Crew
F/S Allan Johnson Mayfield RNZAF. Pilot
P/O Jack Francis David Jarmy. Navigator
Sgt. Robert Douglas Sommerville. Air Bomber
F/S William Lake. Wireless Operator
Sgt. A. Warburton. Flight Engineer
Sgt. Thomas Darbyshire. Mid Upper Gunner
Sgt. John Sebastian Hulena RNZAF. Rear Gunner
Aircraft
Striling Mk.III BK778 ‘U’ for Uncle
Flight
Up 20.15 16th August
Down 04.50 11th August
Total Flight Time 8 hours 35 minutes
75 (NZ) Sqn RAF Operations Record Book (ORB)
16/8/43
Operations.
Twelve aircraft were detailed to attack the above targets with bombs of 1,000lb. and incendiaries of 30lb. and 4lb.. All of the aircraft successfully bombed the target except one which jettisoned its bombs 10 miles N.W. of Turin owing to an electrical equipment failure. Some huge explosions and very large fires were seen, which appeared to be spreading. Slight A.A. fire and a few searchlights were encountered, which were ineffective except for one aircraft that received negligible damage. Some enemy aircraft were seen and two short combats took place, but no damage was sustained to our aircraft. The weather was good except for ground haze. Navigation was very good. All the aircraft were diverted to other aerodromes on return, owing to fog at base.
Page 560, 1943. Form 540/ 541 AIR27/ 646 75(NZ) Squadron RAF, Mepal. National Archives.
Bomber Command War Diary
15/16 August 1943
154 aircraft of 3 and No 8 Groups – 103 Stirlings, 37 Halifaxes, 14 Lancasters to Turin in what was the . 4 aircraft – 2 Halifaxes, 1 Lancaster, 1 Stirling – lost.
This raid concluded the Bomber Command attacks on Italian cities which had commenced in June 1940.
75(nz)squadron 
My father was in one of those two halifaxes that did not return, though he was not a Kiwi.
Flt/Lt M J A White of 35 squadron pathfinders.
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Hi Mike
Many thanks for your contact – relative to the context of my Fathers activities, I would be happy to include anything on your father and his time with 35 Squadron. Mail me if you would like to contribute anything
all the best
Simon
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My father was Flt/Lt M J A White. He died(aged 32) in the last ever raid on Italy over Turin. He was the navigator in one of the Halifaxes shot down from 35 sqdn (Pathfinders) flying out of Graveley. The pilot was sqdn/ldr P A Haggarty who was gazetted in September 1943 with the DFC along with F/O Ferguson, another of the crew. Two of the crew baled out and were interned.
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