F/O Cote's next sortie was even more exciting. Two fighter sweeps in the morning and afternoon of the 28^th were quite uneventful and at 1825, as the sun was sinking below the horizon, a third formation of twelve went out to make another patrol over the bridges at Nijmegen. Soon it was so dark that the pilots could barely see their section mates. Then, just as on the 26^th, "bandits" came on the scene, dropping flares and
incendiary bombs searchlights probed the sky and the flak batteries opened up. 

But the Tiffies could not spot one enemy aircraft although they hunted from 11,000 feet down almost to the deck. With fuel running low, the pilots finally set course for base; eleven arrived safely, but Cote was missing. Separated from his section mate he became lost in the night sky, and with his R/T unserviceable he could not receive the homings that were given. An R/T watch was maintained, flares were fired and beacons illuminated until there was no longer any hope that he could reach base. To everyone's surprise and delight he turned up safe and sound three days later. His story was quite amazing.

Intentionally left blank

Intentionally left blank

After flying from one fire and light to another, trying to get a pinpoint, his tanks finally ran dry and Cote went over the side. The parachute deposited him safely near Niederwampach in northern Luxemburg, a good 100 miles South of Eindhoven. The unhappy pilot  had no idea of his location, however, and prudently decided to move cautiously until sure which side of the lines he was on. The first
evidence was far from reassuring; he found a newspaper and, cautiously examining it by the light of a match under cover of a bush, was dismayed to see it was printed in German. His fears seemed to be confirmed when two cyclists passed by, conversing in German. Cote headed westwards towards Bastogne and was much relieved to see Allied flags flying there. The civilians gave him a great welcome and he hitch hiked his way home.

While Cote was thumbing rides back to Eindhoven the Squadron had dealt four more blows at the German railway network. On the 29^th four craters were blasted in two rail lines, two locomotives were damaged, two vehicles were destroyed in flames, another was damaged, and a large white building surrounded by many staff cars was thoroughly strafed. One attack failed because the bombs were  released at so shallow an angle that they skipped as they hit the rail line and exploded harmlessly some distance away. On the last day of September at least one cut, and possibly more, were made on the railway east of Borken and the marshalling yards at Goch were plastered with bombs, resulting in heavy damage to the tracks and the destruction of a small ammunition train that blew up in a  shower of fireworks. In the Goch attack S/L Fiset's pilots formed a wing with No. 438 under the leadership of W/C Judd. No. 439 was the last to go down and was fired at "by all the flak gunners in the country."

 

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