Operation: Bremerhaven, Bomber Support (BS)

Date: 18th/19th September 1944 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit No: 23 Squadron

Type: Mosquito VI

Serial: PZ177

Code: YP:A

Base: RAF Little Snoring, Fakenham, Norfolk

Location: Gütersloh, Germany

Pilot: Fg Off. Kenneth Eastwood 136429 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Nav: Flt Lt. Griffith Gilbert Rogers 121119 RAFVR Age 34. KiA

Above left: Fg Off. Kenneth Eastwood (courtesy Audrey Baker via Linda Ibrom) Right: Flt Lt. Griffith Rogers (courtesy Susan Butt via Linda Ibrom)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Take off at 20:42 hrs. from Little Snoring in Norfolk. Joining 206 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitoes to attack the German city of Bremerhaven. Mandrel jamming began at 19:30 hrs and 21:05 hrs.

10 Heavies from 100 Group dropped large quantities of window which began to simulate a large force of bombers crossing Denmark en route to a target in Germany. This kept the Luftwaffe night fighters in the area of Schleswig and Denmark and away from the target area. The result a total success and the force was not able to be plotted until 21.20 hrs and only giving the German controllers some 50 minutes to sort any interception.

The unknown Mosquito claimed of Lt. Kurt Welter from 10./JG300 was south west of Berlin. None of the 3 Mosquitos lost on this night's operations came down in the Region of Berlin.

The Mosquito crashing at 23:30 hrs. onto the Reich Autobahn, some 6km South of Gütersloh.

Burial details:

Fg Off. Kenneth Eastwood. Hanover War Cemetery. Joint grave 12E. 1-2. Grave Inscription: “"PEACE, PERFECT PEACE" WE, HIS LOVED ONES, MOURN FOR OUR BELOVED SON”. Born on the 20th June 1922. Son of Harry and Margaret Eastwood and brother of Audrey Eastwood of Upton, Cheshire.

Kenneth Eastwood attended Birkenhead Public School, joining Sloman’s House, twice being commended as best boxer in his class. He left school in July 1939 to join the Clan Shipping Line before volunteering for the RAF.

Flt Lt. Griffith Gilbert Rogers. Hanover War Cemetery. Joint grave 12E. 1-2. Grave Inscription: “LOVED AND REMEMBERED. MARJORIE AND FLEUR”. Son of James and Elizabeth Rogers of 45 Byron Street, East Ham, London, brother of George, May, Rose and Olwen.

He met Marjorie Pilton at a dance in 1929 and after a long engagement they married in 1934. They had a daughter, Fleurette Elizabeth and lived in Stanford le Hope, Essex. Known as “Griff” he was an avid reader and attended East Ham Polytechnic where he was studying to become a chartered secretary.

On the 1st of July 1940 he enlisted as an aircraftsman second-class observer, and was sent to commence his training at the bombing and gunnery school at Mount Hope in Canada from the 20th May 1941 to the 7th December 1941, staying with the Santes family who had connections to Firestone Tyres. On the 10th November 1941 he qualified as a pilot.

Researched by Aircrew Remembered, researcher and specialist genealogist Linda Ibrom for relatives of this crew. Special thanks to Audrey Baker (nee Eastwood) sister of Fg Off. Eastwood for the uniformed photo and family information and to Susan Butt, granddaughter of Flt Lt. Rogers for the personal information and wonderful photographs of her grandfather. Also to Ken Baker for identification in squadron photo of Fg Off. Kenneth Eastwood (Aug 2017).

Other sources listed below

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