A Further Update to Bernard Wardens Post re The WW 2 Airfields at Foggia
Dear Robin
I read Ted Bell’s reply to an article by Bernard Warden re the WW2 airfields at Foggia
Other RAF squadrons based at various Foggia airfields were 178 RAF and 148 RAF as well as 31 and 34 SAAF [South African airforce] based at Celone Foggia [there was a Celone river nearby] and part of the 205 group RAF .104 RAF was based at Foggia Main. Also various USAAF sqdns .were at Foggia
31 and 34 SAAF ,148 and 178 RAF supply dropped to partisans in Warsaw in August ,September and October 1944 suffering heavy losses , as well as some USAAF sqdns . 148 dropped agents into Poland as well as the Polish sqdns.104 RAF was based at Foggia Main
My Australian RAAF father, F/O T R Millar, was a member of 31 SAAF [one of few RAAF in that sqdn but there were many RAF from Sept 1944 ] after being seconded from 104 RAF to 31 SAAF as Leading Bombaimer in July ’44 .He took part in Warsaw drops as well as supply drops in Italy
His Liberator, KH158 ,with eight crew, disappeared while on an Italian partisan supply mission 12th October 1944 .Five other crews on the same mission crashed, in bad weather, in mountains in northern Italy and all their wreckage was eventually found .
Lib.KH158 is still missing .Forty eight crew were lost on that fateful mission.
I have been researching the missing Liberator for many years and have been to commemorations in Italy and Poland for the lost 31 and 34 SAAF crews .
With regards
Anne Storm [Mrs]