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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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128 Squadron Crest
07/08.03.1945 128 Squadron Mosquito XV1 RV306 M5:U Sqn.Ldr. Armstrong

Operation: Berlin, Germany

Date: 7/8th March 1945 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit: 128 Squadron

Type: Mosquito Mk. XVI

Serial: RV306

Code: M5:U

Base: RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire

Location: Gilze-Rijen Airfield (B.77), Holland

Pilot: Sqn.Ldr. John David Armstrong J5707 RCAF Age 31. Killed

Nav: Fg.Off. William Edward Whyte J42207 RCAF Age 22. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

On returning to base on just the port engine, the crew decided to land at Gilze-Rijen (B.77) airfield in Holland. Eye witnesses state the Mosquito made a download approach and crashed while trying to go round again.


Burial details:

Sqn.Ldr. John David Armstrong. Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery, Holland Grave: 8.D.12. Son of Claude Hickman Beer Armstrong and Winnifred Russell Armstrong and husband of Hilda Armstrong, of Victoria, British Columbia.

Fg.Off. William Edward Whyte from his service record

Fg.Off. William Edward Whyte. Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery, Holland Grave: 8.D.11. Son of Frederick and Edith (née Gartley) Whtte of Ontario, Montreal.

Researched by Michel Beckers for Aircrew Remembered - March 2017. Grave photographs courtesy of Astrid, the remainder from the Michel Beckers collection.

RS 13.07.2020 - Addition of Fg.Off Whyte images and NoK details

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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', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. 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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