Operation: Intruder

Date: 09/10th November 1944 (Thursday/Friday)

Unit: No. 605 Squadron (11 Group)

Type: Mosquito FB.VI.

Serial: ER363

Code: UP-?

Base: RAF Manston, Kent

Location: Schaarsbergen, Netherlands

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Richard Maitland Singer NZ/416574 RNZAF Age 23. Killed

Nav: F/O. Ian Cedric Rodgerson NZ/428289 RNZAF Age 24. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 20:30 hrs from RAF Manston in Kent on a Intruder operation to Marx and Ardorf in Germany when they were brought down crashing in a pine forest at Schaarsbergen. Both crew killed and buried near the crash site. Reinterred after the war.

Burial details:

Fl/Lt. Richard Maitland Singer. Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery.Grave 13.C.9. Son of Richard Arnold Singer, and of Dorothy Singer, (née Nicol), of Auckland City, New Zealand. A total of 1473 flying hours logged and on his 33rd operational sortie.

F/O. Ian Cedric Rodgerson. Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery. Grave 13.C.10. Son of Mr. and Mrs. John Reed Rodgerson, of Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand and husband of Gillian Rodgerson, of Brighton, Sussex, England. On his 16th operational sortie.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Weekly News of New Zealand, Wouter van Dijken for grave photographs, other sources as quoted below: