582 Squadron was on 12 July 1944. Newly promoted to captain on 4 November 1944, he took part in a daring daylight bombing raid on 23 December, on the Gremberg railway yards, Cologne, Germany. The Squadron Leader for the raid on Cologne was his close friend, Robert Palmer, who normally flew Mosquitos with 109 Squadron, also based at Little Staughton. Swales was the number two Pathfinder, leading the main flight and following Palmer as he marked the target. Palmer, who had completed 110 bombing raids, was killed as his Lancaster, despite being damaged by flak and with two engines on fire, crashed after completing its bombing run. Palmer was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross – becoming the 2nd Pathfinder pilot to be so honoured. Six of the 30 aircraft on this operation were lost. For his actions on the Cologne raid, Edwin Swales was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. The citation reads: Victoria Cross In 1945, while with the RAF Pathfinders (No. 582 Squadron), Swales was the Master Bomber and captain of Avro Lancaster III PB538. On 23 February 1945, the very day as his D.F.C. award was gazetted, Swales led the bombing raid on Pforzheim, Germany (not far from Karlsruhe and the Rhine River), where 17,600 civilians were killed. The 'sortie', his 43rd operational flight, consisted of 367 Lancasters supported by 13 Mosquitos. The marking and bombing, from a relatively low 8,000 feet (2440m), were accurate and severe damage was inflicted on Pforzheim: 1,825 tons (1854 tonnes) of bombs were dropped in 22 minutes. The post-war British Bombing Survey Unit estimated that 83% of the town's built-up area was destroyed, probably the greatest proportion of a city destroyed in any one raid during the war. Ten Lancasters were lost and two more crashed in France. Swales' aircraft was attacked by an Me110 whose fire shattered one engine and holed the fuel tanks. They were attacked again by the same fighter which knocked out a second engine. Swales decided to try and make it to friendly territory. The weather closed in and he ordered the crew to bail out. He attempted to put his Lancaster down but it stalled and crashed near Valenciennes, west of Prouvy, 3 km SSE of Denain in northern France killing him. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross – the 3rd and last Pathfinder pilot to be so honoured. All had been posthumous. Citation