…... after a rapid recovery Squadron Leader Perrens was posted back to 285 Wing as Wing Commander Flying.
Flying continued as normal for the rest of the month the only other incident of note being the sad loss of Flying Officer Groom who failed to return from a last light mission. He had called his number two to say that he had been hit and was last seen going down near San Gioranni well inside enemy territory. It was sincerely hoped that he had come to no harm; and this subsequently proved to be the case although he was taken a prisoner of war.
February brought with it a pleasant improvement in the weather after the hard winter and although the ground was not yet suitable for land operations it was anticipated that the final offensive by 5th and 8th Armies would be planned for April when dry weather could be guaranteed. In the meantime normal air activities were carried out by the Squadron. On 19 February, Flight Lieutenant G. Murray Jones, the Squadron Medical Officer, left for 239 Wing on posting having been with 208 for over three years. He was felt to be the ideal Squadron MO, popular and efficient and a true friend to both all. His sterling services during his tour on 208 were recognised in the New Years Honours List by the award of the MBE.
See Flt Lt Murray-Jones’ medal array
in the Medals Section at this link:
During the lull before the final, inevitable storm the Squadron became highly successful in recording gun pits on artillery reconnaissance and also reported many suitable targets from convoys of enemy vehicles to large echelons of cyclists most of which were successfully attacked by fighter bombers. The Germans who had been besieged for months, and had their supply lines extensively weakened were now set up for the coup de grace.
The greatest problem in the final offensive was to dislodge their strongly fortified defences on the River Senio. A frontal attack by itself would have been a costly affair therefore the plan was for 8th Army to engage the enemy in the Senio area; 5th Army would then debouch its American armour on to the Plain of Lombardy, sweep past Bologna and go all out for the River Po with the intention
