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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.

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RAF Crest
01/02.01.1945 No. 571 Mosquito XVI MM124 8K-U F/O. Henry Ross

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.

KTY 09.09.2016 - Further photo added with details.

Acknowledgements: Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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