For posterity, a group shot of 439 Servicing Echelon. The "X" is believed to identify Kingsley "ACK" Ackland whose collection of photos are featured throughout this website. The person with the officer's hat (centre front row) is believed to be F/O Bert Walsh, the Squadron Engineering Officer.

Unsung Heroes, 439's ground crew  working under the some of the most primitive of conditions maintained a most enviable serviceability rate. As a result not one operational mission was scrubbed or missed due to a lack of serviceable aircraft. Photo from the collection of Kingsley Ackland and is provided courtesy of Brian Ackland Copyright ©2005

After the enemy salient west of the Ruhr had been wiped out, the advance to the Rhine began, the Canadian First Army and the American Ninth driving converging pincers from north and south to meet at Geldern early in March. Then, with Montgomery's Army Group drawn up along the Rhine, the final preparations were made to cross that river and drive eastward to the Elbe. The eight weeks from 1 February to 28 March were a period of unequalled activity for the Typhoon wing at Eindhoven. No. 439 Squadron flew 860 hours and 802 sorties on 129 operations, dropped almost 500 tons of bombs and fired 40,000 cannon rounds. Until 23 March, nearly all the operations were directed against rail lines or bridges; then close support tasks for the Army predominated. 

The results of these weeks were:

•  rail and road cuts 162,

•  locomotives - 11,

• freight cars - 49;

• vehicles and tanks - 16;

• V-1 sites 3;

• bridges and canals - 3;

• gun positions - 14;

• enemy strong points - 12.