172 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 426, 427, 429, 431, 432, 433, and 434 squadrons were joined by 52 Lancasters from 408, 419 and 428 squadrons on an attack of a V-1 storage site at St. Leu D’Esserent. The crews were over the target at between 14,000 and 17,000 feet, releasing 2,553,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, bombing was good and damage was caused. 

F/Lt S. Frankling from 408 squadron returned early as the port inner was u/s. They landed safely at Carnaby on 3 engines. 
W/O2 W. Cooke was hit by flak, not serious. 
F/O H. Minhinnick landed at Tangmere on return due to a fuel shortage. 

F/O L. Patton, F/O C. Gue, and F/O G. McKean from 415 squadron were hit by flak, not serious. 
F/Lt H. Barnes was hit by flak, there were holes in the tail. 
F/O T. Meagher was hit by flak, not serious. They landed at Riccall on return. 
F/O B. Roberts was hit by flak, the crew did not bomb as they could not open the bomb doors. They landed safely at Boscombe Down on return. 
P/O F. Forbes landed at Husbands Bosworth on return due to a fuel shortage. 
W/O2 R. Stevens landed at Sturgate on return due to a fuel shortage. 
Sgt J. Kerr landed at Hartford Bridge due to a fuel shortage. 

F/O B. Walker from 419 squadron had one engine go u/s on return. They landed safely at base on 3 engines. 
F/O J. Tees was hit by flak, both port engines quit and they lost height to 9,000 feet. 6 Spitfires came down to escort them and shot up some light flak sites till they restarted the port engines. They returned safely to base. 

P/O G. Pritchard from 420 squadron returned early as the hydraulics were u/s. 
P/O J. Ward was hit by flak, not serious. 
All crews reported heavy flak over the target. 

Lt A. Compton from 424 squadron returned early as the stbd inner was u/s. They landed safely at base on 3 engines. 

S/Ldr G. Philbin RCAF–Evd and crew from 425 squadron, flying Halifax III  LL-594 coded KW-U, failed to return from this operation. 

F/Sgt W. Gracie RCAF
P/O R. Reed RCAF 
P/O T. Lee RCAF
F/O L. Stamp RAF 
Sgt C. Hilliard RCAF–POW 
F/O G. Beresford RAF
W/O B. Clark RAF

F/O R. Curtis from 428 squadron returned early as the electrical system was u/s. 

Sgt G. Hay from 429 squadron landed at Wymeswold on return due to a fuel shortage. 
P/O J. Keslick landed at Gamston on return due to a fuel shortage. 
P/O G. Clarke landed at Long Marston on return due to a fuel shortage. 

Sgt G. Quinlan from 431 squadron returned early as the stbd outer was u/s. They landed safely at base on 3 engines. 
F/Lt F. Badgery and F/O T. Shore landed at Wombleton on return. 
P/O R. Haw, P/O T. Rhodes and F/O R. Tonnellier landed at Dishforth on return. 
F/O B. Mawhinney and P/O H. McVicar were hit by flak, not serious. They both landed at Wombleton on return. 

F/O W. Pierce from 433 squadron returned early as they were unable to climb. 
P/O R. Forbes returned early with a technical problem. They landed at Church Broughton. 
Sgt J. Savard landed at Tholthorpe on return. 
F/O T. Prescott landed at Woolfax Lodge on return due to a fuel shortage. 
F/O O. Orendorff landed at Ford on return due to a fuel shortage. 
F/O J. Harrison RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III MZ-828 coded BM-H, returned on 3 engines. On their first attempt they overshot the airfield. On the second try, they lost control and crashed at Skipton Bridge. The pilot, F/O J. Harrison RCAF and Flt/engineer Sgt D. WhitebreadRAF, were killed and the rest were injured. 

F/O V. Woods from 434 squadron was hit by flak, not serious. They landed safely at Dishforth on return. 
W/Cdr F. Watkins, P/O B. Peterson, P/O J. Stinson, F/O G. Moore, and F/O K. McGrath landed at Wombleton on return. 
P/O A. Gibb, F/Lt G. McKay and F/Lt D. Boyle landed at Dishforth on return. 

Photo:  The Sheridan crew over the V-1 storage site at St. Leu d'Esserent
           Graciously supplied by N. Bodnar