464 (FB) Squadron RAAF in WW2

A Brief History of De Havilland Mosquito Operations

July 1943 to September 1945 Page 2

464Sqn Operations Page 1

Page 3 Page 4

HX964

00Sep43 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial HX964 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 28^th of 48 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range HX937 to HX984.

Powered by two 27-litre Rolls Royce Merlin 25 liquid-cooled two-stage supercharged V-12 piston aero engines fitted with exhaust flame dampers each developing 1,635 hp (1,230 kW) driving three-bladed De Havilland hydromatic propellers. Camouflaged overall Ocean Grey with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey on upper surfaces and sides; prop spinners were painted Medium Sea Grey.

Armament was four 20-mm Mk.II Hispano-Suiza cannons with 150rpg mounted in the fuselage belly and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns with 500rpg mounted in the nose. Provision made for the carriage of either two 50 gallon fuel tanks or two x 500lb bombs in the bomb bay, plus two x 250lb or 500lbs bombs; or a load of 8 x 25lb or 60lb unguided rocket projectiles; or, two 50 gal or 100 gal long range drop tanks under the strengthened wings.

00Sep43 Aircraft’s first flight at Hatfield by a de Havilland test pilot

28Sep43 Aircraft delivered direct from De Havilland to No.464Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Sculthorpe. Norfolk where it was taken on charge and issued to B Flight as SB-V, later recoded as SB-Y.

30Sep43 Aircraft flew an unknown number of training missions in September 1943.

31Oct43 Aircraft flew an unknown number of training missions in October 1943.

30Nov43 Aircraft flew an unknown number of training missions in November 1943.

21Dec43 1^st Operational Flight. FLTLT T McPhee and FLTLT C.W Atkins departed Sculthorpe at 0840hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos then joined up with a further 23 aircraft from 21Sqn and 487Sqn for Ramrod R-387 Noball, the first Noball attack against a V1 site at St Agatdhe d’Aliermont, 18km SE of Dieppe, France. Aircraft armed with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.II bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.7mm machine guns. At 0915hrs when halfway across the Channel the raid was recalled because of extreme bad weather both enroute and over the target area. The crew returned to Base at 1012hrs.

22Dec43 2^nd Operational Flight. FLTLT T McPhee and FLTLT C.W Atkins departed Sculthorpe at 1045hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos then joined up with a further 23 aircraft from 21Sqn and 487Sqn for a repeat of the previous day’s mission. Aircraft armed with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.II bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.7mm machine guns. On this occasion eight of the fifteen aircraft bombed the target successfully before the remaining seven were unable locate the target through the thick smoke caused by the large forest fire in the target area. The crew returned to Base at 1305hrs.

23Dec43 3^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT T McPhee and FLTLT C.W Atkins departed Sculthorpe at 0840hrs as one of ten 464Sqn Mosquitos then joined up with a further twenty Mosquitos from 21Sqn and 487Sqn for Ramrod R-391 Noball, tasked to attack a V1 site at St Agathe d’Aliermont, 18km SE of Dieppe, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. Weather over the target was bright and clear, all ten 464Sqn Mosquitos located and bombed the assigned target and returned safely to Base at 1100hrs.

31Dec43 4^th Operational Flight. FLTLT T McPhee and FLTLT C.W Atkins departed Sculthorpe at 0920hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos for Ramrod R-401 Noball Mission, an attack against a V1 launch complex at La Plouy Ferme, in the Somme region of France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.II bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.7mm machine guns. Intense flak met the aircraft over the target but the crew successfully bombed the target before returning to Base at 1145hrs.

31Dec43 Aircraft moved from Sculthorpe to the new operating base at RAF Station Hunsdon, Hertfordshire

Aircraft flew four Operational Flights and at least two non-operational flights in December 1943.

06Jan44 5^th Operational Flight. FLTLT T McPhee and FLTLT C.W Atkins departed Hunsdon at 1900hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for a Night Intruder Patrol to attack various aerodromes in northern France and Belgium. McPhee was assigned to attack Melsbroek airfield near Brussels, Belgium however he aborted this target because of atrocious weather. On the return journey the crew located and attacked a lighted airfield midway between Eccloo (Eeklo) and Sas Van Gent in the Dutch province of Zeeland. The crew returned to Base at 2100hrs.

08Jan44 6^th Operational Flight. FLTLT T McPhee and FLTLT C.W Atkins departed Hunsdon at 1800hrs as one of five 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for a Night Intruder Patrol to attack various aerodromes in northern France, Holland and Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.II bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.7mm machine guns. McPhee was assigned to attack a night fighter airfield near Rennes city in the east of Brittany in North-western France. The crew could not locate the unlighted airfield in the darkness and returned to Base at 2100hrs.

10Jan44 7^th Operational Flight. FLTLT T McPhee and FLTLT C.W Atkins departed Hunsdon at 1840hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack various aerodromes in northern France, Holland and Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.II bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.7mm machine guns. McPhee was assigned to attack the Venlo night fighter airfield in the south east of Holland near the German border. The crew located the airfield and bombed from 2,000ft in the face of intense but inaccurate flak before returning to Base at 2120hrs.

14Jan44 8^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF A.M Swan and PLTOFF R.A Williams departed Hunsdon at 1730hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack various aerodromes in northern France, Holland and Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.II bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.7mm machine guns. Swan was tasked to attack a night fighter aerodrome near the Dutch city of Leeuwarden in the municipality in Friesland, Holland.

21Jan44 9^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF A.E Verren and PLTOFF E.W Rogers departed Hunsdon at 1900hrs to carry out an Intruder Patrol over Leeuwarden airfield in Friesland, Netherlands. The aircraft sustained serious damage from flak during the bomb run and headed for home as soon as the bombs were dropped. When making their approach to Hunsdon the pilot was severely hampered by the damage to the aircraft, including the complete lack of cockpit lighting. On finals the aircraft stalled and crash landed on the runway. Both crewmen sustained serious injuries and the aircraft was severely damaged.

24Jan44 Aircraft assessed as Cat.E and struck off charge. De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI Series II with RAF Serial HX964 served with 464Sqn from 27Sep43 until 24Jan44, a period of 119 days. During that period the aircraft flew nine Operational Flights totalling 21hrs 32min and made an unknown number of non-operational flights. RAF Form 78 states the total accrued airframe hours since manufacture was 71hrs 35min.

RAAF pilot 420308 Pilot Officer Albert Edwin Verren (22) born 30 October 1922 to Edwin John Verren and Margery Verren of Hobart, Tasmania was injured and admitted to Haymeads Hospital in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire. He underwent four weeks of painful recuperation before being discharged on 24 February 1944 and returning to active service. He completed his tour and was repatriated back to Australia at the end of the War. Albert Verren discharged from the RAAF on 5^th September 1945 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

Albert Verren passed away on 27 August 1979 aged 56 years and is buried in The New South Wales Garden of Remembrance Rookwood, New South Wales, Australia.

RAAF Navigator 420359 PLTOFF Ernest William Rogers (30) born 9^th July 1913; son of Reginald Arthur and Jean McKenzie Rogers of Balmain in Sydney, Australia; husband of Lorna May Rogers. He was seriously injured in the crash and admitted to Haymeads Hospital in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire then to The RAF Hospital in Ely, Cambridgeshire. He was declared medically unfit for further active service in September 1944 and was repatriated back to Australia on 25^th October 1944. Rogers resigned from the RAAF on 30^th August 1945 with the rank of Flying Officer.

Ernie Rogers was 74 years old when he passed away in Sydney in 5^th June 1987 aged 74 years. He is buried in The New South Wales Garden of Remembrance Rookwood, New South Wales, Australia.

HX976

00Oct43 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial HX976 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 40^th of 48 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range HX937 to HX984.

Powered by two 27-litre Rolls Royce Merlin 25 liquid-cooled two-stage supercharged V-12 piston aero engines fitted with exhaust flame dampers each developing 1,635 hp (1,230 kW) driving three-bladed De Havilland hydromatic propellers. Camouflaged overall Ocean Grey with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey on upper surfaces and sides; prop spinners were painted Medium Sea Grey.

Armament was four 20-mm Mk.II Hispano-Suiza cannons with 150rpg mounted in the fuselage belly and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns with 500rpg mounted in the nose. Provision made for the carriage of either two 50 gallon fuel tanks or two x 500lb bombs in the bomb bay, plus two x 250lb or 500lbs bombs; or a load of 8 x 25lb or 60lb unguided rocket projectiles; or, two 50 gal or 100 gal long range drop tanks under the strengthened wings.

00Oct43 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

07Oct43 Delivered for acceptance tests to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire.

10Nov43 Aircraft taken on charge with No.21 Sqn RAF at RAF Sculthorpe, Norfolk.

29Nov43 Sustained Cat.Ac damage in a landing accident at Sculthorpe. Repaired on site by a repair crew from De Havilland.

11Dec43 Returned to operations.

29Dec43 Sustained Cat.B damage in a landing accident at Sculthorpe. Repaired on site by a crew from De Havilland.

27Jan44 Sustained Cat.Ac damage in a landing accident at Sculthorpe. Repaired on site by a crew from De Havilland.

25Feb44 Returned to operations.

23Mar44 Aircraft taken on charge with No.60 Operational Training Unit at RAF High Ercall, Shropshire.

08Apr44 Aircraft delivered to RAAF No 464Sqn at RAF Station Swanton Morley, Norfolk where it was taken on charge and issued to B Flight as SB-O.

09Apr44 Aircraft moved from Swanton Morley to new base at RAF Station Hunsdon, Hertfordshire.

12Apr44 1^st Operational Flight. Captain A.M Wakeman and FLGOFF G.S Holmes departed Hunsdon at 2355hrs tasked to attack Twente airfield in Overijssel, Holland. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and four x 7.7mm machine guns. The crew could not positively identify their assigned target so the mission was aborted in line with operational procedure. The crew returned to base at 0230hrs/13Apr.

17Apr44 Aircraft moved to new operating base at RAF Gravesend, Kent.

30Apr44 Aircraft flew one Operational Flight and made three non-operational flights in April 1944.

06May44 2^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.H Tuck and PLTOFF A.S. Crowfoot departed Gravesend at 2230hrs as one of two 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack airfields in Holland. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and four x 7.7mm machine guns. Tuck and Crowfoot were tasked to attack Metz airfield which they located and bombed from 2,000ft before returning to Base at 0140hrs.

09May44 3^rd Operational Flight. CPT A.M. Wakeman and FLGOFF G.S Holmes departed Gravesend at 0030hrs as one of three 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack airfields in France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and four x 7.7mm machine guns. Wakeman and Holmes were tasked to attack Nancy airfield located some 275km east of central Paris and, after ranging over St Dizier and Metz, bombed the Nancy airfield at 0230hrs before returning to Base at 0405hrs.

11May44 4^th Operational Flight. CPT A.M. Wakeman and FLGOFF G.S Holmes departed Gravesend at 2220hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Night Intruder patrols against German night fighter bases over northern France and southern Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew were tasked to attack the night fighter airfield on the outskirts of Rheims, located 129km northeast of central Paris. Despite a prolonged search the crew could not locate the blacked-out airfield and aborted the mission before returning to Base at 0045hrs/12May.

31May44 Aircraft flew three Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flight in May44.

05Jun44 5^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A. Rollo AFC and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Gravesend at 2345hrs as one of twenty Mosquitos tasked to support of D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns and loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and Illumination Flares. The crew bombed a road at U.2663 southeast of Caen before returning to Base at 0150hrs/06Jun.

06Jun44 6^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A. Rollo AFC and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Gravesend at 2359hrs as one of eighteen Mosquitos tasked to support of D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns and loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and Illumination Flares. The crew bombed a road junction before returning to Base at 0210hrs/07Jun.

07Jun44 7^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A. Rollo AFC and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Gravesend at 0055hrs as one of fifteen Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and Illumination Flares. The crew bombed and strafed a section or rail line before returning to base at 0335hrs.

10Jun44 8^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A. Rollo AFC and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Gravesend at 2355hrs as one of twenty 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed lights in wood and strafed another lighted area before returning to Base at 0225hrs/11Jul.

11Jun44 FLTLT A.A. Rollo AFC and FLGOFF G.S Haward were preparing to depart Thorney Island at 0530hrs for Night Intruder Patrol but were forced to abort when the starboard engine refused to start.

13Jun44 9^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A. Rollo AFC and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Gravesend at 2350hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a wooded area before returning to Base at 0240hrs/14Jun.

17Jun44 Gravesend could not be used because of the high density of V1 traffic passing directly over the Base, so the aircraft was one of sixteen Mosquitos deployed in the morning hours to RAF Dunsfold near Cranleigh, Surrey for the nights’ operations.

17Jun44 10^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A. Rollo AFC and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Dunsfold at 0025hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn aircraft tasked to attack road and rail links in the Cherbourg area. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway crossing before returning to Base at 0315hrs.

18Jun44 Aircraft moved to new operating base at RAF Thorney Island, West Sussex.

20Jun44 11^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A. Rollo AFC and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 2345hrs for an Intruder Patrol over northern France. Aircraft armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns and loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and Illumination Flares. It is unclear if the aircraft sustained battle damage or suffered mechanical/electrical failure but when approaching Base to land the pilot had only one engine and no flaps. The aircraft crashed on the runway at 0300hrs, both crewmen egressed the wreckage with nothing but minor injuries but the aircraft was assessed as Cat.B/FB.

03Jul44 Aircraft reassessed as Cat.E and struck off charge. De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI Series II with RAF Serial HX976 served with 464Sqn from 04Apr44 until 20Jun44, a period of 78 days. During that period the aircraft flew eleven Operational Flights totalling 32hrs 40min and made an unknown number of non-operational flights. RAF Form 78 states the total accrued airframe hours since manufacture was 92hrs 15min.

RAF pilot (565336) 47003 Flight Lieutenant Arthur Alexander Rollo AFC (30) born 6^th January 1914 to Alexander Lees and Hilda Rollo in Toxteth Park, Lancashire. Arthur Roll survived the crash with minor injuries and returned to active service after a short period of hospitalisation and leave. Rollo went on to complete his tour and survived the War; he remained in the RAF until his resignation on 31st July1959 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. Arthur Rollo passed away on 7^th December 1981 in Salford, Greater Manchester aged 67 years young.

Pilot Officer A.A Rollo after his commissioning 2^nd July 1941.

RAFVR navigator 141558 Flying Officer Graeme Stanley Haward (22) born 31 August 1922 to Reginald Stanley and Margaret Edith Balfour Haward in Hendon, Greater London. He survived the crash with minor injuries and returned to active service after a short period of hospitalisation and leave. Haward went on to complete his tour and survived the War. Graeme Haward passed away on 24^th November 1996 in Salford, Greater Manchester aged 74 years young.

HX983

00Oct43 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial HX983 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 47^th of 48 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range HX937 to HX984.

Powered by two 27-litre Rolls Royce Merlin 25 liquid-cooled two-stage supercharged V-12 piston aero engines fitted with exhaust flame dampers each developing 1,635 hp (1,230 kW) driving three-bladed De Havilland hydromatic propellers. Camouflaged overall Ocean Grey with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey on upper surfaces and sides; prop spinners were painted Medium Sea Grey.

Armament was four 20-mm Mk.II Hispano-Suiza cannons with 150rpg mounted in the fuselage belly and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns with 500rpg mounted in the nose. Provision made for the carriage of either two 50 gallon fuel tanks or two x 500lb bombs in the bomb bay, plus two x 250lb or 500lbs bombs; or a load of 8 x 25lb or 60lb unguided rocket projectiles; or, two 50 gal or 100 gal long range drop tanks under the strengthened wings.

00Oct43 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

17Oct43 Aircraft delivered to RAF No.613 (City of Manchester) Sqn at RAF Lasham, Hampshire.

29Oct43 Aircraft delivered to RAAF No.464 Sqn at RAF Station Sculthorpe, Norfolk where it was taken on charge and issued to A Flight. There is no record of the aircraft flying any Operational Flights with 646Sqn; it can only be assumed the aircraft flew an unknown number of non-operational flights before its demise in November 1943.

30Nov43 Few details are known regarding the crew that sustained an engine failure soon on take-off from Sculthorpe on a local training flight. Following the engine failure the pilot made a successful crash landing in field near Coxford Heath, Norfolk located some 3km southeast of Sculthorpe.

01Dec43 Aircraft was recovered from the field and a technical inspection declared the aircraft sustained Cat.E damage and was written off. While serving with 464Sqn the aircraft flew no Operational Flights and made several training and non-operational flights. RAF Form 78 states the total accumulated airframe time was 39hrs 25min.

LR258

00Oct43 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial LR258 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 13^th of 29 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range LR248 to LR276.

Powered by two 27-litre Rolls Royce Merlin 21 liquid-cooled two-stage supercharged V-12 piston aero engines each developing 1,490 hp (1,111 kW) driving three-bladed De Havilland hydromatic propellers. Camouflaged overall Ocean Grey with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey on upper surfaces and sides; prop spinners were painted Medium Sea Grey.

Armament was four 20-mm Mk.II Hispano-Suiza cannons with 150rpg mounted in the fuselage belly and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns with 500rpg mounted in the nose. Provision made for the carriage of either two 50 gallon fuel tanks or two x 500lb bombs in the bomb bay, plus two x 250lb or 500lbs bombs; or a load of 8 x 25lb or 60lb unguided rocket projectiles; or, two 50 gal or 100 gal long range drop tanks under the strengthened wings.

00Oct43 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

24Oct43 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot direct from De Havilland to No.464Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Sculthorpe, Norfolk where it was taken on charge and issued to A Flight.

October 1943. A line up of brand new Mk.VI Mosquitos at Hatfield awaiting delivery to the RAF.
LR258 is the aircraft closest to the camera.

31Oct43 Aircraft flew an unknown number of training missions in October 1943.

16Nov43 One of five A Flight Mosquitos detached to RAF Ford, West Sussex for night time Flower Operations over enemy night fighter airfields in northern France.

HX858 HX901 HX921 HX949 LR258

19Nov43 1^st Operational Flight. SQNLDR R.W Iredale and FLTLT J.L McCaul departed Ford at 2050hrs and completed an uneventful 2hr 55min Flower patrol over airfields in France before returning to Base at 0150hrs. Aircraft loaded with two 50 gallon bomb bay fuel tanks; 2 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns.

25Nov43 2^nd Operational Flight. SQNLDR R.W Iredale and FLTLT J.L McCaul departed Ford at 0005hrs and completed an uneventful 2hr 25min Flower patrol over airfields in northern France before returning to Base at 0230hrs. Aircraft loaded with two 50 gallon bomb bay fuel tanks; 2 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns.

26Nov43 3^rd Operational Flight. SQNLDR R.W Iredale and FLTLT J.L McCaul departed Ford at 2105hrs and completed an uneventful 2hr 50min Flower patrol over airfields in northern France before returning to Base at 2355hrs. Aircraft loaded with two 50 gallon bomb bay fuel tanks; 2 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns.

29Nov43 4^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.W.F Barry and FSGT D.T Walsh departed Ford at 2200hrs for a night Flower Intruder Patrol. Aircraft loaded with two 50 gallon bomb bay fuel tanks; 2 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. At 2207hrs the aircraft crashed into the sea off Bognor Regis, Sussex. An accident investigation could not determine the cause of the crash.

01Dec43 Aircraft struck off charge. De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI Series II with RAF Serial LR258 served with 464Sqn from 24Oct43 until 29Nov43, a period of 36 days. During that period the aircraft made four Operational Flights totalling 10hrs 40min and made an unknown number of non-operational flights. RAF Form 78 states the total accrued airframe hours since manufacture was 31hrs 55min.

RAAF pilot 420115 Flying Officer Alfred Walter Fitzroy Barry (23) born 23 May 1920 to Roy William and Christina May Barry of Oatley, New South Wales. Alfred was KIA and is buried in Section 4, Grave M.13 of the Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey UK. He is commemorated on Panel 133; Supplementary Panel 13 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. He is remembered on the Oatley War Memorial; and, his name is listed in the RAF WW2 Books of Remembrance at St Clement Danes Church, London

RAAF navigator 413814 Flight Sergeant Daniel Thomas Walsh (28) born 2 September 1915 to Daniel and Alice Maud Walsh, of Waverley, Sydney, New South Wales. Daniel was KIA and is buried in Section 4, Grave M.14 of the Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey UK. He is commemorated on Panel 109 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory; and, on the Waverley War Memorial in Waverley Park, Sydney. His name is listed in the RAF WW2 Books of Remembrance at St Clement Danes Church, London

Barry and Walsh were long time members of 464Sqn and flew Ventura bombers before transiting to the newer, more powerful De Havilland Mosquito. The photograph and description shown below are courtesy of the Australian War Memorial

Members of the crew of Ventura aircraft 'C' for Charlie, of No. 464 Squadron RAAF, based at RAF Station Methwold. Left to right: 420115 Pilot Officer (PO, later Flying Officer [FO]) Alfred Walter Fitzroy Barry, Sydney, NSW; 413814 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) Daniel Thomas Walsh, Waverly, NSW, (lost on operations over the UK on 30 November 1943); 412316 Flt Sgt (later FO) Errol Johnston, Bondi, NSW (lost on operations over Italy on 12 April 1945); Flt Sgt K. A. Smith, Royal New Zealand Air Force. The bombs painted on the aircraft depict the twenty three operational sorties to its credit

LR259

00Oct43 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial LR259 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 14^th of 29 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range LR248 to LR276.

Powered by two 27-litre Rolls Royce Merlin 21 liquid-cooled two-stage supercharged V-12 piston aero engines each developing 1,490 hp (1,111 kW) driving three-bladed De Havilland hydromatic propellers. Camouflaged overall Ocean Grey with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey on upper surfaces and sides; prop spinners were painted Medium Sea Grey.

Armament was four 20-mm Mk.II Hispano-Suiza cannons with 150rpg mounted in the fuselage belly and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns with 500rpg mounted in the nose. Provision made for the carriage of either two 50 gallon fuel tanks or two x 500lb bombs in the bomb bay, plus two x 250lb or 500lbs bombs; or a load of 8 x 25lb or 60lb unguided rocket projectiles; or, two 50 gal or 100 gal long range drop tanks under the strengthened wings.

00Oct43 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

24Oct43 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot direct from De Havilland to No.464Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Sculthorpe, Norfolk where it was taken on charge and issued to B Flight as SB-Q

31Oct43 Aircraft flew an unknown number of training missions in October 1943.

16Nov43 One of five Mosquitos detached to RAF Bradwell Bay, Essex for night time Intruder Operations over northern France, Belgium and Holland.

HX913 LR256/P HJ772 HX914 LR259

29Nov43 1^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF K.L Monaghan DFM and FLGOFF A.W Dean DFM departed Bradwell Bay at 2330hrs for an Intruder Patrol in the Zuider Zee area. Aircraft loaded with two 50 gallon bomb bay fuel tanks; 2 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The crew reached the patrol area but could not positively identify their target so the pilot aborted and returned to base, as per standing orders.

30Nov43 Aircraft flew one Operational Flight and made two non-operational flights in November 1943.

01Dec43 Aircraft ceased detachment at Bradwell Bay and returned to Base.

03Dec43 2^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FSGT J.J Fleming departed Sculthorpe at 0030hrs tasked to attack Venlo airfield, Netherlands. Aircraft loaded with two 50 gallon bomb bay fuel tanks; 2 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The crew reached the target but could not make positive ID because of bad weather so the pilot aborted and returned to base, as per standing orders.

21Dec43 3^rd Operational Flight. FSGT G.R Langridge and PLTOFF D.W MacFarlane departed Sculthorpe at 0840hrs with 15 aircraft for Ramrod R-387 Noball, the first Noball attack against a V1 site at St Agathe d’Aliermont, 18km SE of Dieppe, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The 16 aircraft joined with 23 other Mosquitos from 21Sqn and 487Sqn but the raid was recalled at 0915hrs because of bad weather both enroute and over the target area.

22Dec43 4^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.R Langridge and PLTOFF D.W MacFarlane departed Sculthorpe at 1050hrs with 15 aircraft for a repeat of Ramrod R-387 Noball, the first Noball attack against a V1 site at St Agathe d’Aliermont, 18km SE of Dieppe, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The 16 aircraft joined with 23 other Mosquitos from 21Sqn and 487Sqn. Weather was marginal and only eight of the 464Sqn Mosquitos located and bombed the assigned target.

23Dec43 5^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF A.E Verren and FSGT E.W Rogers departed Sculthorpe at 0840hrs with nine other aircraft for Ramrod R-391 Noball, to attack a V1 site at St Agathe d’Aliermont, 18km SE of Dieppe, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The 10 aircraft joined with 20 other Mosquitos from 21Sqn and 487Sqn. Weather over the target was bright and clear, all ten 464Sqn Mosquitos located and bombed the assigned target and returned safely to Base.

31Dec43 6^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.R Langridge and PLTOFF D.W MacFarlane departed Sculthorpe at 0900hrs with 11 other aircraft to attack enemy installations on the northern French coast. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. All aircraft located and bombed their assigned targets and returned safely to Base.

31Dec43 Aircraft moved from Sculthorpe to new operating base at RAF Station Hunsdon, Hertfordshire.

31Dec43 Aircraft flew five Operational Flights and made at least two non-operational flights in December 1943.

06Jan44 PLTOFF K.R Russell and WOFF E.M Lumsdaine departed Hunsdon at 1210hrs for low level cross-country training flight. At 1445hrs the aircraft made a low pass over RAF Chipping Warden airfield and struck the ground. The pilot could not recover the aircraft before it hit a maintenance hangar and crashed to the ground and caught fire. Both crewmen were killed in the crash and ensuing fire.

In the subsequent Report on Flying Accident not Attributable to enemy Action the Station Commander of RAF Chipping Norton wrote: “This is a case of gross disobedience of flying orders resulting in the loss of 2 lives, an aircraft and damage to service property. At an earlier date this pilot was on strength at RAF Chipping Warden and it appears he was indulging in a demonstration to impress any who may have been watching. All pilots are aware of the penalties following low flying accidents.”

An eyewitness to the accident was Canadian Lancaster pilot who was undergoing training at Chipping Howard at the time: ‘There was a big prang today – a Mossie was doing a beat up of the field (ex-BAT flight instructor) and he went in too low! Tore a hole in the roof of the BAT flt after bouncing off the field itself. The tail was torn off and rammed into a hangar and hung there. The rest of the plane bounced over the CGI block where I was and landed two hundred yards away in a field across the road. Nothing left at all. When it exploded on landing pieces flew all over the place and I got one. There was ammo exploding for three quarters of an hour and clouds of black smoke. An example of what not to do!

10Jan44 Aircraft struck off charge. De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI Series II with RAF Serial LR259 served with 464Sqn from 24Oct43 until 06Jan44, a period of 74 days. During that period the aircraft made six Operational Flights totalling 14hrs 33min and made an unknown number of non-operational flights. RAF Form 78 states the total accrued airframe hours since manufacture was 37hrs 20min.

RNZAF pilot 415023 Pilot Officer Kenneth Royce Russell (24) born 26 November 1919 son of Frank Russell and of Hinda M. Russell (nee Bramich), of Ulverstone, Tasmania. Frank Russell and his family migrated to New Zealand in 1925. Kenneth Russell was KIA and is buried in Plot 1/2 Grave 132 of the Oxford (Botley) Cemetery in North Hinksey, Berkshire UK. He is commemorated on the Roll of Honour Board in the Air Force Museum of New Zealand; and, on the World War 2 Hall of Memories at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

RAAF navigator 402372 Warrant Officer Ernest Roy Lumsdaine (25) born 8 January 1918 at Meppershall, Bedfordshire the son of 6812 Lance Corporal Russell Robberds Lumsdaine of 1 Division Signal Company AIF, and Rose Victoria (nee Taylor). The family departed England for Australia on 12 July 1919 aboard the SS Indarra and settled in Sydney, Australia.

Ernest Lumsdaine was KIA and is buried in Plot 1/2 Grave 132B of the Oxford (Botley) Cemetery in North Hinksey, Berkshire UK. He is also commemorated on Panel 109 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT; on the Manly War Memorial in Sydney; and, on the St Mary’s Church War Memorial in Bedfordshire, England.

12Dec1943 at RAF Station Methwold
FSGT Ken Russell (L) and WOFF Ernie Lumsdaine (R)

Oxford (Botley) RAF Cemetery in North Hinksey, Berkshire UK

LR389

00Jan44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial LR389 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 29^th of 29 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range LR343 to LR389.

Powered by two 27-litre Rolls Royce Merlin 25 liquid-cooled two-stage supercharged V-12 piston aero engines each developing 1,635 hp (1,219 kW) driving three-bladed De Havilland hydromatic propellers. Camouflaged overall Ocean Grey with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey on upper surfaces and sides; prop spinners were painted Medium Sea Grey.

Armament was four 20-mm Mk.II Hispano-Suiza cannons with 150rpg mounted in the fuselage belly and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns with 500rpg mounted in the nose. Provision made for the carriage of either two 50 gallon fuel tanks or two x 500lb bombs in the bomb bay, plus two x 250lb or 500lbs bombs; or a load of 8 x 25lb or 60lb unguided rocket projectiles; or, two 50 gal or 100 gal long range drop tanks under the strengthened wings.

00Jan44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

06Jan44 Aircraft delivered for acceptance tests by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.27 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Shawbury, Shropshire.

27Jan44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464Sqn at RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire and issued to A Flight as SB-D.

31Jan44 Aircraft flew two non-operational flights in January 1944.

12Feb44 1^st Operational Flight. FSGT T.H Gibbons and FSGT I. Kenway departed Hunsdon at 1337hrs with five other Mosquitos tasked to attack a V1 site at Les Petits Moreaux in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The crew bombed the target and returned safely at 1527hrs.

22Feb44 2^nd Operational Flight.FSGT T.H Gibbons and FSGT I. Kenway departed Hunsdon at 1010hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus six from 613Sqn and two from 21Sqn all tasked to attack a V1 site at Chateau de Bosmelet in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The pilot aborted the mission with engine problems and returned to Base at 1150hrs.

24Feb44 3^rd Operational Flight.FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF E. Ramsey departed Hunsdon at 1630hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos and five from 613Sqn tasked to attack V1 construction works at St Adrien in Bretagne, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The 464Sqn aircraft were split into four pairs with a small time interval between each pair. The crew successfully attacked the target and returned to Base at 1810hrs.

25Feb44 4^th Operational Flight.FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF E. Ramsey departed Hunsdon at 1630hrs as one of six aircraft tasked to attack V1 construction works at Beautot in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The crew successfully attacked the target and returned to Base at 1815hrs.

28Feb44 5^th Operational Flight.FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF E. Ramsey departed Hunsdon at 1315hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined a further six from 613Sqn; six from 21Sqn; and, two from 305Sqn all tasked to attack V1 construction works at Beautot in the Pas de Calais. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The crew successfully attacked the target and returned to Base at 1510hrs.

29Feb44 6^th Operational Flight.FLGOFF C. Timson and SGT P.H Edwards departed Hunsdon at 0940hrs with five other Mosquitos on Ramrod 600 tasked to attack a V1 site at Belleville-en-Caux in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. On reaching the French coast several snow storms with heavy icing were encountered, some crews ‘pressed on’ and others turned back. LR 389 failed to return and was last seen near the enemy coast on the way back in cloud. Post war investigations by a Missing Research and Enquiry unit team the aircraft learned the aircraft had crashed near Dieppe, France and an investigation surmised the aircraft was lost because of a combination of severe icing, snow and abominable weather.

00Mar44 Aircraft struck off charge. De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI Series II with RAF Serial LR389 served with 464Sqn from 27Jan44 until 29Feb44, a period of 33 days. During that period the aircraft made six Operational Flights totalling 15hrs 10min and made an unknown number of non-operational flights. RAF Form 78 states the total accrued airframe hours since manufacture was 36hrs 12min.

RAFVR pilot 145686 Flying Officer Cyril Timson (22) of Market Harborough, Leicestershire was KIA and is buried in Grave E7 of the Grandcourt War Cemetery 30km east of Dieppe in the Seine-Maritime district, France. He is commemorated on the Honour Roll of The Robert Smyth School in Market Harborough; on the Entrance Gates to the Garden of Remembrance, Market Square in in Market Harborough; and, on the roll of honour of St Dionysius Church in Market Harborough.

RAFVR navigator 1451834 Sergeant Philip Henry Edwards (21) born 1923, the son of Alfred Henry and Norah Edwards of Hull, Yorkshire. Philip was KIA and is buried in Grave E6 of the Grandcourt War Cemetery 30km east of Dieppe in the Seine-Maritime district, France.

Grandcourt War Cemetery Seine-Maritime district, France

MM400

00Jan44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial MM400 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 17^th of 48 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range MM384 to MM431.

Powered by two 27-litre Rolls Royce Merlin 25 liquid-cooled two-stage supercharged V-12 piston aero engines each developing 1,635 hp (1,219 kW) driving three-bladed De Havilland hydromatic propellers. Camouflaged overall Ocean Grey with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey on upper surfaces and sides; prop spinners were painted Medium Sea Grey.

Armament was four 20-mm Mk.II Hispano-Suiza cannons with 150rpg mounted in the fuselage belly and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns with 500rpg mounted in the nose. Provision made for the carriage of either two 50 gallon fuel tanks or two x 500lb bombs in the bomb bay, plus two x 250lb or 500lbs bombs; or a load of 8 x 25lb or 60lb unguided rocket projectiles; or, two 50 gal or 100 gal long range drop tanks under the strengthened wings.

00Jan44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

06Jan44 Aircraft delivered for acceptance tests by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.27 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Shawbury, Shropshire.

30Jan44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464Sqn at RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire and issued to A Flight as SB-G

31Jan44 Aircraft flew one non-operational flight in January 1944.

06Feb44 1^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLGOFF F.H Landucci departed Hunsdon at 1210hrs as one of six Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Bois Coquerel, near Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target and headed for home but poor visibility at Base meant the crew were diverted to RAF Manston where they landed at 1345hrs.

07Feb44 FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLGOFF F.H Landucci departed Manston and returned to Hunsdon.

08Feb44 2^nd Operational Flight. SQNLDR W.R.C Sugden and FLGOFF A.H Bridger departed Hunsdon at 1015hrs as one of six Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Beaumont le Hareng in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew aborted the mission when the compass failed soon after departure and returned to Base at 1044hrs.

3^rd Operational Flight. SQNLDR W.R.C Sugden and FLGOFF A.H Bridger departed Hunsdon at 1525hrs as one of six Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Beaumont le Hareng in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target and returned to Base at 1720hrs.

09Feb44 4^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.W Iredale and FLTLT J.L McCaul departed Hunsdon at 0845hrs as one of four Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Chateau de Bosmelet in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target and returned to Base at 1035hrs.

11Feb44 5^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J.W Fox and WOFF L.G McAllister departed Hunsdon at 1415hrs as one of six Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Freval in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target and returned to Base at 1610hrs.

12Feb44 6^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.W Iredale and FLTLT J.L McCaul departed Hunsdon at 1335hrs as one of six Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Les Petits Moreaux in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target and returned to Base at 1520hrs.

15Feb44 7^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J.W Fox and WOFF L.G McAllister departed Hunsdon at 1200hrs as one of six Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Ardrouval in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target and returned to Base at 1610hrs.

20Feb44 8^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.D Parsons and FLGOFF E. Ramsey departed Hunsdon at 1030hrs as one of six Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Ardrouval in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target and returned to Base at 1225hrs.

21Feb44 9^th Operational Flight. FSGT T.H Gibbons and FSGT I. Kenway departed Hunsdon at 1015hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus two from 21Sqn and five from 613Sqn all tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Les Hayons in Normandy, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target but was hit by flak when leaving the target area. The crew nursed the damaged machine back to Base and landed at 1215hrs.

22Feb44 Aircraft withdrawn from operations awaiting damage assessment.

29Feb44 Assessed as Cat.Ac and a crew from No.71 Maintenance Unit, Oxfordshire were sent to Hunsdon to repair the aircraft.

Aircraft made nine Operational Flights and made a number of non-operational flights in February 1944.

22Mar44 Repairs completed and the aircraft returned to operations.

25Apr44 10^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF L.J.S Fittock and WOFF J.W Haugh departed Hunsdon at 1340hrs as one of ten 464Sqn Mosquitos plus two from 21Sqn all tasked to attack a V1 site at Heudières in Normandy, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns.

The crew bombed the alternate target after overshooting the primary and headed home in company with the other aircraft. At 1450hrs FSGT Gleeson (HX977) saw MM400 strike the sea and successfully ditch then watched as both men clambered out onto the wing and wave to the CO who was by now circling over the ditched aircraft and sending a fix for the RAF rescue launch. The ASR launch arrived on the scene to find WOFF Haugh alive but injured, there was no sign of FLGOFF Fittock.

In a later statement Haugh said they were 20 miles north of Fecamp when a bent propeller hit the top of a swell, causing the aircraft to Belly-flop into the ocean. He was knocked out, and woke in an RAF Hospital.

29Apr44 Aircraft struck off charge. De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI Series II with RAF Serial MM400 served with 464Sqn from 30Jan44 until 25Apr44, a period of 86 days. During that period the aircraft made ten Operational Flights totalling 28hrs 17min and made an unknown number of non-operational flights.

RNZAF pilot NZ415753 Flying Officer Lorenzo James Shann Fittock (24) born 7 February 1920, son of James Bateman Fittock and Laura Evelina Fittock of Gisborne, New Zealand. Lorenzo was KIA and has no known grave and is commemorated on Panel 262 of the Runnymede Memorial Cooper’s Hill in Englefield Green, near Egham, Surrey, England. He is also commemorated on the Roll of Honour Board in the Air Force Museum of New Zealand; and, on Panel H of the Auckland War Memorial.

RNZAF navigator 413412 Warrant Officer James William Haugh (23) born 1921 the son of Ernest Alfred and Dorothy Margaret Haugh of Palmerston in Otago, New Zealand. James was wounded in action and after a period of hospitalization returned to active service. James Waugh survived the War and returned to New Zealand. He passed away on 30 October 2002 aged 81years and laid to rest in the Rosegarden Plot, 39 Garden 15 of the Karori Cemetery and Crematorium Wellington, New Zealand

MM401

00Jan44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial MM401 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 18^th of 48 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range MM384 to MM431.

Powered by two 27-litre Rolls Royce Merlin 25 liquid-cooled two-stage supercharged V-12 piston aero engines each developing 1,635hp (1,219kW) driving three-bladed De Havilland hydromatic propellers. Camouflaged overall Ocean Grey with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey on upper surfaces and sides; prop spinners were painted Medium Sea Grey.

Armament was four 20-mm Mk.II Hispano-Suiza cannons with 150rpg mounted in the fuselage belly and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns with 500rpg mounted in the nose. Provision made for the carriage of either two 50 gallon fuel tanks or two x 500lb bombs in the bomb bay, plus two x 250lb or 500lbs bombs; or a load of 8 x 25lb or 60lb unguided rocket projectiles; or, two 50 gal or 100 gal long range drop tanks under the strengthened wings.

00Jan44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

09Jan44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.27 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Shawbury, Shropshire for acceptance tests.

29Jan44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464Sqn at RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire and issued to A Flight as SB-J.

31Jan44 Aircraft flew two non-operational flights in January 1944.

21Feb44 1^st Operational Flight. SQNLDR A.G Oxlade and FLTLT D.M Shanks departed Hunsdon at 1010hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus two from 21Sqn and six from 613Sqn all tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Les Hayons in Normandy, France. On the attack run the aircraft was hit and severely damaged by flak. The port engine was shattered, and the port undercarriage and most of the outer starboard wing was blown off. The crew managed to nurse the crippled aircraft back to the RAF Friston Emergency Landing Ground in Sussex. The aircraft was initially categorised as Cat.B and sent away for repair.

The port engine nacelle is seen here supported by a caterpillar tractor to enable the aircraft to be moved off the runway.
The damage to the starboard wing is clearly evident.

21Mar43 43 Group HQ reassessed the aircraft as Cat.E, the aircraft was reduced to components and the residue burnt. Since manufacture the aircraft only accumulated 5hrs 55min of flight time.

SQNLDR A.G Oxlade did not survive the War. On D-Day 6^th June 1944 he was near Montfort-sur-Risle SE of Rouen, France flying an Intruder mission in support of the D-Day landings when the aircraft was hit by flak. Despite his best efforts the aircraft crashed and Oxlade was killed. (See Mosquito Serial MM403 entry for full details of SQNLDR A.G Oxlade).

RAAF navigator 400839 FLTLT Donald McKenzie Shanks (35) of South Yarra in Melbourne, Victoria went on to complete his tour and survived the War. Don Shanks was involved in four serious incidents during his wartime operational flying. The first on May 1943 in Mosquito HJ701 when it aborted a mission with engine problems but crashed in a field on the way home. In this crash Shanks sustained injuries that required hospitalization in The Royal Devon Hospital, Exeter for several months. The second occasion was the incident on 21Feb44 described above. The third occasion was on D-Day 6^th June 1944 when NS897 was shot down while flying an Intruder mission in support of the D-Day landings. He avoided capture and spent the next three months with the French Resistance before he could be returned to Allied lines in September 1944. Finally, the fourth incident occurred on 18Jan45 when Shanks baled out of MM403 when it was shot down by flak near Merville, France while on an Intruder mission. Fortunately he came down in friendly territory and was soon back with the Squadron.

Don Shanks survived the rest of the War and was repatriated back to Australia in 1945. He elected discharge on 07Mar46 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

MM402

00Jan44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial MM402 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 19^th of 48 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range MM384 to MM431.

Powered by two 27-litre Rolls Royce Merlin 25 liquid-cooled two-stage supercharged V-12 piston aero engines each developing 1,635hp (1,219kW) driving three-bladed De Havilland hydromatic propellers. Camouflaged overall Ocean Grey with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey on upper surfaces and sides; prop spinners were painted Medium Sea Grey.

Armament was four 20-mm Mk.II Hispano-Suiza cannons with 150rpg mounted in the fuselage belly and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns with 500rpg mounted in the nose. Provision made for the carriage of either two 50 gallon fuel tanks or two x 500lb bombs in the bomb bay, plus two x 250lb or 500lbs bombs; or a load of 8 x 25lb or 60lb unguided rocket projectiles; or, two 50 gal or 100 gal long range drop tanks under the strengthened wings.

00Jan44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

08Jan44 Aircraft delivered for acceptance tests by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire.

23Jan44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464Sqn at RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire and issued to A Flight as SB-A.

31Jan44 Aircraft flew two non-Operational Flights in January 1944.

03Feb44 1^st Operational Flight. SQNLDR W.R Sugden and FLGOFF A.H Bridger departed Hunsdon at 1505hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos and three 21Sqn aircraft tasked to attack a V1 construction site near Beaumont le Hareng in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the target at 1608hrs then returned to Base at 1650hrs.

04Feb44 2^nd Operational Flight. SQNLDR W.R Sugden and FLGOFF A.H Bridger departed Hunsdon at 1520hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined eight Mosquitos from 613Sqn and eight from 21 Sqn tasked to attack a V1 construction site near Beaumont le Hareng in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the target at 1608hrs then returned to Base at 1720hrs.

05Feb44 3^rd Operational Flight. SQNLDR A. I McRitchie DFC and FLTLT R. W Sampson departed Hunsdon at 1340hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined eight Mosquitos from 613Sqn and eight from 21 Sqn tasked to attack the Bois Negle V1 site in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. During the attack flak severed the main hydraulic pipe-line but the crew were able to nurse the damaged machine back to Hunsdon, landing safely at 1532hrs

07Feb44 Aircraft damage was assessed as Cat.B/FB and repaired on site by a Civilian Repair Contractor.

08Feb44 4^th Operational Flight. WOFF G.R Langridge and FSGT W.D Hemmings departed Hunsdon at 1015hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos and eight from 21 Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Beaumont le Hareng, Pas de Calais. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1025hrs the pilot aborted the mission because of a compass failure and returned to Base at 1040hrs.

11Feb44 Aircraft repaired on site by a Civilian Repair Contractor.

15Feb44 Aircraft compass replaced and swung on site by a specialist De Havilland crew and returned to service.

18Feb44 5^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR W.R Sugden and FLGOFF A.H Bridger departed Hunsdon at 1050hrs with four other Mosquitos for an attack on a “Secret Target”, the nature of which would be revealed immediately the aircraft crossed the enemy coast. The raid was in fact Operation Jericho, the famous Amiens Prison Raid where Mosquitos of 21, 464 and 487 Squadrons escorted by three squadrons of Typhoon fighters attacked Amiens prison to free French resistance fighters. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns.

487sqn Mosquitos breached the outer walls and 464Sqn Mosquitos attacked the prison buildings, the reserve aircraft of 21Sqn were not needed - so accurate was the bombing of the other two squadrons. Of the 712 prisoners detained at Amiens, 102 died in the attack, 74 were hospitalised and 258 escaped.

While attacking the target the aircraft was hit several times by small and medium flak that caused damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot however made a safe return to Base at 1300hrs.

19Feb44 Aircraft damage assessed as Cat.Ac/FB repaired on site by a Civilian Repair Contractor.

22Feb44 6^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF G.B Robinson and PLTOFF G.P Jeffries departed Hudson at 1010hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined two from 21 Sqn and six from 613Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Chateau de Bosmelet in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1108hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1200hrs.

24Feb44 7^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR W.R Sugden and FLGOFF A.H Bridger departed Hunsdon at 1125hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos and eight from 613 Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Beautot in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1238hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1310hrs.

8^th Operational Flight. FSGT T.H Gibbons and FSGT I. Kernway departed Hunsdon at 1630hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined two from 21 Sqn and six from 613Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at St Adrien near Bretagne, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1738hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1810hrs.

25Feb44 9^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR W.R Sugden and FLGOFF A.H Bridger departed Hunsdon at 1135hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined two from 305 Sqn and six from 613Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Belleville-en-Caux in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1237hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1325hrs.

10^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.G Hole SGT R.T West departed Hunsdon at 1630hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined two from 21 Sqn and six from 613Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Beautot in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1733hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then 28Feb44

11^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.G Hole SGT R.T West departed Hunsdon at 1315hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined six from 21 Sqn; six from 615Sqn; and, two from 305Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Beautot in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1425hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1505hrs.

29Feb44 12^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR W.R.C Sugden and FLGOFF A.H Bridger departed Hunsdon at 0940hrs as one six 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined six from 21 Sqn; six from 615Sqn; and, two from 305Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Beautot in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The weather turned out to be the exact opposite of that forecast. On reaching the French coast several snow storms with heavy icing were encountered. Some crews ‘pressed on’ and others turned back, MM402 was one of those that aborted and returned to Base.

29Feb44 Aircraft flew twelve Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-ops flights in February 1944.

03Mar44 13^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF E. Ramsey departed Hunsdon at 0750hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined six from 21 Sqn; four from 615Sqn; and, two from 305Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Beautot in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 0859hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 0950hrs.

14^th Operational Flight. FSGT T.H Gibbons and FSGT I. Kernway departed Hunsdon at 1710hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined two from 21 Sqn and six from 613Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Herbouville near Dieppe in Seine-Maritime, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1801hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1853hrs.

04Mar44 15^th Operational Flight. FLTLT F.M Griggs and PLTOFF H.B Elhorn departed Hunsdon at 0800hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos plus four each from 21 and 487Sqns plus six from 305Sqn tasked to attack a V1 construction site at Les Hayons, Normandy, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 0901hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 0950hrs.

06Mar44 16^th Operational Flight. FSGT T.H Gibbons and FSGT I. Kenway departed Hunsdon at 1105hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos plus two from 21 Sqn and four from 613Sqn to attack a V1 site at Beaumont le Hareng, Pas de Calais. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The aircraft was hit by flak as it pulled away from the target but managed to return safely to Hunsdon, landing at 1250hrs.

06Mar44 Aircraft damage assessed as Cat.A/FB which was rectified on site over the next five days.

12Mar44 FSGT T.H Gibbons flew a successful 15min post-maintenance test flight.

18Mar44 17^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR W.R Sugden and FLGOFF A.H Bridger departed Hunsdon at 1505hrs with four other Mosquitos and joined with three Mosquitos from 21 Sqn and four from 487 Sqn tasked for a bombing mission against the Hazmeyer Electrical Equipment factory at Hengels in Belgium. The attacking force was met by a veritable ‘wall of flak’ over the target area and MM402 was hit numerous times resulting in the stbd engine and wing being set on fire and, unable to extinguish the blaze, the pilot decided to jettison the bomb load and attempt a crash landing. Fortunately the surrounding area was flat and the pilot was able to crash land at 200mph, the crew was amazed to see three of the four 500lb bombs still firmly attached. Both crewmen were quickly rounded up and taken away for interrogation and eventual imprisonment.

00Mar44 Aircraft struck off charge. De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI Series II with RAF Serial MM402 served with 464Sqn from 23Jan44 until 18Mar44, a period of 55 days. During that period the aircraft made seventeen Operational Flights totalling 27hrs 05min and made an unknown number of non-operational flights. RAF Form 78 states the total accumulated airframe hours since manufacture was 42hrs 45min.

RAF pilot 42658 Squadron Leader William Richard Craig Sugden (26) born 6 March 1918 was sent for interrogation to the Oberursel Dulag Luft in Frankfurt where he was given POW No.4160 and sent to Stalag Luft 1 Barth Vogelsang in Western Pomerania. He was liberated by Russian troops in March 1945 and returned to the UK.

RAFVR navigator 133532 Flight Lieutenant Albert Henry Bridger (33) born 23February 1911 in London, England. Albert broke his thigh in the crash landing and was admitted to a hospital in nearby Almedo, Belgium. After release from the hospital he was transported to Frankfurt and interrogated at the Dulag Luft where he was given POW Number 5451 and sent to Stalag Luft 1 Barth Vogelsang, Western Pomerania. He was repatriated back to the UK as an exchange prisoner in December 1944.

MM403

00Jan44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial MM403 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 20^th of 48 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range MM384 to MM431.

Powered by two 27-litre Rolls Royce Merlin 25 liquid-cooled two-stage supercharged V-12 piston aero engines each developing 1,635hp (1,219kW) driving three-bladed De Havilland hydromatic propellers. Camouflaged overall Ocean Grey with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey on upper surfaces and sides; prop spinners were painted Medium Sea Grey.

Armament was four 20-mm Mk.II Hispano-Suiza cannons with 150rpg mounted in the fuselage belly and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns with 500rpg mounted in the nose. Provision made for the carriage of either two 50 gallon fuel tanks or two x 500lb bombs in the bomb bay, plus two x 250lb or 500lbs bombs; or a load of 8 x 25lb or 60lb unguided rocket projectiles; or, two 50 gal or 100 gal long range drop tanks under the strengthened wings.

00Jan44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

08Jan44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire for acceptance tests.

23Jan44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464Sqn at RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire and issued to B Flight as SB-V.

31Jan44 Aircraft flew two non-Operational Flights in January 1944.

03Feb44 1^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and PLTOFF F.H Landucci departed Hunsdon at 1505hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos and three 21Sqn aircraft tasked to attack a V1 construction site near Beaumont le Hareng in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the target and as they were departing the target area the aircraft sustained light flak damage. The crew returned to Base safely at 1655hrs where the aircraft was assessed as Cat.A and repaired overnight.

04Feb44 2^nd Operational Flight. PLTOFF N.S Orris and WOFF G.T McIntosh departed Hunsdon at 1515hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined eight Mosquitos from 613Sqn and eight from 21 Sqn tasked to attack a V1 construction site near Beaumont le Hareng in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the target at 1606hrs then returned to Base at 1715hrs.

05Feb44 3rd Operational Flight. PLTOFF J.W Fox and WOFF L.G. McAllister departed Hunsdon at 1340hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos plus eight Mosquitos from 613Sqn and eight from 21 Sqn tasked to attack the Bois Negle V1 site in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. Ten minutes after take-off the R/T failed completely so the pilot aborted and returned to Base at 1400.

06Feb44 4th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Atkins and FLGOFF G.N.F Robinson departed Hunsdon at 1205hrs as one of six Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Bois Coquerel, near Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target and headed for home but poor visibility at Base meant the crew were diverted to RAF Manston where they landed at 1345hrs.

07Feb44 FLGOFF R.G Atkins and FLGOFF G.N.F Robinson departed Manston and returned to Hunsdon.

08Feb44 5^th Operational Flight. WOFF C.W Goldstiver and FLGOFF D.S Bedford departed Hunsdon at 1015hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos and eight from 21 Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Beaumont le Hareng, Pas de Calais. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew failed to locate the target due to bad weather and returned to Base at 1210hrs.

09Feb44 6^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and PLTOFF F.H Landucci departed Hunsdon at 0840hrs as one of four Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Chateau de Bosmelet in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the target and returned to Base at 1030hrs.

11Feb44 7^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF H.W Tuck and FLGOFF N.L Kahla departed Hunsdon at 1415hrs as one of six Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Freval in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target and returned to Base at 1604hrs.

12Feb44 8^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Atkins and FLGOFF G.N.F Robinson departed Hunsdon at 1337hrs as one of six Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Les Petits Moreaux in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the target and returned to Base at 1527hrs.

18Feb44 9^th Operational Flight. FLTLT T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Hunsdon at 1050hrs with four other Mosquitos for an attack on a “Secret Target”, the nature of which would be revealed immediately the aircraft crossed the enemy coast. The raid was in fact Operation Jericho, the famous Amiens Prison Raid where Mosquitos of 21, 464 and 487 Squadrons escorted by three squadrons of Typhoon fighters attacked Amiens prison to free French resistance fighters. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns.

487sqn Mosquitos breached the outer walls and 464Sqn Mosquitos attacked the prison buildings, the reserve aircraft of 21Sqn were not needed - so accurate was the bombing of the other two squadrons. Of the 712 prisoners detained at Amiens, 102 died in the attack, 74 were hospitalised and 258 escaped.

While attacking the target the aircraft was hit several times by small and medium flak that caused damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot however made a safe return to Base at 1250hrs.

22Feb44 10^th Operational Flight. FLTLT T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Hudson at 1000hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined two from 21 Sqn and six from 613Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Chateau de Bosmelet in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1104hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1150hrs.

24Feb44 11^th Operational Flight. FLTLT T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Hunsdon at 1125hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos and eight from 613 Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Beautot in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1238hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1310hrs.

12^th Operational Flight. FLTLT T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Hunsdon at 1630hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos and five from 613Sqn tasked to attack V1 construction works at St Adrien in Bretagne, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The 464Sqn aircraft were split into four pairs with a small time interval between each pair. The crew successfully attacked the target and returned to Base at 1810hrs.

25Feb44 13^th Operational Flight. CPT A.M Wakeman and FLGOFF G.S Holmes departed Hunsdon at 1135hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined two from 305 Sqn and six from 613Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Belleville-en-Caux in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1237hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1225hrs.

29Feb44 Aircraft made 13 Operational Flights and an unknown number of other flights in February 1944

Armourers loading 500-lb MC bombs on De Havilland Mosquito FB Mark VI, MM403 'SB-V', of No. 464 Squadron RAAF at Hunsdon, Hertfordshire 1944.

02Mar44 14^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF E. Ramsey departed Hunsdon at 1619hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos accompanied by four Mosquitos each from 21Sqn and 487Sqn tasked to attack a V1 construction site Escalles Sur Buchy located 13km west of Calais. Each Mosquito was loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the target at 1716hrs then returned to Base at 1805hrs.

03Mar44 15th Operational Flight. WOFF G.R Langridge and FSGT W.D Hemmings departed Hunsdon at 0800hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined six from 21 Sqn; four from 615Sqn; and, two from 305Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Beautot in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 0858hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1000hrs.

16th Operational Flight. FLGOFF K.L Monaghan and FLGOFF A.W Dean departed Hunsdon at 1700hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined four from 21 Sqn; four from 487Sqn; and, six from 305Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Herbouville in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1755hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1853hrs.

04Mar44 17th Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and PLTOFF F.H Landucci departed Hunsdon at 0805hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos plus four each from 21 and 487Sqns plus six from 305Sqn tasked to attack a V1 construction site at Les Hayons, Normandy, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 0901hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 0955hrs.

06Mar44 18^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee DFC DFM and FLTLT G.W Atkins DFC departed Hunsdon at 1105hrs with three other aircraft to attack a V1 sites No.115 at Beaumont le Hareng in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. Five minutes after take-off the aircraft experienced engine problems so the pilot aborted and returned to Base.

07Mar44 19th Operational Flight. FLGOFF K.L Monaghan and FLGOFF A.W Dean departed Hunsdon at 1455hrs as one of two 464Sqn aircraft tasked to attack V1 sites No.115 at Beautot in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. At 1553hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1640hrs.

15Mar44 20th Operational Flight. FLGOFF H.W Tuck and FLGOFF N.L Kahla departed Hunsdon at 1455hrs as one of two 464Sqn aircraft and two 487Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack V1 construction site at Preuseville in Normandy, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. At 1607hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1658hrs.

16Mar44 Aircraft withdrawn from operations to undergo a scheduled major servicing.

25Mar44 At short notice, the Squadron, in its entirety, moved from Hunsdon to RAF Swanton Morley. The move was to give squadron members experience and skills to be used during the upcoming invasion of Europe.

31Mar44 Aircraft made seven Operational Flights and an unknown number of other flights in March 1944

08Apr44 Aircraft moved from RAF Station Swanton Morley back to RAF Hunsdon.

13Apr44 Aircraft completed major servicing and returned to operations.

15Apr44 21^st Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Hunsdon at 1605hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack St Ghislain railway yards near Mons, Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 3 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV and 1 x 500lb MC LD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew could not locate the target because of the weather so both the pilot aborted and returned to Base by 1730hrs.

17Apr44 Aircraft moved from RAF Hunsdon to the new operating Base at RAF Station Gravesend in Kent.

25Apr44 22^nd Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Gravesend at 1345hrs as one of ten 464Sqn Mosquitos plus two from 21Sqn all tasked to attack a V1 site at Heudière in Normandy, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1436hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1515hrs.

27Apr44 23^rd Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Gravesend at 1400hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos aircraft led by their CO, WNGCDR R.W Iredale, tasked to attack a V1 Construction Site at Heudière in Normandy, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1448hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1535hrs.

29Apr44 24^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF H.W Tuck and PLTOFF D.A.S Crowfoot departed Gravesend at 1652hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus six from 21Sqn all tasked to attack the Abancourt railway facilities in the Oise Department of northern France. All aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1822hrs the crew made a successful attack on the target then returned to Base at 1915hrs.

On this Angry Angels mission the Mosquitos were led by an Oboe equipped Pathfinder Mosquito of 109Sqn, No.8 Group which led the formation up to 20,000ft. A total of 42 x 500lb bombs were dropped blind through 10/10ths cloud cover. This series of raids involved five consecutive attacks on the Abancourt complex from 28Apr thru 03May. Results of the raids was disappointing partly due to pathfinder marking errors and very poor weather. Additionally, the raids were very unpopular with most of the Wings’ aircrew as they felt they were needlessly exposed to flak and fighters because they were obliged to hold accurate height, heading and speed during the bomb run in broad daylight.

30Apr44 25^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Gravesend at 1510hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus six from 21Sqn all tasked to attack the Abancourt railway facilities in the Oise Department of northern France. All aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1622hrs the crew made a successful attack on the target then returned to Base at 1720hrs.

This was the second Angry Angels mission once again led by an Oboe equipped Pathfinder Mosquito of 109Sqn, No.8 Group. The force attacked from 19,000ft in good weather conditions but results were gain rated as poor with all 46 x 500lb bombs overshooting the target by 300 yards.

30Apr44 Aircraft flew five Operational Flights and at least two other flights in April 1944

01May44 26^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Gravesend at 1240hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus six from 21Sqn all tasked to attack the Abancourt railway facilities in the Oise Department of northern France. All aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1345hrs the crew made a blind drop through dense clouds then returned to Base at 1445hrs.

This was the third Angry Angels mission once again led by an Oboe equipped Pathfinder Mosquito of 109Sqn, No.8 Group. The force dropped 24 x 500lb bombs from 21,000ft through 10/10ths cloud cover then returned to Base at 1445hrs. Later recce photos showed the Pathfinder led attack again overshot the target by 250 yards.

07May44 27^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.R.C Walton and FLGOFF C.H Harper departed Gravesend at 1140hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus six from 21Sqn all tasked to attack a V1 construction site near Fécamp in Normandy, France. All aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. When the strike force arrived over the target area the weather had changed from a forecast of scattered clouds and sunshine to 10/10ths cover with lightning and hail. The mission was aborted and all aircraft retuned to Base at 1410hrs.

09May44 28^th Operational Flight. SGT J.W Wade and SGT E.A Piper departed Gravesend at 1405hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for a high level attack on a V1 site in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The Mosquitos were led by an Oboe equipped Pathfinder Mosquito of 109Sqn, No.8 Group and dropped blind from 20,000ft through thick cloud cover before returning to Base at 1610hrs. A later recce revealed the bombing was not successful.

11May44 29^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Gravesend at 2240hrs as one as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Night Intruder patrols against German night fighter bases over northern France and southern Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew located and bombed Creil airfield located 48km NNE of Paris then returned to Base at 0050hrs/12May.

14May44 30^th Operational Flight. CPT A.M Wakeman and FLGOFF G.S Holmes departed Gravesend at 2315hrs as one as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Night Intruder patrols against German night fighter bases over northern France and southern Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew located and bombed Nantes airfield in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, 50 km from the Atlantic coast, then returned to Base at 0215hrs/15May.

19May44 31^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLTLT R.W Hepworth departed Gravesend at 2215hrs as one as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Night Intruder patrols against German night fighter bases over northern France and southern Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew located and bombed Laon airfield near the city of Laon in Hauts-de-France in northern France, then returned to Base at 0045hrs/20May.

20May44 32^nd Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Gravesend at 1430hrs as one of five 464Sqn Mosquitos and six 487Sqn aircraft tasked for a high level blind bombing attack on a Wurzburg radar site at Le Treport located on the French coast 25km north of Dieppe, Normandy. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The Mosquitos were led by an Oboe equipped Pathfinder Mosquito of 109Sqn, No.8 Group. The Pathfinder led the force to the target at 19,000ft but did not drop its bombs so in accordance with the mission briefing the Mosquitos also did not drop. The crew returned to Base, with bombs, at 1605hrs.

21May44 33^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.C Henderson and WOFF R.J Hawke departed Gravesend at 1435hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos and six 487Sqn tasked for a high level blind bombing attack on a Wurzburg radar site at Le Treport located on the French coast 25km north of Dieppe, Normandy. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The Mosquitos were led by two Oboe equipped Pathfinder Mosquitos of 109Sqn, No.8 Group. At 1558hrs the twelve Mosquitos reached the target at 20,000ft and dropped 46 x 500lb MC TD bombs through the 10/10^th cloud cover. All aircraft returned safely to Base at 1640hrs.

27May44 34^th Operational Flight. FLTLT H.A Maule and SGT E.R Thomas departed Gravesend at 2245hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack Leeuwarden airfield individually at 10min intervals. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew located Leeuwarden and bombed at 0010hrs from 2,500ft then returned to Base at 0145hrs/28May.

31May44 Aircraft made nine Operational Flights and an unknown number of other flights in May 1944

03Jun44 Aircraft withdrawn from Ops to undergo servicing and preparation for the forthcoming D-Day Invasion. The most noticeable preparation was the application of five 24 inch (61 cm) wide alternating black and white stripes placed 24 inches (61 cm) outboard of the engine nacelles on the wings; and, five 18 inch (46 cm) wide stripes forward of the leading edge of the tailplane around the fuselage.

05Jun44 35^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Gravesend at 2200hrs as one of twenty Mosquitos tasked to support of D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns and loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and Illumination Flares. The crew bombed a road and rail junction NE of Laval 100km south of Caen, Normandy before returning to Base at 0030hrs/06Jun.

The original captions state MM405 over Thorney Island in June 1944. However, this cannot be true as MM405 was lost in February 1944 and invasion stripes were not applied to 464Sqn Mosquitos until 3rd June 1944. The aircraft shown is in fact MM403 which was on charge with the Squadron and flew D-Day missions.

06Jun44 36^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Gravesend at 2225hrs as one of eighteen Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew attacked roads and lighted areas in woods then returned to Base at 0040hrs.

37^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Gravesend at 0230hrs as one of seven Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew attacked roads and lighted areas in woods then returned to Base at 0445hrs.

08Jun44 38^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Gravesend at 2345hrs as one of ten Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew attacked roads and lighted areas in woods then returned to Base at 0210hrs.

10Jun44 39^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Gravesend at 2305hrs/09Jun as one of twenty 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed two roads before returning to Base at 0145hrs/11Jun.

40^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Gravesend at 0255hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed six lighted areas on two roads before returning to Base at 0515hrs.

11Jun44 41^st Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Gravesend at 2030hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed a stationary train followed by another strafing attack on two trains in a siding then strafed a moving troop train. The crew then located and bombed a road/rail bridge and bombed M/T on a nearby road. The crew then returned to Base at 2320hrs.

13Jun44 42^nd Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Gravesend at 2225hrs/12Jun as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a wooded area before returning to Base at 0120hrs/13Jun.

17Jun44 Gravesend could not be used because of the high density of V1 traffic passing directly over the Base, so the aircraft was one of sixteen Mosquitos deployed in the morning hours to RAF Dunsfold near Cranleigh, Surrey for the nights’ operations.

17Jun44 43^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.R Hurst and FLGOFF W.R Binks departed RAF Dunsfold at 0030hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn aircraft tasked to attack road and rail links in the Cherbourg area. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway crossing before returning to Base at 0335hrs.

18Jun44 Aircraft moved from RAF Station Gravesend to the new operating Base at RAF Station Thorney Island in West Sussex.

20Jun44 44^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 2355hrs/19Jun as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the Chartres area, 90km southwest of Paris. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed lights on a railway before returning to Base at 0250hrs/20Jun.

21Jun44 45^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Thorney Island at 0110hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the in the area bounded by the coast, Nantes, Dreux, and Gassicourt. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway junction before returning to Base at 0320hrs.

22Jun44 46^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 0115hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the in the area bounded by the coast, Nantes, Dreux, and Gassicourt. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway junction near Dreux starting a large fire before returning to Base at 0330hrs.

30Jun44 Aircraft flew twelve Operational Flights and an unknown number of other flights in Jun44

04Jul44 47^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorny Island at 2350hrs/03Jul as one of fourteen aircraft from the Squadron detailed to carry out night Ranger operations in Northern France. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed some petrol and oil storage tanks before returning to Base at 0325hrs.

05Jul44 48^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorny Island at 0005hrs as one of fourteen 4644Sqn Mosquitos detailed to carry out night Ranger operations in Northern France. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a road and vehicles before returning to Base at 0230hrs.

06Jul44 49^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorny Island at 2340hrs/05Jul as one of sixteen aircraft from the Squadron detailed to carry out night Ranger operations in Northern France. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a railway bridge before returning to Base at 0305hrs/06Jul.

07Jul44 50^th Operational Flight. FSGT R.G Wicky and FSGT G. Mountford departed Thorny Island at 2350hrs as one of fifteen aircraft from the Squadron detailed to carry out night Ranger operations in Northern France. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a railway bridge before returning to Base at 0310hrs/08Jul.

08Jul44 Aircraft withdrawn from operations for scheduled maintenance.

18Jul44 51^st Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 0210hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway junction before returning to Base at 0420hrs.

19Jul44 52^nd Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 0130hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a road junction before returning to Base at 0335hrs.

20Jul44 53^rd Operational Flight. FSGT J.R Mulligan and FSGT W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 0055hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a section of railway before returning to Base at 0315hrs.

22Jul44 54^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 0150hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0345hrs.

23Jul44 55^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 0310hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0500hrs.

25Jul44 56^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 2310hrs/24Jul as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed roads near Chartres before returning to Base at 0225hrs/25Jul.

26Jul44 57^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 2250hrs/25Jul as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for individual Intruder patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed and bombed roads and a lighted woods area before returning to Base at 0205hrs.

27Jul44 58^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 0225hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for individual Intruder patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed and bombed a river road bridge before returning to Base at 0500hrs.

28Jul44 59^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 0140hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for individual Intruder patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed and bombed lights on a railway before returning to Base at 0455hrs.

29Jul44 60^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R. Johnston and FLGOFF G.J.H Turner departed Thorney Island at 0005hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for individual Intruder patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway junction before returning to Base at 0425hrs.

31Jul44 Aircraft flew fourteen Operational Flights and an unknown number of other flights in Jul44

03Aug44 61^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Dixon and PLTOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 2230hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for individual Intruder patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway junction before returning to Base at 0105hrs.

04Aug44 62^nd Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island on the night of 4/5Aug at 0040hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to carry out night Intruder attacks on rail junctions, bridges, pontoons, barges, trucks, sidings, trains and marshalling yards. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway siding containing many trucks, hits were seen resulting in green and white explosions. The crew then strafed the numerous vehicles until all ammunition was expended before returning to Base at 0355hrs.

06Aug44 63^rd Operational Flight FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 0215hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for individual Intruder patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0415hrs.

07Aug44 64^th Operational Flight FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 0055hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area around the city of Flers, located 71km SSW of Caen. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the town of Domfront some 45km SSE of Caen before returning to Base at 0255hrs.

08Aug44 65^th Operational Flight FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 0125hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area around the city of Flers, located 71km SSW of Caen. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed an apparent flak unit on the Seine riverbank before returning to Base at 0330hrs.

09Aug44 66^th Operational Flight FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 0220hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets were enemy troops behind the forward edge of the battle area, all drops were through 10/10th cloud cover and based on GEE fixes. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the specified area behind the battle field through dense cloud and returned to Base at at 0400hrs.

11Aug44 67^th Operational Flight FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 2220hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area Cambremer and Lisieux, to the east of Caen. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a goods train and bombed enemy vehicles before returning to Base at 0040hrs/12Aug.

12Aug44 Aircraft flew 10 operational sorties between 12-30Aug to attack retreating German Army elements in the area bounded by Paris-Orleans-Chartres-Rouen (12-26Aug), then in the Charleville-Strasbourg area of Germany (28-31Aug). Altogether, the Squadron launched 285 individual sorties during the 20-day period which accounted for the destruction of large quantities of stores, ammunition, fuel, cars, trucks, tankers, armoured fighting vehicles and horse drawn wagons. Inevitably, numerous men were also killed and injured during the attacks.

14Aug44 68^th Operational Flight FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 2359hrs/13Aug as one of twenty 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed lights in a wooded area before returning to Base at 0320hrs/14Aug.

15Aug44 69^th Operational Flight FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 2220hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed lights in a wooded area before returning to Base at 0002hrs/16Aug.

17Aug44 70^th Operational Flight FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 2310hrs/16Aug as one of twenty 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a road and a railway section before returning to Base at 0200hrs/17Aug.

18Aug44 SQNLDR R.W Hyem and FLGOFF E.J Brane departed Thorney Island at 0055hrs for a mission but aborted five minutes after departure with a faulty compass. Returned to Base 0105hrs

71^st Operational Flight SQNLDR R.W Hyem and FLGOFF E.J Brane departed Thorney Island at 0140hrs as one of eighteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a lighted area in a wood before returning to Base at 0320hrs.

23Aug44 72^nd Operational Flight FLGOFF R. Johnston and FLGOFF G.J.H Turner departed Thorney Island at 0200hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a strafed enemy vehicles in a wooded area then bombed a nearby Seine river crossing before returning to Base at 0330hrs.

24Aug44 73^rd Operational Flight FLGOFF M.L Doube and FLGOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 0350hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal in the Paris-Orleans-Chartres-Rouen box. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a road/rail junction and strafed MT before returning to Base at 0550hrs.

25Aug44 74^th Operational Flight FLGOFF J.C Dixon and PLTOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 2359hrs/24Aug as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal in the Paris-Orleans-Chartres-Rouen box. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew aborted the mission due to electrical problems then returned to Base at 0055hrs/25Aug.

26Aug44 75^th Operational Flight FLGOFF J.C Dixon and PLTOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0210hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal in the Paris-Orleans-Chartres-Rouen box. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a road junction before returning to Base at 0520hrs.

31Aug44 76^th Operational Flight FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 0135hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass German Army elements north of the Somme River near Amiens, France. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. Aircraft also fitted with underwing jettisonable long range fuel tanks. The crew bombed a train and later strafed enemy vehicles before returning to Base at 0515hrs.

31Aug44 Aircraft flew seventeen Operational Flights and an unknown number of other flights in Aug44

07Sep44 Aircraft withdrawn from operations and sent to No.417 RSU at RAF Lasham, Hampshire for a major servicing estimated to take 5-6 weeks.

30Sep44 Aircraft made two non-operational flights in September 1944

19Oct44 Aircraft returned from 417RSU.

31Oct44 Aircraft made two non-operational flights in October 1944

03Nov44 77^th Operational Flight FLGOFF L.J Colgan and FLGOFF R.A Stoner departed Thorney Island at 0020hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack Communication Nodes in Holland and NW Germany. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew found no target to attack before returning to Base at 0335hrs.

20Nov44 78^th Operational Flight FLTLT A. Moodie and FSGT C.T Hunt departed Thorney Island at 2055hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack Communication Nodes in Holland and NW Germany. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew became lost so the pilot abandoned the task and returned to Base at 2315hrs.

27Nov44 79^th Operational Flight PLTOFF G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorny Island at 1959hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to attack road and rail junctions in and around the German towns of Unna, Viersen and Cloppenburg. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a rail junction before returning to Base at 2320hrs.

30Nov44 Aircraft made two non-operational flights in November 1944

04Dec44 80^th Operational Flight FLTLT W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorny Island at 1845hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to attack road and rail junctions in and around the German towns of Geldern, Dülken and Bocholt. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a road convoy near Bocholt before returning to Base at 2200hrs.

06Dec44 81^st Operational Flight PLTOFF G.W Nunn and PLTOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny Island at 2000hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to attack road and rail junctions in the Dorsten/ Burgsteinfurter area in north-western Ruhr. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a road convoy near Geldern before returning to Base at 2325hrs.

17Dec44 82^nd Operational Flight FLTLT R.M Trites and FLGOFF R.W Sheppard departed Thorny Island at 0300hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to attack road and rail junctions in the Dorsten/ Burgsteinfurter area in north-western Ruhr. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a road junction near Mayen before returning to Base at 0625hrs.

18Dec44 83^rd Operational Flight FLGOFF J.H Palmer and Sub/Lt H.H Becker departed Thorny Island at 1835hrs as one of seventeen aircraft detailed to attack road and rail junctions in and around the German towns of Daun, Mayenne and Altenahr. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a road junction near Altenahr before returning to Base at 2210hrs.

23Dec44 84^th Operational Flight FLGOFF J.H Palmer and Sub/Lt H.H Becker departed Thorny Island at 0115hrs as one of eighteen aircraft detailed to attack road and rail junctions in and around the German towns of Daun, Mayenne and Altenahr. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a road junction near Altenahr then strafed a road convoy before returning to Base at 0430hrs.

24Dec44 85^th Operational Flight FLGOFF J.H Palmer and Sub/Lt H.H Becker departed Thorny Island at 2250hrs as one of seventeen aircraft tasked to attack road and rail junctions in and around the towns of Bullange, St Vith and Euskirchen near the German-Belgian border. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a train near St Vith which caused numerous explosions before returning to Base at 0200hrs/25Dec.

28Dec44 86^th Operational Flight FLGOFF J.H Palmer and Sub/Lt H.H Becker departed Thorny Island at 2010hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn aircraft detailed to attack battle zone targets between La Roche-en-Ardenne, Belgium and Arzfeld, Germany. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed on Gee fixes through the dense cloud cover before returning to Base at 2250hrs.

31Dec44 87^th Operational Flight FLGOFF J.H Palmer and Sub/Lt H.H Becker departed Thorny Island at 0015hrs as one of eighteen aircraft detailed to attack battle zone targets in the St Vith, Clervaux area of Belgium. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed lighted areas in some woods before returning to Base at 0320hrs.

31Dec44 Aircraft flew eight Operational Flights and an unknown number of other flights in December 1944

01Jan45 88^th Operational Flight FLGOFF J.H Palmer and Sub/Lt H.H Becker departed Thorny Island at 1920hrs as one of eighteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to interdict the battle area in front of the U.S 1st and 9th Armies in Belgium/Germany. Their area of operations was bound by Houfllalize-Vielsam (Belgium) and Karlhausen-Martelange (Germany), priority targets were tanks, AFVs and MT. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD bombs under and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns.

The crew arrived at their designated area in the Rhineland-Palatinate and soon after strafed the town of Neuwied. The crew were homeward bound when they were diverted to land at Cambrai/Epinoy airfield in France at 2300hrs as the entire UK east coast was closed to all air traffic because of appalling weather.

02Jan45 FLGOFF J.H Palmer and Sub/Lt H.H Becker departed ferried the aircraft back to Base pm hours.

03Jan45 89^th Operational Flight FLGOFF J.H Palmer and Sub/Lt H.H Becker departed Thorny Island at 0225hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack targets of opportunity in the Walloon Region of south-eastern Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD bombs, Illumination flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the town of Houffalize before returning to Base at 0525hrs.

05Jan45 90^th Operational Flight FLGOFF J.H Palmer and Sub/Lt H.H Becker departed Thorny Island at 0450hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack targets of opportunity in the battle area in the western portion of the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD bombs, Illumination flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed and bombed MT entering the town of Pronsfeld near the German-Belgian border before returning to Base at 0750hrs

12Jan45 91^st Operational Flight FLGOFF J.H Palmer and Sub/Lt H.H Becker departed Thorny Island at 0315hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack targets of opportunity in the battle area of south eastern Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD bombs, Illumination flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed an ammunition dump near Reuland, in the Walloon District before returning to Base at 0630hrs.

14Jan45 92^nd Operational Flight FLGOFF J.H Palmer and Sub/Lt H.H Becker departed Thorny Island at 0045hrs as one of four Mosquitos tasked for an SAR Mission to look for the crew of HR341 (FLGOFF Gilmour/FGST Dwyer) that disappeared over the North Sea on 13Jan. Nothing was found before the aircraft returned to Base at 0200hrs.

18Jan45 93^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT R.M Trites and FLTLT D.M Shanks departed Thorny Island at 0032hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to attack enemy targets in the rear of the Ardennes salient. The aircraft failed to return and was listed as MIA. Two days later FLTLT Shanks returned to the Squadron and reported the port engine was disabled by flak when they were heading home and the pilot immediately set course for the nearest Allied lines. However, the aircraft could not maintain height and the pilot ordered Shanks to bale out while he held the aircraft steady and said he would follow. Shanks baled out at approximately 600ft but the pilot did not get out before the aircraft crashed in a field 10 miles NE of Merville, Hauts-de-France.

00Jan45 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial MM403 served 464Sqn for a period of 361 days from 23Jan44 until 18Jan45. During that period the aircraft flew ninety-three Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated Operational flight time was 221 hours and 21 minutes.

RCAF pilot J/7919 Flight Lieutenant Richard Murray Trites (25) son of Raleigh and Isobel Isla (nee Fawcett) Trites, of Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada. Richard remained with the aircraft to allow his navigator to bale out but was unable to get out himself and was killed in the subsequent crash. He is buried in Plot 1, Row B, Gave 28A of the Merville Communal Cemetery Extension, 20 kilometres southeast of Armentières, Nord region, France. His name is inscribed on Page 571347 of the Canadian Second World War Book of Remembrance in Ottawa, Canada. He is also commemorated on the Sackville War Memorial in New Brunswick, Canada; and, the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, Alberta, Canada.

Sackville Memorial - Bomber Command Memorial Wall

Merville Communal Cemetery Extension, France

RAAF navigator 400839 Flight Lieutenant Donald McKenzie Shanks (35) born 6 November 1909, son of Robert James Shanks and Sybil Maude Mary Shanks (nee Hennessy) of Toorak in Melbourne, Victoria. Donald Shanks was able to bale out of the stricken aircraft because of his pilot’s selfless act. He returned to the squadron and completed his tour. Don Shanks survived the rest of the War and was repatriated back to Australia in 1945. He elected discharge from the RAAF on 07Mar46 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. Donald McKenzie Shanks passed away in Bendigo Victoria in 1983 aged 74 years young.

Don Shanks was involved in four serious incidents during his wartime operational flying career. The first on May 1943 in Mosquito HJ701 when it aborted a mission with engine problems but crashed in a field on the way home. In this crash Shanks sustained injuries that required hospitalization in The Royal Devon Hospital, Exeter for several months. The second occasion was on 21Feb44 when Mosquito MM401 was badly shot up and crash lauded at RAF Friston Emergency Landing Ground in Sussex. The third occasion was on D-Day 6th June 1944 when NS897 was shot down while flying an Intruder mission in support of the D-Day landings. Finally, the fourth incident occurred on 18Jan45 as described above.

MM404

00Jan44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial MM404 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 21^st of 48 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range MM384 to MM431.

Powered by two 27-litre Rolls Royce Merlin 25 liquid-cooled two-stage supercharged V-12 piston aero engines each developing 1,635hp (1,219kW) driving three-bladed De Havilland hydromatic propellers. Camouflaged overall Ocean Grey with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey on upper surfaces and sides; prop spinners were painted Medium Sea Grey.

Armament was four 20-mm Mk.II Hispano-Suiza cannons with 150rpg mounted in the fuselage belly and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns with 500rpg mounted in the nose. Provision made for the carriage of either two 50 gallon fuel tanks or two x 500lb bombs in the bomb bay, plus two x 250lb or 500lbs bombs; or a load of 8 x 25lb or 60lb unguided rocket projectiles; or, two 50 gal or 100 gal long range drop tanks under the strengthened wings.

00Jan44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

13Jan44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire for acceptance tests.

25Jan44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464Sqn at RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire and issued to B Flight as SB-T.

31Jan44 Aircraft flew two non-Operational Flights in January 1944.

03Feb44 1^st Operational Flight. PLTOFF H.S Orriss and WOFF G.T McIntosh departed Hunsdon at 1505hrs with five other Mosquitos and attacked a V1 construction site near Beaumont, France. The aircraft was hit by flak over the target but the pilot flew back to Base without major problems, landing at 1655hrs. Aircraft damage was assessed as Cat.A which was repaired overnight.

05Feb44 2^nd Operational Flight. FSGT G.S Langridge and FSGT W.D Hemmings departed Hunsdon at 1340hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos plus eight Mosquitos from 613Sqn and eight from 21 Sqn tasked to attack the Bois Negle V1 site in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target at 1434hrs then returned to Base at 1520hrs.

08Feb44 3^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.W Goldstiver and FLGOFF D.S Bedford departed Hunsdon at 1520hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus five from 21Sqn tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Beaumont le Hareng in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target at 1622hrs then returned to Base at 1720hrs.

15Feb44 4^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR A.I McRitchie DFC and FLTLT R.W Sampson departed Hunsdon at 1200hrs as one of six Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Ardrouval in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target and returned to Base at 1345hrs.

18Feb44 5^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR A.I McRitchie DFC and FLTLT R.W Sampson departed Hunsdon at 1050hrs with four other Mosquitos for an attack on a “Secret Target”, the nature of which would be revealed immediately the aircraft crossed the enemy coast. The raid was in fact Operation Jericho, the famous Amiens Prison Raid where Mosquitos of 21, 464 and 487 Squadrons escorted by three squadrons of Typhoon fighters attacked Amiens prison to free French resistance fighters. 487sqn Mosquitos breached the outer walls and 464Sqn Mosquitos attacked the prison buildings, the reserve aircraft of 21Sqn were not needed - so accurate was the bombing of the other two squadrons. Of the 712 prisoners detained at Amiens, 102 died in the attack, 74 were hospitalised and 258 escaped.

Shortly after leaving the target area, MM404 was hit in the cockpit by flak and the navigator FLTLT Sampson was killed outright. The pilot, SQNLDR McRitchie, received serious injuries but managed a high speed belly landing in a snow covered field near Freneuville, where he was pulled from the wreckage and captured.

29Feb44 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial MM404 flew six Operational Flights with 464Sqn plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flight time was 23.15 hours.

RAFVR pilot 89763 Squadron Leader Alexander Ian McRitchie DFC (29) born 16June 1915 to Edwin Alfred and Sarah Casling McRitchie (nee Woolley) of South Melbourne, Victoria survived the crash with serious injuries to his right arm and eye. He was hospitalised for a lengthy period before being moved to the Luftwaffe Dulag in Frankfurt where he was interrogated, issued with POW No.4152 then sent to Stalag Luft 3.

On 01May45 the camp was overrun by Russian soldiers and Russian General Borosov gave the starving and emaciated prisoners no assistance whatsoever. In fact, Borosov ordered the ex-POWs to leave the camp within six hours and make their own way on foot to the American lines some 125km distant. The prisoners refused and for the next six days a tense standoff ensued and the matter wound its way up to the highest levels. The Russians, like a typical bully, backed down when pushed and allowed a force of 250 USAAF B-17s to land at a nearby airfield and evacuate nearly 10,000 Allied prisoners. As a final act of defiance to the Russians the POWs smuggled a number of German nurses from the camp hospital into the aircraft as stretcher cases. The nurses were then flown to British occupied Germany where they volunteered for further hospital service.

When World War II began Ian McRitchie expected to be called up for the RAAF but the authorities had other plans – they wanted Ian, a skilled metallurgist, for the vital tasks of steel-making and heat treatment. As the Germans raced across Europe he made repeated requests to go to England to join the RAF but as he was in a reserved occupation in Australia his requests were refused.

Thanks to his friend Captain J Maitland Thompson, harbour master for Port Lincoln south of Whyalla, he boarded a ship for England as a greaser in the engine room, paid threepence a week plus his keep, that’s 1.5p in today’s money if we still had halfpennies. He arrived in Bristol in October 1940 after a ten-week voyage which earned him 30p (or 12.5p today) and as an illegal immigrant he was promptly detained at His Majesty’s pleasure. Subsequently and fortunately for Ian, the RAAF’s Directorate of Air Force Recruiting gave approval. But the Battle of Britain was on, the blitz on London was fierce and anyone arriving in the country with instruction experience and a commercial pilot’s licence would be welcome. In November Ian was granted a pilot officer’s commission in the RAF and was posted to 151 Squadron, operating Hurricanes and Defiants in the night fighter role from Wittering. Alexander McRitchie resigned from the RAFVR and was given repatriation, with his English wife and children, back to Australia aboard the Stirling Castle in April 1946.

RNZAF Navigator Flight Lieutenant 401465 Richard Webb Sampson (35) of Waipukurau, Hawkes Bay NZ is buried in Row E, Grave 25 of the Poix-De-Picardie Churchyard in the Somme Department, France. He is commemorated on the Roll of Honour Board in the Air Force Museum of New Zealand in Christchurch; and, on Panel M of the Auckland War Memorial.

Addendum 151Sqn Activity

FLGOFF McRitchie and FLGOFF Sampson departed RAF Wittering at 1630hrs for a 30min flight to RAF Coltishall near the NE coast of Norfolk. The aircraft was refuelled and departed Coltishall at 1730hrs for a dusk patrol to the east of Greater Yarmouth. No sooner had they arrived on station they saw and attacked a formation of four Junkers 88 bombers. Sampson shot down one bomber causing the other three to jettison their bombs and turn back for their Dutch base.

McRitchie followed the retreating Junkers and so began a 15 minute battle when they caught up with the rearmost 88. Sampson scored numerous hits before his guns jammed and while he was clearing the guns the Junkers tried to make a head-on attack which McRitchie successfully evaded by diving to sea level. With the turret in operation again, Ian chased the bomber almost to the Dutch coast before they could make another attack, Sampson’s four-second burst being seen to strike all over the Junkers. Only then did McRitchie break away and return to Wittering to claim one destroyed and one damaged.

Defiant AA421 DZ-Z flown by PLTOFF McRitchie and PLTOFF Sampson on 31Oct41

MM405

00Jan44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial MM405 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 22^nd of 48 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range MM384 to MM431.

Powered by two 27-litre Rolls Royce Merlin 25 liquid-cooled two-stage supercharged V-12 piston aero engines each developing 1,635hp (1,219kW) driving three-bladed De Havilland hydromatic propellers. Camouflaged overall Ocean Grey with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey on upper surfaces and sides; prop spinners were painted Medium Sea Grey.

Armament was four 20-mm Mk.II Hispano-Suiza cannons with 150rpg mounted in the fuselage belly and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns with 500rpg mounted in the nose. Provision made for the carriage of either two 50 gallon fuel tanks or two x 500lb bombs in the bomb bay, plus two x 250lb or 500lbs bombs; or a load of 8 x 25lb or 60lb unguided rocket projectiles; or, two 50 gal or 100 gal long range drop tanks under the strengthened wings.

00Jan44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

13Jan44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire for acceptance tests.

27Jan44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464Sqn at RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire and issued to B Flight as SB-V.

31Jan44 Aircraft flew two non-Operational Flights in January 1944.

15Feb44 1^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.W Goldstiver and FLGOFF D.S Bedford departed Hunsdon at 1200hrs with five other Mosquitos to attack a V1 site at Ardrouval, Pas de Calais. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The crew bombed the target before returning to Base at 1400hrs.

24Feb44 2^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF F. Chambers and SGT C. Border departed Hunsdon at 1630hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos and five from 613Sqn tasked to attack V1 construction works at St Adrien in Bretagne, France. The aircraft were split into four pairs with a small time interval between each pair. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC Mk.II bombs; plus 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. When attacking the target the aircraft bunched up and MM405 was caught in the bomb blasts of the preceding pair and was seen to crash into a wooded area near Croixdale, 20km south east of Dieppe, Normandy. The aircraft blew up with both crewmen being killed.

28Feb44 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial MM405 flew two Operational Flights with 464Sqn totalling 3hrs 10min plus several non-operational flights. RAF Form 78 states the total accumulated flight time was 11.25 hours.

RAFVR pilot (1334910) 145839 Flying Officer Frederick Chambers (22) born 1922 to Bertram Charles and Rosa Ellen Chambers of Weston-Super-Mare. Frederick was KIA and is buried in Section E, Grave 8 of the Grandcourt War Cemetery 30km east of Dieppe in the Seine-Maritime district, France.

RAFVR navigator 1534445 Sergeant Cyril Bolder (21) of Bradford, Manchester was KIA and is buried in Section E, Grave 9 of the Grandcourt War Cemetery 30km east of Dieppe in the Seine-Maritime district, France.

MM407

00Jan44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial MM407 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 24^th of 47 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range MM384 to MM431.

Powered by two 27-litre Rolls Royce Merlin 25 liquid-cooled two-stage supercharged V-12 piston aero engines each developing 1,635hp (1,219kW) driving three-bladed De Havilland hydromatic propellers. Camouflaged overall Ocean Grey with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey on upper surfaces and sides; prop spinners were painted Medium Sea Grey.

Armament was four 20-mm Mk.II Hispano-Suiza cannons with 150rpg mounted in the fuselage belly and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns with 500rpg mounted in the nose. Provision made for the carriage of either two 50 gallon fuel tanks or two x 500lb bombs in the bomb bay, plus two x 250lb or 500lbs bombs; or a load of 8 x 25lb or 60lb unguided rocket projectiles; or, two 50 gal or 100 gal long range drop tanks under the strengthened wings.

00Jan44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

10Jan44 Aircraft delivered for acceptance tests by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire.

25Jan44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464Sqn at RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire and issued to B Flight as SB-Y.

31Jan44 Aircraft flew two non-Operational Flights in January 1944.

08Feb44 1^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.W Goldstiver and FLGOFF D.S Bedford departed Hunsdon at 1010hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus eight from 21 Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Beaumont le Hareng in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1115hrs the crew successfully bombed the target and returned to Base at 1205hrs.

20Feb44 2^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF E.G Atkins and FLGOFF G.N.F Robinson departed Hunsdon at 1035hrs as one of six Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Ardrouval in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target and returned to Base at 1235hrs.

21Feb44 3^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF H.W Tuck and FLGOFF N.L Kahla departed Hunsdon at 1010hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus two from 21Sqn and six from 613Sqn all tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Les Hayons in Normandy, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target and returned to Base at 1205hrs.

25Feb44 4^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF E.G Atkins and FLGOFF G.N.F Robinson departed Hunsdon at 1135hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus two from 305Sqn and six from 613Sqn all tasked to attack V1 construction works at Belleville-en-Caux in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The crew successfully attacked the target and returned to Base at 1325hrs.

5^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF E.G Atkins and FLGOFF G.N.F Robinson departed Hunsdon at 1630hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus two from 21Sqn all tasked to attack V1 construction works at Beautot in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The crew successfully attacked the target and returned to Base at 1825hrs.

28Feb44 6^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Hunsdon at 1315hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined a further six from 613Sqn; six from 21Sqn; and, two from 305Sqn all tasked to attack V1 construction works at Beautot in the Pas de Calais. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The crew successfully attacked the target and returned to Base at 1505hrs.

29Feb44 7^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF H.S Orriss and WOFF G.T McIntosh departed Hunsdon at 0940hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined a further six from 613Sqn; six from 21Sqn; and, two from 305Sqn all tasked to attack V1 construction works at Belleville-en-Caux in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The crew successfully attacked the target and returned to Base at 1135hrs.

29Feb44 Aircraft flew seven Operational Flights and two non-operational flights in Feb1944.

03Mar44 8^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF A.G Oxlade and FLTLT D.M Shanks departed Hunsdon at 0800hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined six from 21 Sqn; four from 615Sqn; and, two from 305Sqn all tasked to attack a V1 site at Beautot in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 0859hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1000hrs.

9^th Operational Flight. CPT A.M Wakeman and FLGOFF G.S Holmes departed Hunsdon at 1705hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined four from 21 Sqn; four from 615Sqn; and, four from 305Sqn all tasked to attack a V1 site Herbouville near Dieppe in Seine-Maritime, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 0859hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1855hrs.

04Mar44 10^th Operational Flight. WOFF G.R Langridge and FSGT W.D Hemmings departed Hunsdon at 0805hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos plus two from 21 Sqn and four from 613Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site at Les Hayons, Normandy, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 0901hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1000hrs.

14Mar44 11^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF E.G Atkins and FLGOFF G.N.F Robinson departed Hunsdon at 0805hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack a V1 site Herbouville near Dieppe in Seine-Maritime, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 0859hrs the crew made a successful attack on what they believed was the target then returned to Base at 1000hrs. However, photographic analyses showed they had in fact overshot the target and dropped their four bombs on the Bonnetot VI site with great accuracy, which caused considerable damage to the site.

17Mar44 Aircraft withdrawn from Ops and sent to a RAF MU for major servicing and modification.

31Mar44 Aircraft made four Operational Flights and a number of non-operational flight in March 1944.

11Apr44 Aircraft completed major servicing and was delivered by an ATA Ferry pilot to the Squadrons’ new operating Base at RAF Station Swanton Morley in Norfolk located 20km NNE of Norwich City.

15Apr44 12^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.C Henderson and WOFF R.J Hawke departed Hunsdon at 1600hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack St Ghislain railway yards near Mons, Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 3 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV and 1 x 500lb MC LD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew were flying as Number 2 for the flight leader and the leader could not find the target so both aircraft retuned to Base by 1755hrs.

17Apr44 Aircraft moved from RAF Hunsdon to the new operating Base at RAF Station Gravesend in Kent.

25Apr44 13^th Operational Flight. FLTLT H.A Maule and SGT B.R J Thomas departed Gravesend at 1345hrs as one of ten 464Sqn Mosquitos plus two from 21Sqn all tasked to attack a V1 site at Heudière in Normandy, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1433hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1515hrs.

MM407 SB-Y at RAF Gravesend April 1944

27Apr44 14^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.C Henderson and WOFF R.J Hawke departed Gravesend at 1355hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos aircraft led by their CO, WNGCDR R.W Iredale, tasked to attack a V1 Construction Site at Heudière in Normandy, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. After bombing the target the aircraft was passing a train while heading home when its rudder was shot away by Flak. The pilot managed to get back to England where he skilfully landed the crippled machine at RAF Friston on the East Sussex coast. Both aircrew sustained minor injuries and the aircraft sustained Cat.A damage.

30Apr44 15^th Operational Flight. CPT A.M Wakeman and FLGOFF G.S Holmes departed Gravesend at 1510hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus six from 21Sqn all tasked to attack the Abancourt railway facilities in the Oise Department of northern France. All aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1622hrs the crew made a successful attack on the target then returned to Base at 1720hrs.

On this Angry Angels mission the Mosquitos were led by an Oboe equipped Pathfinder Mosquito of 109Sqn, No.8 Group which led the formation up to 20,000ft. The 48 x 500lb bombs were dropped blind through 10/10ths cloud cover. This series of raids involved five consecutive attacks on the Abancourt complex from 28Apr thru 03May. Results of the raids was disappointing partly due to pathfinder marking errors and very poor weather. Additionally, the raids were very unpopular with most of the Wings’ aircrew as they felt they were needlessly exposed to flak and fighters because they were obliged to hold accurate height, heading and speed during the bomb run in broad daylight..

30Apr44 Aircraft flew four Operational Flights and a number of non-operational flight in Apr 1944.

01May44 16^th Operational Flight. CPT A.M Wakeman and FLGOFF G.S Holmes departed Gravesend at 1240hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus nine other Mosquitos from 21 and 487Sqns. All aircraft armed with 4 x 500lb MC TD bombs. The aircraft were part of the Angry Angel raids which were a series of raids flown between 28Apr44 and 06May44 against the extremely important Abancourt railway and marshaling yards located 40kms south-west of Amiens in the Oise department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. The raids were flown in daylight at 20,000ft and required the aircraft to fly in formation at a set speed and course until the bombs were dropped. Needless to say the raids were not popular with the Squadron crews. The 464 Sqn machines joined six 21Sqn Mosquitos and a further four 109Sqn Path Finder Mosquitos of No.8 Group to carry out the raid. All 464Sqn crews bombed the target and returned to Base at 1440hrs.

Abancourt railway station and marshaling yards

03May44 17^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.R.C Walton and FLGOFF C.H Harper departed Gravesend at 2250hrs as one of three 464Sqn Mosquitos plus one from 487Sqn tasked to attack St Trond aerodrome near Limburg, Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The Mosquitos were led by an Oboe equipped Pathfinder Mosquito of 109Sqn, No.8 Group which led the formation up to 20,000ft.At 2356hrs the crew made a successful attack on the target then returned to Base at 0110hrs/04May.

06May44 18^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.R.C Walton and FLGOFF C.H Harper departed Gravesend at 1300hrs as one of three 464Sqn Mosquitos plus five from 487Sqn and three of 21Sqn tasked to attack a V1site at Yvrench-Contville, Hauts-de-France in northern France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1415hrs the crew made a successful attack on the target then returned to Base at 1540hrs.

21May44 19^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.R Hurst and FSGT I.D Shaw departed Gravesend at 1435hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus six from 487Sqn all tasked to carry out a blind bombing mission on the Wurzburg radar site at Le Treport in the Seine-Maritime department of Normandy, France. All aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The twelve aircraft dropped 46 x 500lb bombs simultaneously at 1600hrs from 20,000ft on command from the accompanying Oboe Mosquito of No.8 Group. All aircraft and crews returned to Gravesend at 1640hrs.

31May44 Aircraft made four Operational Flights and a number of non-operational flights in May 1944.

02Jun44 20^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Howard departed Gravesend at 2255hrs as one of six Mosquitos tasked to conduct individual Intruder raids across northern France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a bridge over a canal near Cayennes before returning to Base at 0135hrs/03Jun.

03Jun44 Aircraft withdrawn from Ops to undergo servicing and preparation for the forthcoming D-Day Invasion. The most noticeable preparation was the application of five 24 inch (61 cm) wide alternating black and white stripes placed 24 inches (61 cm) outboard of the engine nacelles on the wings; and, five 18 inch (46 cm) wide stripes forward of the leading edge of the tailplane around the fuselage.

05Jun44 21^st Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Gravesend at 0300hrs/06Jun as one of twenty Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a road bridge over a river near St Jean Sur Mayenne at 0456hrs then returned to Base at 0600hrs.

06Jun44 22^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF D.V Avery and WOFF J.J Williams departed Gravesend at 2225hrs/05Jun as one of eighteen Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a bridge and the D296/D438 junction on the outskirts of Nonant Le Pin, Orne department before returning to Base at 0125hrs/06Jun.

23^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF D.V Avery and WOFF J.J Williams departed Gravesend at 0240hrs as one of seven Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed D296/D438 cross-roads on the outskirts of Nonant Le Pin, Orne department before returning to Base at 0440hrs/07Jun.

07Jun44 24^th Operational Flight. CPT A.M Wakeman and FLGOFF G.S Holmes departed Gravesend at 1240hrs as one of sixteen Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns and loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and Illumination Flares. The crew bombed and strafed vehicles in their patrol area before returning to base.

08Jun44 25^th Operational Flight. CPT A.M Wakeman and FLGOFF G.S Holmes departed Gravesend at 0215hrs as one of ten Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a rail junction before returning to Base at 0445hrs.

10Jun44 26^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and PLTOFF P. Mosby departed Gravesend at 0025hrs as one of twenty 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a suspected vehicle laager in woodlands near Rouen before returning to Base at 0325hrs.

11Jun44 27^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R. Johnston and FLGOFF C.J.H Turner departed Gravesend at 0020hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a suspected vehicle laager in woodlands before returning to Base at 0250hrs.

17Jun44 28^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R. Johnston and FLGOFF C.J.H Turner departed RAF Dunsfold at 0020hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the Cherbourg area of France. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed road and rail targets before returning to Base at 0335hrs.

Note: The 17Jun sorties were flown from RAF Dunsfold near Cranleigh, Surrey because Gravesend had become untenable from intense German V1 activity. Aircraft returned to Gravesend.

18Jun44 Aircraft moved from RAF Gravesend to the Squadrons’ new operating Base at RAF Station Thorney Island, West Sussex.

20Jun44 29^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and PLTOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0010hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the Chartres area, 90km southwest of Paris. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed fires on a railway track before returning to Base at 0250hrs.

21Jun44 30^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R. Johnston and FLGOFF C.J.H Turner departed Thorney Island at 0110hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the in the area bounded by the coast, Nantes, Dreux, and Gassicourt. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway track near Dreux before returning to Base at 0335hrs.

23Jun44 31^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 2305hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass movement of the 9^th and 10^th Waffen-SS Panzer Divisions. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway junction near Vire and strafed a nearby suspected troop encampment before returning to Base at 0120hrs/24Jun.

27Jun44 32^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF R. Johnston and FLGOFF C.J.H Turner departed Thorney Island at 0110hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway junction before returning to Base at 0355hrs

29Jun44 33^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and PLTOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 2320hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos plus sixteen from 487Sqn tasked to support the D-Day landings. Specifically, the thirty-two strong force was tasked to harass the 9^th and 10^th Waffen-SS Panzer Divisions that were laagered around the town of Villers-Bocage in the Calvados department of Normandy. All Mosquitos were loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The strike force attacked numerous vehicles, roads, railways and camps within a five-mile circle centred on Villers-Bocage. The crew reported attacking several targets and noticed many fires burning all over the target area.

30Jun44 Aircraft flew fourteen Operational Flights and one non-operational flight in Jun 1944.

07Jul44 34^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0105hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the Angers area near the city of Nantes. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway junction and adjacent road before returning to Base at 0320hrs

09Jul44 35^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R. Johnston and FLGOFF C.J.H Turner departed Thorney Island at 0050hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges between Caen and Falaise. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed vehicles on the Caen-Falaise roar (N158) before returning to Base at 0315hrs

10Jul44 36^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0110hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. The aircraft flew a fixed course using GEE and bombed when directed by the system. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. After bombing a wooded area the crew returned to Base at 0320hrs.

11Jul44 37^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0115hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. The aircraft flew a fixed course using GEE and bombed when directed by the system. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. After bombing a wooded area the crew returned to Base at 0350hrs.

18Jul44 38^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0215hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway junction before returning to Base at 0415hrs.

19Jul44 39^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R. Johnston and FLGOFF C.J.H Turner departed Thorney Island at 2300hrs/18Jul as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0100hrs/20Jul.

20Jul44 40^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 2240hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed lights on a road before returning to Base at 0130hrs/21Jul.

22Jul44 41^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0320hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a road/river bridge before returning to Base at 0515hrs.

23Jul44 42^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.R Hurst and FLGOFF W.R Binks departed Thorney Island at 0105hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a road/rail crossing and strafed roads before returning to Base at 0420hrs.

25Jul44 43^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0020hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed roads then bombed the Chartres airfield before returning to Base at 0300hrs.

28Jul44 44^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0020hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway station and strafed nearby roads before returning to Base at 0335hrs.

31Jul44 Aircraft flew 11 Operational Flights and an unknown number of non-operational flights in Jul1944.

02Aug44 45^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0020hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway station and strafed nearby roads before returning to Base at 0250hrs.

07Aug44 46^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.R Mulligan and FSGT W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 0130hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area around the city of Flers, located 71km SSW of Caen. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a series of lights near the city before returning to Base at 0330hrs.

08Aug44 47^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.R Mulligan and FSGT W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 2225hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area around the city of Flers, located 71km SSW of Caen. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a goods train and bombed enemy vehicles before returning to Base at 0140hrs/09Aug.

09Aug44 48^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.R Mulligan and FSGT W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 0345hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets were enemy troops behind the forward edge of the battle area, all drops were through 10/10th cloud cover and based on GEE fixes. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the specified area behind the battle field through dense cloud and returned to Base at 0520hrs.

11Aug44 49^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2240hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area Cambremer and Lisieux, to the east of Caen. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a goods train and bombed enemy vehicles before returning to Base at 0100hrs/12Aug.

12Aug44 Aircraft flew fourteen operational sorties between 12-30Aug to attack retreating German Army elements in the area bounded by Paris-Orleans-Chartres-Rouen (12-26Aug), then in the Charleville-Strasbourg area of Germany (28-31Aug). Twelve of the fourteen operations were flown by FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby. Altogether, the Squadron launched 285 individual sorties during the 20-day period which accounted for the destruction of large quantities of stores, ammunition, fuel, cars, trucks, tankers, armoured fighting vehicles and horse drawn wagons. Inevitably, numerous men were also killed and injured during the attacks.

50^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.R Mulligan and FSGT W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 0110hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a river bridge and strafed fires astride the railway line thru a forest before returning to Base at 0310hrs.

13Aug44 51^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0040hrs as one of eighteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a river bridge and strafed a large house surrounded by several AFVs before returning to Base at 0215hrs.

52^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0355hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a bridge and strafed fires before returning to Base at 0525hrs.

14Aug44 53^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 2245hrs/13Aug as one of twenty 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed several fires in the Foret De Rambouillet 55km southwest of Paris before returning to Base at 0320hrs/14Aug.

15Aug44 54^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0150hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed several fires in the Foret De Rambouillet 55km southwest of Paris before returning to Base at 0330hrs.

16Aug44 55^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0055hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed two bridges and strafed three road sections in the Foret De Rambouillet 55km southwest of Paris before returning to Base at 0230hrs.

17Aug44 56^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 2330hrs/16Aug as one of twenty 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed two bridges and strafed three road sections in the Foret De Rambouillet 55km southwest of Paris before returning to Base at 0100hrs.

57^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0310hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed two bridges and strafed three road sections in the Foret De Rambouillet 55km southwest of Paris before returning to Base at 0440hrs.

18Aug44 58^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.I Doube and FLGOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 0145hrs as one of eighteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a bridge packed with vehicles and troops before returning to Base at 0310hrs.

20Aug44 59^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 2310hrs as one of nineteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed St Pierre then strafed two tanks and some attendant vehicles before returning to Base at 0150hrs.

22Aug44 60^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 1600hrs as one of twelve Mosquitos detailed for a daylight attack on a large concentration of ammunition and supply trains discovered in the railway marshalling yards at Chagny near Dijon, France. Aircraft was fitted with two jettisonable external fuel tanks; loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed two trains with thirty attached coaches then proceeded to strafe a further seven trains with 190 attached coaches and trucks. The results were very good with several explosions and many fires. The crew returned to Base at 2000hrs.

28Aug44 61^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 2325hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army withdrawal to the River Seine. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a river crossing at Duclair located25km west of Rouen before returning to Base at 0300hrs.

30Aug44 62^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 2315hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army elements north of the Somme River near Amiens, France. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. Aircraft also fitted with underwing jettisonable long range fuel tanks. The crew bombed cross roads before returning to Base at 0155hrs/31Aug.

31Aug44 63^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0205hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the German Army elements in the Saarbrücken area of Germany. Targets included enemy vehicles, troops, road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. Aircraft also fitted with underwing jettisonable long range fuel tanks. The crew bombed cross roads before returning to Base at 0520hrs.

31Aug44 Aircraft flew nineteen Operational Flights plus a number of non-operational flights in Aug1944.

08Sep44 64^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF N.E McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0005hs as one of eight 464Sqn aircraft tasked to attack ferry crossings and rail connections on Walcheren Island in the Dutch Province of Zeeland. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a canal bridge near Flushing before returning to Base at 0250hrs

10Sep44 65^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0330hs as one of seventeen 464Sqn aircraft tasked to attack ferry crossings and rail connections on Walcheren Island in the Dutch Province of Zeeland. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a row of six E-Boats in a canal near Westkapelle before returning to Base at 0610hrs.

12Sep44 66^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 2220hs as one of twelve 464Sqn aircraft tasked to attack targets of opportunity on Walcheren Island in the Dutch Province of Zeeland. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a large road junction before returning to Base at 0105hrs/13Sep.

16Sep44 67^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0135hs as one of seventeen 464Sqn aircraft tasked to attack targets of opportunity in and around the Scheldt and Rhine River estuaries. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a ferry crossing and strafed a column of vehicles waiting at the terminal before returning to Base at 0445hrs.

18Sep44 68^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 2355hs as one of fourteen 464Sqn aircraft tasked to attack communication nodes in north eastern Holland and around Bremen, Germany. Aircraft fitted with two jettisonable long range fuel tanks; loaded with 2 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew failed to find a worthy target before returning to Base at 0340hrs/19Sep.

19Sep44 69^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 2130hs as one of twelve 464Sqn aircraft tasked to attack communication nodes in north eastern Holland and around Cologne, Germany. Aircraft fitted with two jettisonable long range fuel tanks; loaded with 2 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a column of twelve trucks on the outskirts of Cologne before returning to Base at 0040hrs/20Sep.

22Sep44 70^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 2025hs as one of twelve 464Sqn aircraft tasked to attack communication nodes in and around Cologne, Wessel and Bremen, Germany. Aircraft fitted with two jettisonable long range fuel tanks; loaded with 2 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a road/rail crossing before returning to Base at 2359hrs.

23Sep44 71^st Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.I Doube and FLGOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 2040hs as one of four 464Sqn aircraft tasked to attack communication nodes near Cologne, Germany. Aircraft fitted with two jettisonable long range fuel tanks; loaded with 2 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a road and rail section before returning to Base at 2345hrs.

27Sep44 72^nd Operational Flight. FLTLT J. C Nixon and PLTOFF P. Mosby departed Thorny Island at 2205hrs as one of fifteen aircraft detailed to carry out night Ranger operations against targets of opportunity in the Ruhr area such as transport, marshalling yards, vans and large factories. The aircraft failed to return and was listed as MIA. A RAF investigation surmised the aircraft was probably shot down by twin–engined Me.410 night fighters, a design similar to the Mosquito. Several of these fighters were seen and engaged by other allied pilots on that night in the same area and, who initially thought they were being mistakenly attacked by Mosquitos.

30Sep44 Aircraft flew nine Operational Flights and one non-operational flight in September 1944.

02Oct44 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial MM407 served with 464 Sqn from 25Jan44 until 27Sep44, a period of 245 days. During that period the aircraft flew seventy-two Operational Flights totalling 175hrs 28min and an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be in excess of 300hrs

RAFVR pilot (657498) 126064 Flight Lieutenant John Cornthwaite Nixon (26) born August 1918 the son of John and Caroline Nixon (nee Davies). Nixon was KIA and is buried in Plot 24 Row A Grave No.18 in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery at Kleve in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

RAFVR navigator 153924 Pilot Officer Peter Mosby (22) born 1922 the son of Ernest and Doris Mosby from Heptonstall, Yorkshire. Peter was KIA and is buried in Plot 24 Row B Grave No.1 in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

MM410

00Jan44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial MM410 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 27^th of 48 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range MM384 to MM431.

Powered by two 27-litre Rolls Royce Merlin 25 liquid-cooled two-stage supercharged V-12 piston aero engines each developing 1,635hp (1,219kW) driving three-bladed De Havilland hydromatic propellers. Camouflaged overall Ocean Grey with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey on upper surfaces and sides; prop spinners were painted Medium Sea Grey.

Armament was four 20-mm Mk.II Hispano-Suiza cannons with 150rpg mounted in the fuselage belly and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns with 500rpg mounted in the nose. Provision made for the carriage of either two 50 gallon fuel tanks or two x 500lb bombs in the bomb bay, plus two x 250lb or 500lbs bombs; or a load of 8 x 25lb or 60lb unguided rocket projectiles; or, two 50 gal or 100 gal long range drop tanks under the strengthened wings.

00Jan44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

13Jan44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire for acceptance tests.

25Jan44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464Sqn at RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire and issued to B Flight as SB-U.

31Jan44 Aircraft flew two non-Operational Flights in January 1944.

04Feb44 1^st Operational Flight. FLTLT T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Hunsdon at 1515hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos that joined eight Mosquitos from 613Sqn and eight from 21 Sqn tasked to attack a V1 construction site at Campneuseville near Beaulieu in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the target at 1608hrs then returned to Base at 1720hrs.

05Feb44 2^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLGOFF F.H Landucci departed Hunsdon at 1340hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos plus eight Mosquitos from 613Sqn and eight from 21 Sqn tasked to attack the Bois Negle V1 site in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target at 1434hrs then returned to Base at 1520hrs.

06Feb44 3^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Hunsdon at 1208hrs as one of six Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Bois Coquerel, near Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target and headed for home but poor visibility at Base meant the crew were diverted to RAF Manston where they landed at 1355hrs.

07Feb44 FLTLT T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Manston and returned to Hunsdon.

12Feb44 4^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR A.I McRitchie and FLTLT R.W Sampson departed Hunsdon 1337hrs as one of six Mosquitos tasked for an attack on a V1 site at Les Petits Moreaux in the Pas de Calais, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew successfully bombed the target and returned to Base at 1525hrs.

18Feb44 5^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF K.L Monaghan and FLGOFF A.W Dean Hunsdon at 1050hrs with four other Mosquitos for an attack on a “Secret Target”, the nature of which would be revealed immediately the aircraft crossed the enemy coast. The raid was in fact Operation Jericho, the famous Amiens Prison Raid where Mosquitos of 21, 464 and 487 Squadrons escorted by three squadrons of Typhoon fighters attacked Amiens prison to free French resistance fighters. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns.

487sqn Mosquitos breached the outer walls and 464Sqn Mosquitos attacked the prison buildings, the reserve aircraft of 21Sqn were not needed - so accurate was the bombing of the other two squadrons. Of the 712 prisoners detained at Amiens, 102 died in the attack, 74 were hospitalised and 258 escaped. While attacking the prison target the aircraft was hit several times by small and medium flak that caused damage to both wings, lower fwd fuselage and tail assembly. The pilot however made a safe return to Base at 1250hrs.

20Feb44 Aircraft damage was assessed as Cat.Ac/FB and was beyond the Units’ repair capability.

22Feb44 A civilian contractor arrived at Hunsdon to effect the repairs.

29Feb44 Aircraft flew four Operational Flights and a number of non-operational flights in February 1944.

06Mar44 6^th Operational Flight. WOFF G.R Langridge and FSGT W.D Hemmings departed Gravesend at 1105hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos plus two from 21 Sqn and four from 613Sqn to attack a V1 site at Beaumont le Hareng, Pas de Calais. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The pilot aborted the mission soon after departure when the VHF radio failed, crew returned at 1120hrs.

14Mar44 7^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLGOFF F.H Landucci departed Gravesend at 1115hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack a V1 site Herbouville near Dieppe in Seine-Maritime, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. Heavy cloud cover prevented the crew from identifying the target so the mission was aborted and all bombs returned to Base 1330hrs.

15Mar44 8^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.G Oxlade and FLTLT D.M Shanks departed Gravesend at 1508hrs as one of two 464Sqn Mosquitos plus two of 487Sqn tasked to attack a V1 site Preuseville near Dieppe in Seine-Maritime, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1613hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1657hrs.

18Mar44 9^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF K.L Monaghan and FLGOFF A.W Dean departed Gravesend at 1505hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos plus four of 487Sqn and three of 21Sqn tasked to attack the Hazmeyer Electrical Equipment factory at Hengels in Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the target at 16356hrs and returned to Base at 1810hrs.

25Mar44 At short notice, the Squadron, in its entirety, moved from Hunsdon to RAF Swanton Morley. The move was to give squadron members experience and skills to be used during the upcoming invasion of Europe.

31Mar44 Aircraft only flew one non-ops flight in March 1944.

31Mar44 Aircraft undergoing repairs for the entire month of March 1944.

21Apr44 Aircraft repairs completed and delivered by an ATA Ferry Pilot to the Squadrons’ new operating base

25Apr44 10^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLGOFF R.W Hepworth departed Gravesend at 1350hrs as one of ten 464Sqn Mosquitos plus two from 21Sqn all tasked to attack a V1 site at Heudière in Normandy, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1433hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1520hrs.

27Apr44 11^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.R.C Walton and PLTOFF C.H Harper departed Gravesend at 1415hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos aircraft led by their CO, WNGCDR R.W Iredale, tasked to attack a V1 Construction Site at Heudière in Normandy, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1455hrs the crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1600hrs.

29Apr44 12^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLGOFF R.W Hepworth departed Gravesend at 1652hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus six from 21Sqn all tasked to attack the Abancourt railway facilities in the Oise Department of northern France. All aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1822hrs the crew made a successful attack on the target then returned to Base at 1917hrs.

On this Angry Angels mission the Mosquitos were led by an Oboe equipped Pathfinder Mosquito of 109Sqn, No.8 Group which led the formation up to 20,000ft. A total of 42 x 500lb bombs were dropped blind through 10/10ths cloud cover. This series of raids involved five consecutive attacks on the Abancourt complex from 28Apr thru 03May. Results of the raids was disappointing partly due to pathfinder marking errors and very poor weather. Additionally, the raids were very unpopular with most of the Wings’ aircrew as they felt they were needlessly exposed to flak and fighters because they were obliged to hold accurate height, heading and speed during the bomb run in broad daylight.

30Apr44 13^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.W Iredale and FLTLT J.L McCaul departed Gravesend at 1505hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus six from 21Sqn all tasked to attack the Abancourt railway facilities in the Oise Department of northern France. All aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The Mosquitos were led by an Oboe equipped Pathfinder Mosquito of 109Sqn, No.8 Group which led the formation up to 20,000ft. At 1602hrs the crew made a successful attack on the target then returned to Base at 1720hrs.

30Apr44 Aircraft made four Operational Flights and a number of non-operational flights in April 1944.

03May44 14^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLGOFF R.W Hepworth departed Gravesend at 2155hrs as one of three 464Sqn Mosquitos plus one from 487Sqn tasked to attack St Trond aerodrome near Limburg, Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The Mosquitos were led by an Oboe equipped Pathfinder Mosquito of 109Sqn, No.8 Group which led the formation up to 20,000ft. At 2356hrs the crew made a successful attack on the target then returned to Base at 0035hrs/04May.

09May44 15^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF H.W Tuck and PLTOFF D.A.S Crowfoot departed Gravesend at 1405hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for a high level attack on a V1 site in the Pas-de-Calais regions of northern France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The Mosquitos were led by an Oboe equipped Pathfinder Mosquito of 109Sqn, No.8 Group which led the formation up to 20,000ft.

The six aircraft bombed the site from 20,000ft and during the bomb run MM410 was hit by flak which caused damage to the flight controls and port engine. Tuck was able to coax the aircraft back to the UK but was unable to prevent an overshoot of the emergency landing at RAF Bradwell Bay located some 10 miles east of Maldon, Essex. The aircraft sustained severe damage and was later assessed as Cat.E and struck off charge. Both crewmen received contusions, lacerations and shock during the crash. Moreover, Tuck sustained a broken leg, broken arms and serious facial wounds while Crowfoot sustained severe concussion and temporary blindness to the right eye. Both airmen were admitted to the Prince of Wales Hospital in Ely, Cambridgeshire where they spent the next two months. Crowfoot regained his sight and was pronounced fit for duty but Tuck never returned to active duty.

RAAF pilot 413290 Flying Officer Harry Wolfe Tuck (24) of Orange NSW sustained a broken leg, broken arms and serious facial injuries. He spent the next two months in the Prince of Wales Hospital in Ely, Cambridgeshire. He was eventually classified as medically unfit for operational service and repatriated to Australia via the USA aboard the SS Hollandia on 06Dec44. He was discharged from the RAAF in Sydney on 17^th July 1945 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

RAAF navigator 420546 Pilot Officer David Alan Stafford Crowfoot (26) of Gloucester, NSW sustained severe concussion and temporary blindness in the right eye. After spending two months in the Prince of Wales Hospital in Ely, Cambridgeshire he was returned to active service with 288Sqn and completed his tour of duty. He was repatriated back to Australia at the end of the War and elected discharge on 9^th August 1945 with the rank of Flying Officer.

00May44 Aircraft struck off charge. While serving with 464Sqn the aircraft flew fifteen Operational Flights and made at least 15 non-operational flights.

DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial MM410 served with 464 Sqn from 25Jan44 until 09May44, a period of 108 days. During that period the aircraft flew eleven Operational Flights totalling 27hrs 45min and at least three non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be in the range of 50 to 70hrs.

RAAF pilot 413290 Flying Officer Harry Wolfe Tuck (24) of Orange NSW sustained a broken leg, broken arms and serious facial injuries. He spent the next two months in the Prince of Wales Hospital in Ely, Cambridgeshire. He was eventually classified as medically unfit for operational service and repatriated to Australia via the USA aboard the SS Hollandia on 06Dec44. He was discharged from the RAAF in Sydney on 17^th July 1945 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

RAAF navigator 420546 Pilot Officer David Alan Stafford Crowfoot (26) of Gloucester, NSW sustained severe concussion and temporary blindness in the right eye. After spending two months in the Prince of Wales Hospital in Ely, Cambridgeshire he was returned to active service with 288Sqn and completed his tour of duty. He was repatriated back to Australia at the end of the War and elected discharge on 9^th August 1945 with the rank of Flying Officer.

MM423

00Jan44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial MM423 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 40^th of 48 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range MM384 to MM431.

Powered by two 27-litre Rolls Royce Merlin 25 liquid-cooled two-stage supercharged V-12 piston aero engines each developing 1,635hp (1,219kW) driving three-bladed De Havilland hydromatic propellers. Camouflaged overall Ocean Grey with a disruptive pattern of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey on upper surfaces and sides; prop spinners were painted Medium Sea Grey.

Armament was four 20-mm Mk.II Hispano-Suiza cannons with 150rpg mounted in the fuselage belly and four Browning 7.7mm machine guns with 500rpg mounted in the nose. Provision made for the carriage of either two 50 gallon fuel tanks or two x 500lb bombs in the bomb bay, plus two x 250lb or 500lbs bombs; or a load of 8 x 25lb or 60lb unguided rocket projectiles; or, two 50 gal or 100 gal long range drop tanks under the strengthened wings.

00Jan44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

02Feb44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Aircraft Repair Flight at RAF Lasham, Hampshire.

11Mar44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464Sqn at RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire and issued to A Flight as SB-F.

25Mar44 At short notice, the Squadron, in its entirety, moved from Hunsdon to RAF Swanton Morley. The move was to give squadron members experience and skills to be used during the upcoming invasion of Europe.

31Mar44 Aircraft flew at least two non-operational flights in March 1944

08Apr44 Aircraft moved from RAF Station Swanton Morley back to RAF Hunsdon.

12Apr44 1^st Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF G.S Holmes departed Hunsdon at 2330hrs with four other Mosquitos to attack airfields and targets of opportunity in northern France and Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and four x 7.7mm machine guns. The crew attacked the Brussels/Melsbroek airfield and returned safely at 0145hrs/13Apr

17Apr44 Aircraft moved from RAF Hunsdon to the new operating Base at RAF Station Gravesend in Kent.

25Apr44 2^nd Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.W Iredale and FLTLF J.L McCaul departed Gravesend at 1340hrs as one of ten 464Sqn Mosquitos plus two from 21Sqn all tasked to attack a V1 site at Heudière in Normandy, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew overshot the target but made a successful attack on an alternative site then returned to Base at 1530hrs. On the homeward leg the crew saw MM400 ditch in the Channel not far from the English coast and remained on station until a RAF rescue launch arrived on the scene.

27Apr44 3^rd Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.W Iredale and FLTLF J.L McCaul departed Gravesend at 1355hrs leading eight 464Sqn Mosquitos aircraft tasked to attack a V1 Construction Site at Heudière in Normandy, France. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew made a successful attack on the site then returned to Base at 1525hrs.

29Apr44 4^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.G Binnie and PLTOFF J.J Fleming departed Gravesend at 1650hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus six from 21Sqn all tasked to attack the Abancourt railway facilities in the Oise Department of northern France. All aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 1822hrs the crew made a successful attack on the target then returned to Base at 1915hrs.

On this Angry Angels mission the Mosquitos were led by an Oboe equipped Pathfinder Mosquito of 109Sqn, No.8 Group which led the formation up to 20,000ft. A total of 42 x 500lb bombs were dropped blind through 10/10ths cloud cover. This series of raids involved five consecutive attacks on the Abancourt complex from 28Apr thru 03May. Results of the raids was disappointing partly due to pathfinder marking errors and very poor weather. Additionally, the raids were very unpopular with most of the Wings’ aircrew as they felt they were needlessly exposed to flak and fighters because they were obliged to hold accurate height, heading and speed during the bomb run in broad daylight. The aircraft was hit by flak in the port wing but the pilot was able to return to base without problem. Damage assessed as Cat.A and repaired the next day.

Abancourt railway station and marshaling yards

30Apr44 Aircraft made four Operational Flights and at least one non-operational flight in April 1944

01May44 5^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.W Iredale and FLTLF J.L McCaul departed Gravesend at 1240hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus six from 21Sqn all tasked to attack the Abancourt railway facilities in the Oise Department of northern France. All aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The Mosquitos were led by an Oboe equipped Pathfinder Mosquito of 109Sqn, No.8 Group which led the formation up to 20,000ft. At 1342hrs the crew made a successful attack on the target then returned to Base at 1440hrs.

07May44 6^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.W Iredale and FLTLF J.L McCaul departed Gravesend at 1140hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos plus six from 21Sqn all tasked to attack a V1 construction site near Fécamp in Normandy, France. All aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. When the strike force arrived over the target area the weather had changed from a forecast of scattered clouds and sunshine to 10/10ths cover with lightning and hail. The mission was aborted and all aircraft retuned to Base at 1410hrs.

11May44 7^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and PLTOFF E. Ramsey departed Hunsdon at 2230hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for individual Intruder patrols against German night bases over northern France and southern Belgium. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew located Le Culot Air Base in Belgium and successfully bombed the runway and hangars before returning to Base at 0030hrs/12May.

12May44 Aircraft sustained Cat.Ac damage in a flying accident.

14May44 Aircraft sent for repair to 417ARF at RAF Lasham.

26May44 Aircraft delivered to 464Sqn after repairs completed

31May44 8^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.W Iredale and FLTLF J.L McCaul departed Gravesend at 2315hrs as one of two Mosquitos tasked for Ranger patrols in France. The crew bombed a river bridge south of Rouen and strafed a train shortly after before returning to Base at 0110hrs/01Jun.

31May44 Aircraft flew four Operational Flights and a number of non-operational flight in May 1944

03Jun44 Aircraft withdrawn from Ops to undergo servicing and preparation for the forthcoming D-Day Invasion. The most noticeable preparation was the application of five 24 inch (61 cm) wide alternating black and white stripes placed 24 inches (61 cm) outboard of the engine nacelles on the wings; and, five 18 inch (46 cm) wide stripes forward of the leading edge of the tailplane around the fuselage.

05Jun44 9^th Operational Flight. FLTLT J. Farrally and SGT W.A Lovett departed Gravesend at 2310hrs as one of twenty Mosquitos tasked to support of D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns and loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and Illumination Flares. The crew bombed the La Ferté Macé and the La Rachel airfields before returning to Base at 0135hrs/06Jun.

06Jun44 10^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.W Iredale and FLTLF J.L McCaul departed Gravesend at 2325hrs as one of eighteen Mosquitos tasked to support of D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns and loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and Illumination Flares. The crew bombed a rail bridge and patrolled roads before returning to Base at 0155hrs/07Jun.

11^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.W Iredale and FLTLF J.L McCaul departed Gravesend at 0220hrs as one of seven Mosquitos tasked to support of D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and Illumination Flares. The crew bombed a road junction before returning to Base at 0430hrs.

08Jun44 12^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.W Iredale and FLTLF J.L McCaul departed Gravesend at 2240hrs as one of twenty Mosquitos tasked to support of D-Day landings in Normandy. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns and loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and Illumination Flares. The crew bombed the Vire railway station and strafed lights in a nearby wood before returning to Base at 0130hrs/09Jun.

18Jun44 Aircraft moved from Gravesend to a new operating Base at RAF Station Thorney Island in West Sussex.

20Jun44 Aircraft withdrawn from Ops and sent away for major servicing at a RAF MU.

30Jun44 Aircraft flew four Operational Flights and at least two non-operational flights in Jun 1944.

00Jul44 Aircraft delivered to 464Sqn after serving was completed. Issued to A Flt and re-coded as SB-J.

26Jul44 13^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FGST J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 0240hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for individual Intruder patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed and bombed roads and railways before returning to Base at 0525hrs.

27Jul44 14^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FGST J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 0125hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for individual Intruder patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed and bombed lights in a wooded area before returning to Base at 0400hrs.

28Jul44 15^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FGST J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 0050hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for individual Intruder patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway tunnel opening and strafed locomotive sheds before returning to Base at 0350hrs.

31Jul44 Aircraft flew three Operational Flights plus a number of non-operational flight in Jul 1944.

02Aug44 16^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FGST J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 2255hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for individual Intruder patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a railway tunnel opening and strafed locomotive sheds before returning to Base at 0145hrs/03Aug.

04Aug44 17^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.W Iredale and FLTLF J.L McCaul departed Thorney Island on the night of 4/5Aug at 0035hrs with fourteen other Mosquitos to carry out night intruder attacks on rail junctions, bridges, pontoons, barges, trucks, sidings, trains and marshalling yards. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns.The crew bombed a rail bridge and strafed lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0335hrs.

06Aug44 18^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.M Miller and FSGT A. Lister departed Thorney Island at 0001hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for individual Intruder patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed and strafed a river bridge before returning to Base at 0230hrs.

07Aug44 19^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.M Miller and FSGT A. Lister departed Thorney Island at 0240hrs as one of fifteen 464Mosquitos Mosquitos on a night Ranger operations detailed to strike road and rail junctions in support of the Allied Armies in Northern France. The aircraft was shot down at 0340hrs by AA fire and crashed into a field near Menil-Hubert-sur-Orne, twelve miles west of Falaise, Normandy. Both crewmen were killed. Post war investigations by a Missing Research and Enquiry Unit revealed the aircraft was shot down by a flak battery near the town. One identity disc with the name Miller was found by locals and a piece of the wreckage was stamped MM423.

00Aug44 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial MM423 served with 464 Sqn from 11Mar44 until 07Aug44, a period of 150 days. During that period the aircraft flew nineteen Operational Flights totalling 45hrs 25min and many non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be in excess of 100hrs.

RAAF pilot 422227 Flight Sergeant Graeme Morrison Miller (21) born 2 February 1923, son of Arthur Sydney and Isabel McNeil Miller, Croydon, Sydney New South Wales. Graeme is buried in Plot D, Row 7 Joint Grave No.1 of the Ménil-Hubert-Sur-Orne Communal Cemetery, Normandy in the Orme Department of France. He is also commemorated on Panel 109 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT; and, on the Roll of Honour in Sydney City.

RAFVR Navigator 1511919 Warrant Officer Alfred Lister (21) born 1923 son of Ernest and Sarah Lister, of Clifton, Brighouse, Yorkshire is buried in Plot D, Row 7 Joint Grave No.1 of the Ménil-Hubert-Sur-Orne Communal Cemetery, Normandy in the Orme Department of France.

Miller and Lister are the only Commonwealth airmen buried in this cemetery. A memorial was constructed by local residents to honour all civilians and military personnel who died in and around the area and their names are displayed on various plaques attached to the stonework. Two following photographs showing the memorial outside the Church in Ménil-Hubert-Sur-Orne and the headstones in the Communal Cemetery.

Note: The third name on the military plaque is that of RCAF pilot J/20587 Flying Officer Ernest James Allen of 439 Squadron. He was shot down near Ménil-Hubert but buried in the Bretteville-Sur-Laize Cemetery in Calvados, France.

Paradie Canadian Archive Database

Allied Losses & Incidents Database

PMcG 2025-04-25

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon