The Battle of Normandy was over. In the twelve weeks since D-Day, No. 439 had flown 1065 sorties on 123 operations in the course of which 517 tons of bombs and over 75,000 rounds of ammunition had been expended.  From Lantheuil the Squadron moved first to St. Andre de 1'Eure whence only one operation was carried out (on 31 August) before it; advanced again to Glisy, near Amiens, on 3 September, and then to Melsbroek, in Belgium, three days later. 

Here at last the wing was again within range and on 8 September No. 439 made the first sorties over Holland and across the Siegfried Line into Germany. Shortly after reaching the Belgian base S/L Hugh Norsworthy finished his second tour of operations, on which his able leadership had brought him the D.F.C., and he handed over command to S/L Ken Fiset who also had just been awarded the purple and white ribbon.

F/O Ivan Smith & S/L Noseworthy test a German machine gun for ack-ack defence while F/O's Johnny Kalen and Ron Moen consider how to milk a cow. (Photo: 439 Sqn archives)