Operation: Intruder

Date: 18/19th November 1944 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit: No. 487 Squadron (RNZAF) 140 Wing. 2 Group

Type: Mosquito FB.VI

Serial: HR248

Code: EG-K

Base: RAF Thorney Island, Sussex

Location: Garzweiler, Germany

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Alexander Stuart Anderson NZ/391873 RNZAF Age 33. Killed

Nav: Fl/Lt. John Warren Taylor NZ/421944 RNZAF Age 28. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Thorney Island in Sussex at 23:45 hrs to patrol railways in Northern Netherlands and also north East of the Ruhr. Understood to have been shot down by a night fighter and crashed in a field at Garzweiler.

Earlier on the 16/17th October 1940, thought to be one of the crew of Wellington Ic LL7857 returning from an operation to Kiel, the crew had to abandon the aircraft when it had strayed well off track some 5 miles north of Penrith in the Lake district. All the crew survived, with P/O. Anderson the only one injured.

Burial details:

Fl/Lt. Alexander Stuart Anderson. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 11.A.21. Born on the 19th October 1911 in Sydney. New South Wales, the son of William James Stuart Anderson and Freda Anderson, of 6 Grove Road, Bondi, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and husband of Mercia Anderson, of Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England. 965 Flying hours logged with over 25 operations whilst with 75 Squadron. Prior to service worked as a salesman and manager of Treister Hats.

Fl/Lt. John Warren Taylor. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 11.A.20. Born on the 04th December 1915 at Waipukurau, Central Hawkes Bay, the son of Thomas and Nelly Taylor (née Warren - married on the 28th September 1943), of Levin, Wellington, New Zealand and husband of Marguerite Alice (née Wilcox), of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Enlisted 15th July 1941 at Rotorua - embarked for training in Canada on the 28th May 1942. Prior to service worked as a Primary School Teacher. Fl/Lt. Taylor was presented with cuff links by King Christian of Denmark for his part in the famous low level bombing of the Gestapo HQ in Copenhagen. (Operation 'Jericho' - Aarhus 31st October 1944)

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, other sources as quoted below:

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