The SAAF Forum

Good evening everyone, this is my first post. My name is Mario and I'm a historian from Molise.
I'm trying to find the original manuscript of a story that happened in my region (Molise) at the end of October 1943.
A SAAF machine gunner belonging to the 24th Squadron was on a mission to bomb an enemy position in Macchiagodena (from what he wrote). He was part of a large fleet with other squadrons that departed from Tortorella Airport (Foggia) on the morning of October 28 or 29, 1943 (I'll be able to be more precise when I have the manuscript).
The plane he was on (an A20 Boston aircraft) was hit, and he parachuted from the aircraft, landing in the mountains near Frosolone (liberated a few weeks earlier).
I'd like to study the events of this historical period, reconstruct the crew and missions of the 24th Squadron, and try to connect the gunner's story with others concerning Molise during that period.
Thanks everyone for your help.
Mario

P.S.: I will share the gunner's story when I finish my research, hoping to get permission to share from the gunner's family.

Hi. Can't help without a name.
Stefaan

thank you for the reply.
his name is LLoyd Anders

In general, I would like to reconstruct the SAAF missions in southern Italy, as such a large number of aircraft seemed excessive for a bombing raid on an enemy position in Molise, where there are no records of a tragedy of that scale.
The other crew members were:
LL Lloyd (Andy) Anders ((Lloyd Anders))
HB (Foof) Dyer
RS (Roy) McDonald
HB (Barney) Boors

This is from the text transcribed and translated by the gunner's family (there may be errors in translation or transcription).

thank you again for your help
Mario

Hi Stefaan and thank you again to reply:
Other news I received last night: Lloyd was probably born in 1916. In his memoirs, he says he was 27 in 1943 and was a "flight sergeant." They told me the exact date of the mission: October 29, 1943.
As he writes, the squadron consisted of 12 aircraft and was part of a "Balbo"

I hope this news is good to know something more.
thank you

Mario