49 Squadron Awards
12/13 June, 1941; SOEST:
This was an all Hampden attack, with 91 aircraft dispatched against the railway yards at Soest. 49 Squadron detailed 17 aircraft for the trip, but by 23.10hrs only 13 had managed to become airborne. Haze and cloud made accurate bombing difficult with only 42 aircraft claiming to have bombed the primary target; only 4 aircraft from the unit were successful on Soest - the remainder bombed Hamm, Dortmund and Münster.
The Green (AD976) crew were unable to locate Soest so they bombed a flak concentration that had bracketed them; 15 minutes later they were attacked by another heavy gun battery and shrapnel penetrated the cockpit striking the W/Op Sgt Denovan and injuring his left foot. Sgt Denovan continued to obtain fixes until an emergency landing was made at Harwell.
On the 23rd August, 1941: It was announced that Sgt A. Denovan had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal.