Operation: Hanau Germany

Date: 1/2nd January 1945 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit: No. 571 Squadron

Type: Havilland Mosquito Mk.XVI

Serial: MM124

Code: 8K-U

Base: RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire

Location: Stetchworth, 10m E of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England

Pilot: F/O. Henry Ross 168834 RAF Age 22. Killed

Nav: Sgt. Herbert Cook 1054100 RAFVR Age ? Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off on an operation to Hanau at 16:19 hrs. 17 Mosquitoes were sent from 8 Group, to bomb the mouths of various tunnels in the wooded and hilly Eiffel regions between the Rhine and Ardennes battle area. Each Mosquito was to dive and attempt to drop a 4,000b bomb fitted with a short action fuze. 14 tunnels were attacked using this method.

On return to its base Mosquito MM124 hit trees descending in cloud coming down at Stetchworth, 10m E of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, killing both the crew.

Above: crew details (see credits)

Burial details:

F/O. Henry Ross. Aberdeen Cemetery (Sprongbank) Sec. T. Grave 217. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ross, of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Sgt. Herbert Cook. Summerseat Methodist Churchyard (Rowlands). Row D. Grave 70. Son of Ernest and nancy cook, of Queens Place, Summerseat, Bury, Lancashire, England.

Researched by Michel Beckers with thanks to Kathleen Sumner for grave photograph. Others from the Michel Beckers collection. Also thanks to Mathew Cook who contacted us in September 2016 with photo and details.