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Thirty-six sorties were flown on 11 August (a new record for the Squadron) on four operations which were all "wing shows".  Two were on behalf of the Polish Division which was held up by enemy resistance in woods near Estrees-la-Campagne. In the first attack the northern half of the area, was turned into a shambles and a few hours later the squadrons returned to pound the southern section into submission. The Polish troops signaled their "deepest thanks" for "a magnificent job." The third target was a wood in which an enemy ammunition dump was believed to be concealed, but the Tiffie pilots concluded it must have been moved before they arrived. Although their bombing was dead on the aiming-point, no tremendous flashes of exploding ammunition could be seen. The final job of the day was to knock out enemy defenses on a hill in the Conde-sur-Noireau area which the Guards armoured brigade was attacking.  One Typhoon squadron was assigned the forward slope, another the reverse, and No. 439 was given the hill-top, dominated by a large building.  From 9,000 feet the pilots half-rolled into a steep dive, using the building as their aiming point; several fired their cannons on the way down "to add to the confusion below".  The bombs, bursting near the building and along the crest of the hill, threw up great clouds of dust. Flak batteries; opened up with an intense and uncomfortably accurate barrage as the Typhoons broke away from the target. On the first show that day much time was consumed orbiting over the airfield waiting for the squadrons of the wing to form up or take their turn to pancake. Thereafter each squadron proceeded independently to the target, flying in the old comfortable battle "fours" instead of "threes", and everyone was much happier as no tempers were frayed by  useless circling.

The 12^th was a day of perfect weather, without the usual morning haze, and the Squadron was able to begin operations before 10 a.m., sending out a formation of nine to hit a group of buildings near Vassy where the 9th S.S. Panzer Division was believed to have its headquarters. The first section picked the wrong group of buildings, but the other five were on the right target which they clobbered with six direct hits. Flak was again unpleasantly accurate, but the aircraft returned safely. Then the Squadron's luck changed.

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The southward drive of the Canadians from Bretteville and the northward advance of the Americans towards Falaise were drawing an iron ring around the Nazi Seventh Army in the area between Thury-Harcourt and Piers.  The escape routes  eastward all crossed the Orne River, and 143 Wing was assigned the job of smashing three small bridges, at St. Marc d'Ouilly, Taillebois and Le Pont des Vers, to impede the Hun retreat.  Nos. 438 and 440 went in first; then No. 439 attacked, detailing a section of four for each bridge. As was to be expected, the flak defences at these vital targets were plentiful. F/O Ernie Allen's aircraft was the first to be hit, a burst clipping his starboard wing and main tanks. Enveloped in smoke, the Typhoon fell out of control. Ernie was seen to bail out and swing earthward near one of the bridges. Everyone hoped that Ernie's WD (Women’s Division) wife, whom he had visited in England just a few days previously, would soon receive word that her husband was safe, even though a prisoner, but fate ruled otherwise.  Months later information came through that he had been killed, either in the air or after reaching the ground, and was buried in a little town by the banks of the Orne.

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