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Gage · 12-04-2008, 09:41 PM

The New Year brought a move back to France, to 148 Wing at Lille/Vendeville. We moved in on the 7th in a snowstorm and had to endure bitter weather with very little heating or comfort for everybody, until snow clearing early in February. Both January and February were complete operational blanks as the enemy was not keen to show himself at night at all. Towards the end of February, four pilots left for Gilse/Rijen to carry out Operation Blackmail. This was intensely secret at the time, but it can now be disclosed that it entailed carrying Dutchmen, Airforce and Army and one woman over occupied Holland by day and night to maintain wireless communications with agents of the Underground movement. As a matter of interest, this task was found to be particularly useful, but had been turned down by two Groups, who considered it too dangerous.
(From previous articles the pilots that we have found who flew these missions were. Peter de Leighton-Brooke, “Mossie’ Moss, and John Bentley. The Agents were Hilda Bergsma, Jaap Ludolph and Leo Fleskins

Has anybody got any more info on 'Operation Blackmail' please. Interesting to have a woman involved.

12-04-2008, 09:41 PM	#1 (permalink)
Gage On Readiness Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: The Battle of Barking Creek Posts: 1,503	Operation Blackmail The New Year brought a move back to France, to 148 Wing at Lille/Vendeville. We moved in on the 7th in a snowstorm and had to endure bitter weather with very little heating or comfort for everybody, until snow clearing early in February. Both January and February were complete operational blanks as the enemy was not keen to show himself at night at all. Towards the end of February, four pilots left for Gilse/Rijen to carry out Operation Blackmail. This was intensely secret at the time, but it can now be disclosed that it entailed carrying Dutchmen, Airforce and Army and one woman over occupied Holland by day and night to maintain wireless communications with agents of the Underground movement. As a matter of interest, this task was found to be particularly useful, but had been turned down by two Groups, who considered it too dangerous. (From previous articles the pilots that we have found who flew these missions were. Peter de Leighton-Brooke, “Mossie’ Moss, and John Bentley. The Agents were Hilda Bergsma, Jaap Ludolph and Leo Fleskins Has anybody got any more info on 'Operation Blackmail' please. Interesting to have a woman involved. __________________ 'There I stood at the bar, wearing a Mae West, no jacket, and beginning to leak blood from my torn boot. None of the golfers took any notice of me - after all, I wasn't a member!' Kenneth Lee - after being shot down on the 18th August 1940. "The real you washes ashore"