds later it would take another couple of pictures and bombers would go up and come back and take another series of, took about 9 pictures in all. And, when they got back to the field, we had to retrieve them, get them back to the hut, develop them, make big enlargements and into the interrogation room, all within an hour because that’s, you had to do things right then otherwise, they forgot."

Wilf Abdullah

http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections

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April 10, 1945 Leipzig - Rail Yards

"90 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 425, 426, and 432 Squadrons were joined by 110 Lancasters from 419, 424, 427, 428, 429, 431, 433, and 434 Squadrons on an attack of the rail yards at Leipzig. The crews were over the target at between 15,500 and 19,000 feet, releasing 1,532,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, the weather was good and severe damage was caused. One crew from 433 was lost, hit by flak" www.rcaf.com.

"F/O R. Grisdale RCAFpoppy and crew, flying Lancaster I PB-903 coded BM-F, failed to return from this operation.

    Sgt R. Thurston RAFpoppy
    F/O I. Zierler RCAFpoppy
    F/O W. McLeod RCAFpoppy
    P/O J. Hirak RCAFpoppy
    P/O F. Seeley RCAFpoppy
    P/O D. Roberts RCAFpoppy