Donald Macrae mission September 20, 1943

September 20, 1943  Breakfast at 5:30am. Took off 10:00am. Major was a nice fellow to fly with but didn't know much about leading a formation. Tried to help him out a couple of times with suggestions but he didn’t appreciate them. So let him do it his own way and settled down to a long grind. The mission was 13 hours long.  We were to go past Venice and bomb some industrial works at Castlefranco Benito. It was clouded in at the head of the Adriatic so we came back down to Piscare and bombed the air field and railway yards. Then headed home. We flew most of the time on A.F.C.E. so there wasn't much for me to do. Had a bad attack of diarrhea twice on the trip. First time that I have had that happen while in the air. Landed 8:15pm. Were briefed and had supper and to bed. Lots of complaints the way the mission was led and I heard them all. As I hadn't been in command and had offered my suggestions I felt no responsibility over it. The scenery in the Adriatic at 10,OOO ft. was very picturesque and interesting and small islands were intensively cultivated wherever possible and some looked like basket weave from the air, so terraced were they the small towns had small red-roofed houses. Little harbors with small craft at the causeways. There were trees and signs of rain fall - looked very good. After we had passed Brindisi, we flew over part of Allied held Italy. Things looked pretty dry there.