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CHASE, John Hereward

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rank: S/L
status: pow
airforce: RAF    (no: 60524 )
born: United Kingdom

added by: Justin
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(20-11-43)
The new commanding Officer S/Ldr J.H.Chase arrived today (Montecorvino, Italy) from 126 Squadron.

(02-12-44)
73 Squadron moved again to Foggia (main).

(25-06-44)
Armed recce. Proceeded to Bihac. Dived bombed aerodrome from A.7 to A.2 Hits seen on the southerly dispersal point adjacent to the road. Section then strafed from A.3 to zero feet. Leader, S/L Chase, destroyed J.U.87 (flamer). Leader hit by flak called to section "I've have it boy's, it's on fire. Section made no further R/T contact and did not see a/c. Top cover reported having heard Leader say he was about to force land south of the river. One pilot believes he saw from A.5 what might be an aircraft broken in two in centre ofa ploughed field. Section strafed and damaged 2 Macchi 202's, 1 J.U.87, 1 H.S.126. Four aircraft returned to Vis, one having been hit in the top petrol tank but landed safely.

P.O.W No.5981 Dulag DL Wetzlar.

Squadrons:

Squadrons add
AirforceSqdrnDate
RAF 73 1943-11-01
RAF 126 1943-06-01

Aircraft:

Aircraftadd
SerialNoteDate
EN479 Escort to 1435 Sqdn bombing Narzamemi at 10,000ft. No E/A seen. 1943-06-12
EN479 Sweep S.E Sicily. Orbited Biscari & Comiso. Intense accurate flak at Comiso. 1943-06-16
BS557 High cover to Liberators bombing Biscari & Comiso. 1943-06-17
EN479 High cover to sweep over Comiso by 1435 & 111 sqdn. 1943-06-21
EN479 Island patrol, taken over to intercept E/A. None seen 1943-06-22
EN479 Escort to 8 Spits of 1435 Sqdn bombing Comiso. 1943-06-23
EN392 Escort to P.R.U. W/O Smith staffed gun tower at Scalambri. 1943-06-25
EN479 Patrolled Scalambri at 20,000ft no E/A seen. 1943-06-26
JK611 Escort to 1435 & 229 sqdn bombing Gerbini. 1943-06-27
JK972 Search for A/C in sea. Found oil patch N.E Gozo & directed H.S.L to spot. 1943-06-30
JK650 Patrolled 30 miles N.W of island. No E/A seen. 1943-06-30
JK522 Escort bombers to Gerbini. Rendezvous point no sign. Proceeded to Catenia engaged 8 plus E/A. Sgt.Saphir destroyed two M.E.109's. Contacted bombers & escorted home. P/O McConnell crashed (EN841) on landing., uninjured. 1943-07-04
JK650 Island patrol. No.1 a/c engine trouble. Returned base. 1943-07-04
JK522 Escorted Mitchell's to Comiso. 2 Maachi 202's attempted attacks but were driven off. 1943-07-06
JK650 Escorted Mitchell's to Biscari. Bombing good many fires north of aerodrome. No E/A or flak. 1943-07-07
JK650 Patrolled S. of island no incidents. 1943-07-08
JK522 Patrolled convoy of 160 landing crafts, leaving them west of Gozo. 1943-07-09
JK672 Escorted bombers to Vozzini, no E/A inaccurate A/A 1943-07-10
JK672 Scrambled. 11 unidentified a/c seen at 15,000ft. No engagement. 1943-07-10
JK672 Patrolled S.E Sicily. 1943-07-11
JK672 Patrolled Noto to Belvedere 1943-07-11
EN479 Patrolled S.E Sicily. 1943-07-12
EN479 Sweep Catania to Gerbini 1943-07-13
JK522 Patrolled Augusta to Catania at 15000ft 1943-07-14
JK722 Patrolled Naval units off S.E Sicily. 1943-07-16
EN479 Sweep Catania plain. At Gerbini 80 plus M.T's seen. Traffic blocked at bridge. 1943-07-17
JF419 Scrambled vector 360° proved friendly. 1943-07-29
EN479 Scrambled, no e/a seen. 1943-08-08
JK650 Island patrol 1943-08-12
JK873 Scrambled. Bogey friendly. 1943-08-25
JK672 Convoy patrol 1943-08-31
EN402 Island patrol 1943-09-07
JK950 Convoy patrol 1943-09-08
Italy surrenders 1943-09-10
JK522 Escort convoy N.E of Malta 1943-09-16
19th to 24th nil operations squadron movement from Malta to Sicily. 1943-09-19
JK672 Convoy patrol N.E of Riposto 1943-09-25
BR498 Escort convoy off Syracuse 1943-09-25
JK722 Escort convoy from Augusta to Syracuse. 1943-09-27
1st to 16th nil operations squadron moved from Gerbini, Sicily to Grottaglie, Italy. 1943-10-01
EN390 Patrolled 18,000ft over base (Grottaglie) 1943-11-11
JK672 Escort to bombers to Durazzo. Staffed tanks with cannon & m.g lorries. Light A/A F/O Clark hit by cannon shell. 1943-11-15
JK672 Search for S/L Page. Recalled after t/o 1943-11-17
S/Ldr Chase arrives at 73 from 126 Squadron. 1943-11-20
The C.O S/Ldr Chase & F/Lt Mills left by road for Foggia this morning. The C.O is endeavoring his best to have the personnel under cover for the winter. 1943-11-25
JG953 1943-11-29
JK991 Squadron move from Montecorvino to Foggia, main. 1943-12-02
JK991 Local flying 1943-12-09
JK991 Formation practice 1943-12-10
JK991 Foggia to Bari. Communication flying. 1943-12-14
JK991 Escort DC from Bari to Termoli 1943-12-14
JK991 Foggia to Taranto 1943-12-17
JK991 Cannon test & formation flying. 1943-12-19
EN252 Air test 1943-12-19
JK991 To Bari to refuel for escort work 1943-12-21
JK991 Bari to Vasto escort DC 1943-12-21
MA712 Scrambled E/A approaching Bari, nothing seen. 1944-01-03
JK991 Sweep Vis and neighbor islands. Only light Flak from Vis harbor. 1944-01-11
JK891 Sweep Vis & neighboring islands. No incidents. 1944-01-13
JK437 Search for ditched Liberator Niget Island, fail to find. 1944-01-14
JK991 Sweep W. of Lagosta, Brac & Split. Vectored over islands no E/A seen. 1944-01-17
JL226 Practice flying. 1944-01-19
JK991 Practice flying. 1944-01-20
MA531 Cannon test 1944-01-20
JK991 Sweep over enemy occupied islands Lagost & Vis. Light A/A 1944-01-25
JK991 Sweep over Vic 1944-01-26
JK991 To Vito 1944-01-27
MA531 Sweep Vis, S. of Brac & Hvar without incident. 1944-01-30
MA531 Sweep Vis, Brac & Hvar without incident. 1944-01-31
MA531 Straffed trains, wagons & lorries at Hutovo. 1 engine destroyed 2 wagons destroyed 1944-02-02
MA531 Escort destroyers to Stari Grad Bay where they shelled the town. 1944-02-04
MA531 Sweep inland to Poljice. Destroyed engine in station & lorry along road 1944-02-10
JK991 Sweep over Vis, not incidents. 1944-02-16
MA311 Recce Dalmatian coast forced to return owing to bad weather. 1944-02-20
F/Sgt Bailey killed in Spit JK709 near Gioia from bad weather. 1944-02-20
Emergency landing strip now on Vis Island. 1944-02-23
MA531 12 spits airborne split into 2 sections. Staffed lorries, personal & trains. At Metkovic encountered H & L.AA . S/Ldr Chase hit by flak & crash landed on Vis. 1944-02-28
S/Ldr Chase returned from Vis none the worst, after having to make a unfortunate forced landing. 1944-03-03
JK991 Practice formation flying 1944-03-27
MH359 Patrolled Dalmatian islands, manly Vis without incident. 1944-03-28
MA532 Attacked truck south of Neum a flamer. Attacked another east Dunta Doli also flamer 1944-03-29
MA633 Air & cannon test 1944-03-29
MA633 Sweep Dalmatian coast. Strafed heavy lorry a flamer. Staff car & 3 ton lorry damaged. Strafing solders marching at Vitina. 1944-04-02
MA633 Attacked in two's loco's blew up wagons left damaged. Schooner damaged. In Orasac area 1944-04-07
MA630 Recce of Zadar & Zemunik Donji. See what appeared to be R.D.F station. 1944-04-11
MA532 Patrolled Vis at 3000ft. 0535 to 0655 1944-04-15
JK337 Flying VC fighter bombers escorted by 32 squadron bombed and strafed Vrgorac. Target left in black smoke 1944-04-16
JK337 Ljubuski town & joining mostar road trafed lorry, car & motorcycle. 1944-04-17
JK337 Bombing & straffing mission off w.point of Mijet. Bombs dropped on Stolac town many vehicles noticed. 1944-04-19
MA339 Set course for Ljubuski & bombed the town. All bomb fell on the target where the M.T was parked. 1944-05-01
JK337 Armed recce to Ploča. Bombing run on 3 vessels, all bomb wid of targets. 1944-05-02
JK337 Armed recce to Ploča. Bombing run on 3 vessels, all bomb wid of targets. 1944-05-02
JK337 Armed recce to Ploča. Bombing run on 3 vessels, all bomb wid of targets. 1944-05-02
JK337 Target hotel Riviera, Orebic beyond Pelagosa 10/10 cloud return Vis 1944-05-06
JK337 To Orebic to attack Riviera hotel. 4 bombs hit target considerable damage. Strafed barge & lunch on the return. 1944- 1944-05-07
Sweep. Landfall at Omis covered road to Podgora and Sestanovac to Vrgorac search for radio station without results 1944-05-09
JG800 Airborne with bombs to assist a small party engaged on a raid at Šolta. 1944-05-10
JL393 Swep roads at Obrovac to Sujica no targets seen. Saw train at Mostar but couldn't attack owing to rugged nature of country. 1944-05-14
JG800 Sweep of roads Split, Sinj, Knis, Drnis. Only targets seen two M.T both flamers. Rainstorm at base landed Termoli 1944-05-17
JG800 From Termoli to Amendola 1944-05-17
JG800 To Vis refuel 1944-05-22
JG800 Seep Zara & Starigrad. Owing to weather 10/10 clouds & rain set course to base. 1944-05-22
JG800 Dive bombed aerodrome at Bihac then straffed. S/L Chase hit by flak force landing. Section damaged 2 Macchi, 202's, 1 H.S126, S/L Chase destroyed J.U.87 a flamer. Heard on R/T "I've had it boy's I'm on fire". 1944-05-26
P.O.W Dulag DL Wetzlar. 1944-05-26

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