6 Bomber Group August 14, 1944
165 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 426, 427, 429, 432, 433, and 434 Squadrons were joined by 59 Lancasters from 408, 419, 428, and 431 Squadrons on an attack of German troop positions at Falaise, Aisy, and Bons Tassilly. The crews were over the targets between 6,000 and 9,000 feet, releasing 2,131,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports the attack was going well and then some bombing started to fall back into Canadian Army 3rd Division positions. This problem was made worse when ground troops started firing yellow flares, which happened to be the same colours as the Target Indicators, attracting more loads of explosives.This carried on for more than an hour and little could be done but for the troops to head for their slit trenches and wait the attack out. 13 army personnel were killed and many injured along with some equipment being destroyed. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
The aircraft, piloted by Flight Lieutenant HJ Pryor DFC, Left Woodhall Spa on a daylight raid to Brest, France with the objective being to sink the the blockship Gueydon. Shortly after releasing its Tallboy bomb, the bomb aimer, CP Pesme RCAF, was hit in the throat by a piece of shrapnel that then entered his head, killing him instantly. None of the other crew members were injured.
