464 (FB) Squadron RAAF in WW2

A Brief History of De Havilland Mosquito Operations

July 1943 to September 1945 Page 3

464Sqn Operations Jul 43 - Sep 45 Page 1

464Sqn Operations Jul 43 - Sep 45 Page 2

464Sqn Operations Jul 43 - Sep 45 Page 3

464Sqn Operations Jul 43 - Sep 45 Page 4

MM427

00Feb44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial MM427 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 44^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.

00Feb44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

29Feb44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire for acceptance tests.

09Mar44 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.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Hunsdon, Hertfordshire. Issued to A Flight as SB-J, later recoded as SB-D.

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.

17Apr44 Aircraft moved from RAF Hunsdon to the new operating Base at RAF Station Gravesend in Kent. When landing at the new base the aircraft overrun the runway and crashed.

30Apr44 Damaged assessed as Cat.Ac and was transported to No.71MU for repair.

13Jun44 Aircraft returned to 464Sqn at RAF Gravesend where it was taken back on charge and issued to A Flight as SB-D.

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

11Aug44 1^st Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 0045hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for a night Intruder Patrol over northern France to harass retreating Wehrmacht units. 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 heading for Base but landed 0330hrs at RAF Finmere, Buckinghamshire when Base closed because of adverse weather conditions.

12Aug44 FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Finmere in the a.m. hours and returned to Base.

Aircraft flew seventeen 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). All but one of the seventeen missions were flown by FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn. 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.

12Aug44 2^nd Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 2210hrs/1Aug 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 rail junction before returning to Base at 0030hrs.

3^rd Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 0215hrs 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 and strafed lights in a wooded area before returning to Base at 0455hrs.

13Aug44 4^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 0120hrs 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 two bridges before returning to Base at 0300hrs.

5^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 0435hrs 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 and strafed three roads before returning to Base at 0605hrs.

14Aug44 6^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 2320hrs/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 a railway junction before returning to Base at 0210hrs/14Aug.

15Aug44 7^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 0335hrs 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 0520hrs.

16Aug44 8^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR I.G.E Dale and FLGOFF D.S. Bedford departed Thorney Island at 2305hrs/15Aug 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 a bridge before returning to Base at 0055hrs/17Aug.

17Aug44 9^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 0120hrs 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 a bridge and river crossing near Candebec before returning to Base at 0230hrs.

10^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 0500hrs 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 and strafed lights in a wooded area before returning to Base at 0615hrs.

18Aug44 11^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 0020hrs 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 an enemy M.T convoy causing several explosions and fires before returning to Base 0220hrs.

20Aug44 12^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 2310hrs 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 before returning to Base at 0050hrs/21Aug.

23Aug44 13^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 0220hrs 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 some enemy vehicles in a wood then bombed two barges at a river crossing before returning to Base at 0510hrs.

24Aug44 14^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 2325hrs/ 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 rail junction before returning to Base at 0230hrs/24Aug.

25Aug44 15^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 0010hrs 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 and strafed an enemy M.T convoy starting several fires before returning to Base at 0220hrs.

26Aug44 16^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 2255hrs/25Aug 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 strafed a road convoy the bombed a road junction before returning to Base at 0210hrs/26Aug.

28Aug44 17^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 2200hrs/27Aug 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 located 25km west of Rouen before returning to Base at 0150hrs.

The above photo shows Williams and Dunn as one of six crews
posing for a PR photograph in front of MM427 after a sortie in August 1944.

31Aug44 18^th Operational Flight. FSGT G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 0025hrs 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 0335hrs.

31Aug44 Aircraft flew eighteen missions plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Aug44

10Sep44 19^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.C Timoney and FLTLT E.L Hammat departed Thorney Island at 2320hrs/09Sep 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 strafed a lighted area in a wooded and bombed ten parked vehicles before returning to Base at 0235hrs/10Sep44.

12Sep44 20^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.C Timoney and FLTLT E.L Hammat departed Thorney Island at 0100hrs 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 0405hrs.

16Sep44 21^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and FLGOFF J.H Rayher departed Thorney Island at 2359hrs/15Sep 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 six lights in a row on a road before returning to Base at 0310hrs/16Sep.

18Sep44 22^nd Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2330hrs/17Sep 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 0255hrs/18Sep.

19Sep44 23^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and FLGOFF J.H Rayher departed Thorney Island at 1955hrs 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 the town of Billerbeck, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany before returning to Base at 2340hrs.

22Sep44 24^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and FLGOFF J.H Rayher departed Thorney Island at 2155hrs 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 lights on a road before returning to Base at 0125hrs/23Sep.

27Sep44 25^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and FLGOFF J.H Rayher departed Thorney Island at 0001hrs as one of fifteen aircraft detailed to carry out night Ranger operations against targets of opportunity in the Ruhr area such as transport vans, marshalling yards and large factories. 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 train before returning to Base 0425hrs.

28Sep44 26^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF A.J McMahon and FSGT K. Gowlett departed Thorney Island at 2219hrs as one of as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to carry out Intruder patrols against targets of opportunity in the vicinity of the Dutch Islands. 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 train before returning to Base at 0157hrs/29Sep.

30Sep44 Aircraft flew eight Operational Flights plus a number of non-operational flights in September 1944

05Oct44 27^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and FLGOFF J.H Rayher departed Thorney Island at 2115hrs/04Oct as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol to Geldern in North-Rhine Westphalia, 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 strafed lights at a river crossing then bombed barges and pontoons before returning to Base at 0020hrs/05Oct.

14Oct44 28^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF P. Geldart and FLGOFF H.A Miller departed Thorney Island at 2240hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol to Geldern in North-Rhine Westphalia, 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 cross-roads near Geldern before returning to Base at 0050hrs/15Oct.

21Oct44 29^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 2130hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol over Holland. 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 0100hrs/22Oct.

23Oct44 30^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 0155hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol over Holland. 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 stationary lights at The Hague before returning to Base at 0435hrs.

28Oct44 31^st Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0250hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol over Holland. . 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 stationary lights at The Hague before returning to Base at 0600hrs.

29Oct44 32^nd Operational Flight. PLTOFF G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 2035hrs as one of nine 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol in the Zuider Zee area of Holland. 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 six trucks making numerous strikes. They then located and bombed two Oil Storage tanks setting both ablaze before returning to Base at 0005hrshrs/30Oct.

31Oct44 Aircraft made six Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-ops flights in October 1944

01Nov44 33^rd Operational Flight. PLTOFF G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 1830hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol targeting communication nodes and transport hubs in the Overflakke region of Holland. 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 train pulling eight tanker wagons before returning to Base at 2145hrs.

03Nov44 34^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 2055hrs 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 were unable to find any worthwhile target so they aborted and returned to Base 2355hrs.

18Nov44 35^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF A.J McMahon and FSGT K. Gowlett departed Thorney Island at 2335hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail targets near Velen in North-Rhine Westphalia, 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 strafed an AFV and bombed the small town of Lingen before returning to Base at 0335hrs/19Nov.

19Nov44 36^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and FLGOFF J.H Rayher departed Thorney Island at 1745hrs as one of nine 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 bombed the centre of Borken, a small town near the German-Dutch border before returning to Base at 2055hrs.

29Nov44 37^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 1920hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail junctions in the Netherlands. 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 train then returned to Base at 2245hrs

30Nov44 Aircraft flew five Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Nov44

02Dec44 38^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorny Island at 2255hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos asked to attack road/rail junctions in the Rotterdam-Veale-Wesel-Ruhr corridor. The aircraft failed to return and was listed as MIA.

Post War investigations revealed the aircraft was shot down by flak around 0030hrs and crashed near the small German town of Sonsbeck-Hamb in North Rhine-Westphalia, both airmen died in the crash. The crew were initially buried in the Kapellen War Cemetery but later exhumed by a British Graves Unit and reburied in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

08Dec44 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial MM427 served with 464 Sqn from 11Mar44 until 02Dec44, a period of 270 days. During that period the aircraft flew thirty-six Operational Flights totalling 106hrs 28min and an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total airframe accrued time is estimated to be more between 150 and 200hrs.

RAFVR pilot 183388 Pilot Officer Glyn Williams (21) born 1923 the son of John and Lilian Williams of Gresford in Wrexham County Borough, Wales; husband of Joyce Williams of Gravesend, Kent. Glyn was KIA and is buried in Plot 4 Row G Joint Grave 14-15 of the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. He is remembered in the RAF WW2 Books of Remembrance at St Clement Danes Church, London.

RAFVR navigator 1494694 Flight sergeant John Dunn (21) born in 1923 the son of John and Alice Dunn, of Dunstan, Gateshead, Co. Durham. John was KIA and is buried in Plot 4 Row G Joint Grave 14-15 of the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. He is remembered in the RAF WW2 Books of Remembrance at St Clement Danes Church, London.

NS890

00Feb44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial NS890 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 42 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range NS873 to NS914.

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) RR 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.

00Feb44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

26Feb44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.13 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Henlow, Bedfordshire for acceptance tests.

08Mar44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.27 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Shawbury, Shropshire for storage.

28Mar44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Aircraft Repair Flight at RAF Lasham, Hampshire

29Jun44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Thorney Island, West Sussex. Issued to A Flight as SB-B.

30Jun44 Aircraft made two non-operational flights in June 1944.

26Jul44 1^st Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 2255hrs as one of ten 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 completed the mission and returned to Base 0035hrs/27Jul.

28Jul44 2^nd Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman 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 before returning to Base at 0140hrs.

29Jul44 3^rd Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0230hrs 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 then strafed a locomotive and two carriage observing many hits before returning to Base at 0500hrs.

31Jul44 Aircraft flew three Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Jul44.

02Aug44 4^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.M Miller and FSGT A. Lister departed Thorney Island at 0045hrs 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 aircraft suffered a complete VHF failure so the pilot aborted and returned to Base at 0305hrs.

04Aug44 5^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.M Miller and FSGT A. Lister departed Thorney Island at 0035hrs 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 and strafed a river crossing before returning to Base 0335hrs.

06Aug44 6^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 2250hrs 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 0100hrs.

09Aug44 7^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0012hrs 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 and returned to Base at 0145hrs.

12Aug44 Aircraft flew sixteen 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). All of the sixteen missions were flown by FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman. 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.

12Aug44 8^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 2355hrs/11Aug 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 road interchange before returning to Base at 0210hrs.

9^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0310hrs 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 road interchange before returning to Base at 0500hrs.

13Aug44 10^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0030hrs 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 road bridge before returning to Base at 0210hrs.

11^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0325hrs 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 and strafed a road bridge before returning to Base at 0510hrs.

L to R: Navigator 417898 Flight Sergeant Ronald Stephen Seaman, and pilot 423636 Flight Sergeant John Hamilton Carter after returning from a night intruder mission over the invasion areas in Western Europe, August 1944.

14Aug44 12^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0030hrs 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 a rail bridge before returning to Base at 0345hrs.

15Aug44 13^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0215hrs 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 road bridge then strafed a line of vehicles waiting to cross the bridge before returning to Base at 0435hrs.

17Aug44 14^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0030hrs 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 strafed a rail bridge bombed then strafed four trucks before returning to Base at 0325hrs.

18Aug44 15^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0035hrs 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 strafed six parked transports leaving most on fire, they then bombed a burning M.T convoy before returning to Base at 0210hrs.

16^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0315hrs as one of six 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 road junction before returning to Base at 0510hrs.

20Aug44 17^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 2320hrs 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 and strafed a road convoy before returning to Base at 0055hrs.

22Aug44 18^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 1600hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn 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 2 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. Intense light Flak was encountered at Le Creusot which caused slight damage to the port wing and rear port fuselage. The crew bombed a train blowing it in half, they then strafed a locomotive pulling several fuel tankers leaving several ablaze several trains before returning to Base at 2005hrs.

23Aug44 19^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0215hrs 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 a jetty and surrounding vehicles before returning to Base at 0410hrs.

24Aug44 20^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 2345hrs 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 marshalling yards causing several fires then strafed a railway bridge before returning to Base at 0215hrs/25Aug.

26Aug44 21^st Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 2340hrs/25Aug 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 lights in a wood and strafed a group of 8 or 10 trucks before returning to Base at 03000hrs/26Aug.

31Aug44 22^nd Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0055hrs 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 six enemy vehicles before returning to Base at 0455hrs.

31Aug44 Aircraft flew nineteen Operational Flights and an unknown number of non-ops flights in Aug44.

08Sep44 23^rd Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0050hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 road bridge near Flushing before returning to Base at 0335hrs.

10Sep44 24^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0155hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 lighted jetty before returning to Base at 0440hrs.

12Sep44 25^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0125hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 and strafed a lighted jetty before returning to Base at 0420hrs.

16Sep44 26^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 2120hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 row of huts before returning to Base at 0025hrs/17Sep.

18Sep44 27^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 2200hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 bombed two large M.T near Almed before returning to Base at 0125hrs/19Sep.

19Sep44 28^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorney Island at 1950hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 a road junction before returning to Base at 2255hrs.

25Sep44 29^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorney Island at 2205hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack airfields in the Cologne region of the Ruhr, 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 strafed a train scoring multiple hits along the entire length before returning to Base at 0140hrs/26Sep.

28Sep44 30^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorney Island at 2335hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to carry out Intruder patrols against targets of opportunity in the vicinity of the Dutch Islands. 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 aircraft sustained moderate flak damage over the target area that necessitated an emergency landing at 0320hrs/29Sep on RAF Bradwell Bay, Essex. The aircraft remained at Bradwell Bay for the next five days until repairs were effected.

30Sep44 Aircraft flew eight Operational Flights and an unknown number of non-operational flights in Sep44.

04Oct44 Aircraft returned to Thorney Island.

05Oct44 31^st Operational Flight. PLTOFF W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorney Island at 2310hrs/04Oct as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol to Geldern in North-Rhine Westphalia, 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 a section of railway near the dock area before returning to Base at 0250hrs/05Oct.

06Oct44 32^nd Operational Flight. PLTOFF W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorney Island at 2100hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for a Ranger mission to the Breskens-Flushing-Goes area in Zeeland, Holland. 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 could not find a worthwhile target so returned to Base at 0110hrs/07Oct.

11Oct44 33^rd Operational Flight. PLTOFF W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorney Island at 0010hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for a Ranger mission to the Breskens-Flushing-Goes area in Zeeland, Holland. 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 dropped flares over Middleburg then strafed and bombed a lighted jetty at Flushing before returning to Base at 0210hrs.

14Oct44 34^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorney Island at 2210hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol to Geldern in North-Rhine Westphalia, 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 dropped flares then bombed cross-roads near Geldern before returning to Base at 0010hrs/15Oct.

19Oct44 35^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorney Island at 2015hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol to the Rhineland area of 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 strafed a section of autobahn containing three trucks before returning to Base at 0015hrs/20Oct.

21Oct44 36^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorney Island at 2015hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol over Holland. 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 row of M.T with many hits seen before returning to Base at 0005hrs/22Oct.

28Oct44 37^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorney Island at 0250hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol over Holland. 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 could not find a worthwhile target so returned to Base at 0620hrs.

28Oct44 PLTOFF W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorny Island with eight other 464Sqn Mosquitos plus seven 21Sqn; six 487Sqn Mosquitos, four HQ 140 Wing Mosquitos; and, one Photo Mosquito. The massed formation flew a two hour low-level training exercise to ensure low-level techniques, timing coordination and formation flying were all in order for a Secret Mission to Europe.

29Oct44 38^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 2240hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol in the Zuider Zee area of Holland. 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 row of barges seeing hits on at least four before returning to Base at 0010hrs/30Oct.

31Oct44 39^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorney Island at 0925hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos; seven of 21Sqn; and, six of 487Sqn Mosquitos that flew to RAF Swanton Morley in Norfolk where the crews received their final briefing. The mission entailed a round trip of 1,260 miles (2,079km) to bomb/strafe Gestapo Headquarters which occupied three buildings of the Aarhus University in the city of Aarhus on the Jutland Peninsula, Denmark. The crews were warned that accuracy was vital as the target buildings were located only 250m from two hospital buildings.

The force began departing Swanton Morley at 0900hrs and after quickly formatting set course for Denmark. Each aircraft was loaded with 2 x 500lb MC TD bombs and fitted with two long range fuel tanks on each of the underwing pylons and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The Mosquitos were escorted by eight Mustang IIIs from 315 (Polish) Squadron

The raid was a huge success and the following extract from the Danish University provides a good account of the actual raid “...the attack force entered Jutland around the coastal town of Henne around 11:20 a.m. and the Germans were alerted at 11:36 a.m. As planned, 315 Squadron broke off around Grove and 140 Wing continued on towards Skanderborg. At 11:38 a.m., the first wave reached the rendezvous at Skanderborg Lake, followed shortly after by the other three waves. While the other waves circled the lake waiting their turn, the first wave broke off and reached Aarhus in about three minutes. The crews got a sighting of the dorms with the Gestapo offices and dropped 4 long tons (4.1 t) of bombs. At 11:41 a.m., the first bombs exploded and four minutes later, they were followed by the second wave, then the third and fourth, attacking with incendiaries. The later waves were engaged by flak and a Mosquito from the fourth wave was severely damaged. Instead of returning to base, another Mosquito escorted it across the Kattegat, where it continued on alone to Sweden, landed safely and was destroyed by the crew before they were apprehended by Swedish authorities. The rest of the aircraft exited Danish airspace in their designated waves between 12:16 p.m. and 12:34 p.m.; about two hours later, they landed safely in England.

31Oct44 Aircraft flew nine Operational Flights and an unknown number of non-operational flights in Oct44.

01Nov44 40^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorney Island at 2105hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol targeting communication nodes and transport hubs in the Overflakke region of Holland. 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 train pulling approximately thirty wagons and started several fires. They then strafed three motor vessels on a canal, then bombed and strafed fifteen trucks in a marshaling yard before returning to Base at 0020hrs/02Nov.

03Nov44 41^st Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 1920hrs 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 bombed a rail/road junction before returning to Base at 2320hrs.

05Nov44 42^nd Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0320hrs 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 bombed a rail junction at Deventer in Overijssel, Holland before returning to Base at 0630hrs.

18Nov44 43^rd Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 2340hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail targets near Velen in North-Rhine Westphalia, 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 strafed and bombed a railway line before returning to Base at 0325hrs/19Nov.

19Nov44 44^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 1750hrs as one of nine 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 bombed the centre of Herford, a small town near the German-Dutch border, before returning to Base at 2230hrs.

20Nov44 45^th Operational Flight. FSGT J. Carter and FSGT R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 1800hrs 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 dropped flares then strafed houses setting several alight before returning to Base at 2200hrs.

27Nov44 46^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.C Timoney and SQNLDR E.L Hammat departed Thorney Island at 1815hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked 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 and strafed a train rail before returning to Base at 2025hrs.

29Nov44 47^th Operational Flight. FLTLT P. Geldart and FLTLT B.V Goldswain departed Thorney Island at 0045hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail junctions in the Netherlands. 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 then returned to Base at 0425hrs.

30Nov44 Aircraft flew eight Operational Flights and an unknown number of non-operational flights in Nov44.

02Dec44 48^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF A.J McMahon and FSGT K. Gowlett departed Thorney Island at 2200hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road/rail junctions in the Rotterdam-Veale-Wesel-Ruhr corridor. 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, 15min later they bombed a rail line in Kempen, Germany and, a further 20min later they strafed a line of parked vehicles on the outskirts of Dülken, Germany before returning to Base at 0200hr/03Dec.

06Dec44 49^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorney Island at 2255hrs 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 strafed Ijsselmeer Causeway and bombed the centre of Burgsteinfurter before returning to Base at 0240hrs/07Dec.

17Dec44 50^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J. Carter and PLTOFF R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0455hrs 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 strafed a road convoy near Mayen before returning to Base at 0835hrs.

18Dec44 51^st Operational Flight. PLTOFF J. Carter and PLTOFF R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 1700hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 strafed a lighted woods area then bombed and strafed a train before returning to Base at 2020hrs.

23Dec44 52^nd Operational Flight. PLTOFF J. Carter and PLTOFF R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0035hrs as one of eighteen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 six M.T at a road junction then bombed the town of Mayern before returning to Base at 0410hrs.

24Dec44 53^rd Operational Flight. PLTOFF J. Carter and PLTOFF R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0010hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked 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 and strafed a locomotive pulling sixteen wagons, setting several alight before returning to Base at 0340hrs.

28Dec44 54^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J. Carter and PLTOFF R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 1940hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 2220hrs.

31Dec44 55^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J. Carter and PLTOFF R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0055hrs as one of eighteen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 then strafed a line of 10/14 trucks before returning to Base at 0405hrs.

31Dec44 Aircraft flew eight Operational Flights and an unknown number of non-operational flights in Dec44.

01Jan45 56^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J. Carter and PLTOFF R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 1830hrs 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, a nearby train then later on bombed a road convoy near Mayen. The crew were homeward bound when they were diverted to land at 2200hrs on Lille airfield in France as the entire UK east coast was closed to all air traffic because of appalling weather.

03Jan45 57^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J. Carter and PLTOFF R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0250hrs as one of thirteen 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 0430hrs.

12Jan45 58^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J. Carter and PLTOFF R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0325hrs 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 0640hrs.

14Jan45 59^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0030hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 13Jan45. Nothing was found before the aircraft returned to Base at 0200hrs.

17Jan45 60^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J. Carter and PLTOFF R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0450hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack targets of opportunity in the Ardennes salient. 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 enemy troops and vehicles near the town of Pronsfeld, Germany before returning to Base at 0805hrs.

25Jan44 61^st Operational Flight. FLTLT R.W McClelland and SGT J.R Barr departed Thorney Island at 1830hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack targets of opportunity in the Ardennes salient behind German Lines. 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 two vehicles then bombed a railway marshalling yard and factory in the town of Rosbach, Germany before returning to Base at 2230hrs.

31Jan45 Aircraft flew six Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Jan45.

01Feb45 62^nd Operational Flight. PLTOFF J. Carter and PLTOFF R.S Seaman departed Thorney Island at 0445hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to carry out Intruder patrols against targets in the Dilenburg - Littfeld area of Hesse, Germany. The aircraft failed to return from the mission and was listed as MIA

A later report by a Missing Research & Enquiry Unit stated that the aircraft was hit by flak and crashed at 0620hrs in woods near Boenninghardt on the Netherlands-Germany border, approx. 7 miles north of Geldern, Germany. Both crewmen were killed in the crash and were buried in the Boenninghardt Cemetery. Based on this report the two men were exhumed and reinterred in a dedicated War Graves Cemetery.

00Feb45 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial MM427 served with 464 Sqn from 11Mar44 until 02Dec44, a period of 270 days. During that period the aircraft flew sixty-two Operational Flights totalling 184hrs 48min, plus an unknown number of non-Ops flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be approximately 300hrs.

RAAF pilot 423636 Pilot Officer John Hamilton Carter DFM (29) born 24 January 1915 son of John Thomas Carter and Edith Mabel (nee Gray) Carter; wife of Dora Redfern Carter of Granville in Sydney, New South Wales. John was KIA and initially buried in the Boenninghardt Cemetery but in 1947 his remains were exhumed and reinterred in Section B Row 17-18 Joint Grave 1 of the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. He is commemorated on Panel 109 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory; and, on the Roll of Honour at Sydney City.

RAAF navigator 417898 Pilot Officer Ronald Stephen Seaman DFM (21) born 21 December 1923 son of Eli Semmens Seaman and Ethel Maud Seaman of McLaren Vale, South Australia. Ronald was KIA and initially buried in the Boenninghardt Cemetery but in 1947 his remains were exhumed and reinterred in Section B Row 17-18 Joint Grave 1 of the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. He is commemorated on Panel 109 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory; and, on the McLaren Vale War Memorial in South Australia.

NS893

00Feb44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial NS893 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 42 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range NS873 to NS914.

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) RR 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.

00Feb44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

24Feb44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.13 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Henlow, Bedfordshire for acceptance tests.

11Mar44 Aircraft delivered for storage by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire.

30Mar44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Aircraft Repair Flight at RAF Lasham, Hampshire

02Jun44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Thorney Island, West Sussex. Issued to A Flight as SB-J.

03Jun44 Aircraft withheld from Ops to undergo 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.

11Jun44 1^st and only Operational Flight. RAFVR pilot 121601 Flight Lieutenant S.T Sharpe and RAFVR navigator 144678 FLGOFF A. Mercer departed Gravesend at 0120hrs with nine other Mosquitos to bomb convoys, roads, rail junctions, bridges and trains in support of the D-Day landings in Normandy. After completing the mission the aircraft was returning to Base but diverted to RAF Tangmere. Upon landing the aircraft swung violently off the runway and crashed. The aircraft was a write-off and both crewmen were admitted to St Richards Hospital, Chichester with serious injuries. Sharpe and Mercer returned to active service and survived the War.

00Jun44 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial NS893 served with 464 Sqn from 02Jun44 until 11Jun44, a short period of only eleven days. During that period the aircraft flew one Operational Flight totalling 2hrs 45min and an unknown number of non-operational training flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 10 and 20 hours.

NS897

00Feb44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial NS897 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 25^th of 42 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range NS873 to NS914.

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.

00Feb44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

26Feb44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.13 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Henlow, Bedfordshire for acceptance tests.

08Mar44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire.

14Mar44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Aircraft Repair Flight at RAF Lasham, Hampshire

22Mar44 Aircraft taken on charge with No.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Hunsdon, Hertfordshire. Issued to A Flight as SB-A.

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.

08Apr44 Aircraft moved from RAF Station Swanton Morley and returned to RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire.

10Apr44 1^st Operational Flight. PLTOFF T.H Gibbons and PLTOFF I. Kenway departed Hunsdon at 2155hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos and six Mosquitos of 21Sqn tasked to attack the airfield at St Dizier, located in the Haute-Marne department in north-eastern France. 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 could not locate the blacked-out airfield but patrolled the area as long as possible before returning to Base at 0125hrs/11Apr.

11Apr44 2^nd Operational Flight. FSGT W.H Kempton-Hall and SGT R.J Halliday departed Hunsdon at 2230hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack the airfield at St Dizier, located in the Haute-Marne department in north-eastern France. 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 could not locate the blacked-out airfield but patrolled the area as long as possible before returning to Base at 0110hrs/12Apr.

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

18Apr44 3^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and FSGT H. Bradley departed Gravesend at 2215hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos and six Mosquitos of 21Sqn and five of 487Sqn tasked to attack various airfields across northern France. The 464Sqn aircraft were tasked to attack Juvencourt, Deelen and St Dizier airfields. 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 could not locate the blacked-out airfields but patrolled the area as long as possible before returning to Base at 0040hrs/19Apr.

22Apr44 4^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.W Iredale and FLTLT J.J. McCaul departed Gravesend at 2150hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos despatched on Intruder patrols across northern France to attack airfields and targets of opportunity in support of two large Bomber Command raids to Düsseldorf and Brunswick, Germany. Iredale and McCaul were tasked to attack Bonn airfield. 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 could not locate the blacked-out airfield but they located and bombed a floodlit dockyard construction site in Bonn harbour before returning to Base at 0120hrs/23Apr.

24Apr44 5^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF A.R Oates and SGT D.E Spencer departed Gravesend at 2130hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos despatched on Intruder patrols across northern France to attack airfields and targets of opportunity. 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 could not locate the blacked-out airfield but patrolled the area as long as possible before returning to Base at 2350hrs.

25Apr44 6^th Operational Flight. FLTLT J. Farrally and SGT W.A Lovett departed Gravesend at 1350hrs as one of ten 464Sqn Mosquitos plus two from 21Sqn all 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 1436hrs the crew made a successful low level attack on the site then returned to Base at 1520hrs.

29Apr44 7^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF T.H Gibbons and PLTOFF I. Kenway departed Gravesend at 1650hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos and six 21Sqn aircraft 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 but was hit by flak when egressing the area. The pilot managed to nurse the damaged machine back to Base at 1915hrs. Damage was assessed as Cat.A and took two days to repair.

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 Aircraft flew seven Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-Ops flights in Apr44.

03May44 8^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF E.H Dunkley and FLGOO H.P Woodward departed Gravesend at 2215hrs as one of three 464Sqn Mosquitos and one 487Sqn aircraft tasked to attack St Trond airfield in the province of Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium. 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 2344hrs the crew made a successful low level attack on the site then returned to Base at 0100hrs/04May.

06May44 9^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR A.G Oxlade and FLTLT D.M Shanks departed Gravesend at 1330hrs as one of three 464Sqn Mosquitos plus five from 487Sqn and three of 21Sqn tasked to attack a V1 construction site 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.

06May44. Mission take-off from Gravesend with NS897/SB-A leading

09May44 10^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR A.G Oxlade and FLTLT D.M Shanks 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 1615hrs. A later recce revealed the bombing was not successful.

24May44 11^th Operational Flight. FSGT I.S De Souza and SGT E.F.G Dean departed Gravesend at 2120hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos despatched on an Intruder Patrol to attack airfields in the Walloon municipality of Belgium. De Souza and Dean and one other crew were specifically tasked to attack Soesterburg airfield. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. Despite the poor weather the crew successfully identified and attacked the airfield. The two aircraft located Soesterburg and between them dropped 8 x 500lb MC TD bombs on the main runway and hangars before returning to Base at 0100hrs/25May

27May44 12^th Operational Flight. FLTLT J. Farrally and SGT W.A Lovett departed Gravesend at 2235hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos despatched 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 failed to locate the airfield so returned to Base at 0125hrs/28May.

31May44 13^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR A.G Oxlade and FLTLT D.M Shanks departed Gravesend at 2315hrs as one of two 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Ranger patrols on the Rouen area of France. The crew did not find a worthwhile bombing target but did make successful cannon attacks on three road convoys in Doullens, Amiens and Albert areas with very good results before returning to Base at 0150hrs

31May44 Aircraft flew six Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-Ops flights in May44.

06Jun44 14^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR A.G Oxlade and FLTLT D.M Shanks departed Gravesend at 2250hrs/05Jun 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. When flying at 2,000ft near Montfort-sur-Risle southeast of Rouen, France the aircraft was coned by searchlights and immediately hit by flak. In the words of Don Shanks: “We took off at 23:00 hrs to do a recce of roads south of the invasion area. We were coned at 2000 feet to the south of Montfort and the aircraft caught fire from flak hits. We carried on and the fire went out. On the return journey over Yvetot one engine cut out and the pilot was forced to feather it. No sooner was that done when the other engine caught fire. The bale out was ordered and I did so when under 2000 feet. I don’t think the pilot had time to bale out. I landed north of Gueures. The aircraft hit the ground and blew up. Later the bombs blew up. The chute was tangled in a tall tree. I was forced to leave it there and climb down. I went south and shortly knocked on the door of a farmhouse. A Frenchman and woman told me to get away quickly as the farm was a German Hqrs. I walked past a German guard on the gate and walked east for 2kms. I hid for 2 days in a hedge living on escape tablets. At dusk on 7/6 I walked cross country, reached Ablement and entered a farmhouse. The farmer sheltered me until 13/6 when I moved to Mont Candon in order to see a flying bomb site close by and wanted to study the thing at close quarters. Flying bombs commenced on 16/6. On 25/6 was moved by the Resistance organization to Montreuil en Caux. On 1/9 made contact with Canadian troops.” Returned to unit on 7/9/44.

00Jun44 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial NS897 served with 464 Sqn from 22Mar44 until 06Jun44, a period of seventy-six days. During that period the aircraft flew fourteen Operational Flights totalling 36hrs 20min plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 70 and 90 hours.

RAAF pilot 400733 Squadron Leader Arthur Geoffrey Oxlade (24) born 8 April 1920 son of Arthur Harold and Olive May Oxlade of Echuca, Victoria. Arthur was KIA and is the only WW2 combatant buried in the Gueures Communal Cemetery, 13kms south-west of Dieppe in Seine-Maritime, France. He is also commemorated on Panel 109 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory; and, on the Roll of Honour at Box Hill in Melbourne, Victoria. His name is recorded in the RAF WW2 Books of Remembrance at St Clement Danes Church, London

RAAF navigator 400839 FLTLT Donald McKenzie Shanks (35) born 6 November 1909 son of Robert James Shanks and Sybil Maude Mary Shanks (nee Hennessy) of South Yarra, Melbourne VIC survived the ordeal and returned to active service in September 1944. Don Shanks completed his tour and survived the rest of the War before his repatriation back to Australia in 1945. He elected discharge on 07Mar46 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. Donald McKenzie Shanks passed away on 12 August 1983 at Bendigo aged 74 years young. He is buried in Melaleuca, Garden M11, Bed 2, Rose 14 of the Springvale Botanical Cemetery in Greater Dandenong City, Victoria

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 an incident on 21Feb44 when Mosquito MM401 was badly shot up and crash landed at RAF Friston Emergency Landing Ground in Sussex. The third occasion was on D-Day 6th June 1944 with NS897 described above. 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.

NS926

00Feb44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial NS926 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 1^st of 42 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range NS926 to NS965.

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.

00Feb44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

26Feb44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.13 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Henlow, Bedfordshire for acceptance tests.

11Mar44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.27 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Shawbury, Shropshire

05Apr44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Aircraft Repair Flight at RAF Lasham, Hampshire

27Apr44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot No.464 Sqn RAAF RAF Station Gravesend, Kent. Issued to A Flight as SB-G.

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

01May44 1^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.G Binnie and PLTOFF J.J. Fleming 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.

03May44 2^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.G Binnie and PLTOFF J.J. Fleming departed Gravesend at 1305hrs as one of two 464Sqn Mosquitos plus six from 21Sqn and three from 487Sqn 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 1404hrs the crew made a blind drop through dense clouds then returned to Base at 1520hrs.

This was the fourth Angry Angels mission once again led by an Oboe equipped Pathfinder Mosquito of 109Sqn, No.8 Group. The force dropped 36 x 500lb bombs from 21,000ft through 10/10ths cloud cover then returned to Base at 1520hrs. Later recce photos showed the Pathfinder led attack again overshot the target by300 yards.

07May44 3^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.G Binnie and PLTOFF J.J. Fleming 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 4^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.G Binnie and PLTOFF J.J. Fleming departed Gravesend at 2250hrs 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 could not locate their target, Rheims Air Base, because it was blacked-out. The crew patrolled the area as long as possible before returning to Base at 0100hrs/12May.

14May44 5^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Gravesend at 2240hrs 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 Évreux -Fauville airfield in Normandy, France before returning to Base at 0035hrs/15May.

19May44 6^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Gravesend at 2305hrs 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/Athies airfield near the city of Laon in the Hauts-de-France, northern France, then returned to Base at 0130hrs/20May.

20May44 7^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Gravesend at 1420hrs 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 1555hrs.

21May44 8^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF N.L Mitchell departed Gravesend at 2245hrs 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 could not locate their target because of poor weather so Carter aborted and returned to Base at 0130hrs/22May.

24May44 9^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF N.L Mitchell departed Gravesend at 2245hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos departed Gravesend at 2120hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos despatched on an Intruder Patrol to attack airfields in Holland and Belgium. The crew were specifically tasked to attack Deelen airfield in the Dutch province of Gelderland. 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 local weather conditions were horrendous, preventing the crew from identifying their target so the pilot aborted the mission and returned to Base at 0145hrs/25May

27May44 10^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF T.H Gibbons and PLTOFF I, Kennedy departed Gravesend at 2325hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack Leeuwarden airfield in Friesland, Netherlands 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 the airfield at 0047hrs and made a combined bombing/strafing run from 1, 300ft. As they egressed the target area they spotted and strafed a road convoy before returning to Base at 0235hrs/28May.

31May44 Aircraft flew ten Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-Ops flights in May44.

02Jun44 11^th Operational Flight. FLTLT J. Farrally and SGT W.A Lovett departed Gravesend at 0025hrs as one of six 464Sqn 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. At 0058hts the crew bombed a train two miles north of Pont-Authou located some 80km east of Caen before returning to Base at 0245hrs/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 12^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Gravesend at 2340hrs as one of twenty 464Sqn 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/rail bridge near Falaise located 25km southeast of Caen before returning to Base at 0150hrs/06Jun.

06Jun44 13^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Gravesend at 2325hrs/05Jun as one of seventeen 464Sqn 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 and section of railway before returning to Base at 0155hrs/06Jun.

14^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Gravesend at 0355 as one of seven 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 road before returning to Base at 0655hrs.

07Jun44 15^th Operational Flight. FLTLT J.L Martin and SGT H.L Morgan departed Gravesend at 2359hrs 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 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 a cross-road in their patrol area before returning to base at 0200hrs.

08Jun44 16^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Gravesend at 2240hrs as one of ten 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 a wood before returning to Base at 0130hrs.

10Jun44 17^th Operational Flight. FLTLT J.L Martin and SGT H.L Morgan departed Gravesend at 2350hrs 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 a wood before returning to Base at 0130hrs/11Jun.

12Jun44 18^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Gravesend at 0205hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack Le Lesnil Mauger Railway Yards in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy. 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 railway marshalling yards before returning to Base at 0435hrs.

13Jun44 19^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Taylor and SQNLDR P. Livery departed Gravesend at 2359hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack the Mezidon Railway Yards, Normandy. 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 railway marshalling yards then strafed lights in a nearby wood before returning to Base at 0220hrs.

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 20^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Gravesend at 0030hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 Gravesend to the Squadrons’ new operating Base at RAF Station Thorney Island, West Sussex.

20Jun44 21^st Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Gravesend at 2240hrs 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 the centre of Chartres then strafed a stationary train and truck before returning to Base at 0120hrs/21Jun.

21Jun44 22^nd Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF N.L Mitchell departed Gravesend at 0015hrs 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 0345hrs.

22Jun44 23^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Gravesend at 0155hrs as one of eleven 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 Lisieux airfield before returning to Base at 0420hrs.

27Jun44 24^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Gravesend at 0155hrs 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 Vire railway station before returning to Base at 0445hrs

29Jun44 25^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Gravesend at 2245hrs/28Jun 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 9th and 10th 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 before returning to Base at 0055hrs/30Jun.

30Jun44 Aircraft flew fifteen Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Jun44.

04Jul44 26^th Operational Flight. RAAF pilot 409464 FLGOFF W.H Tonkin and RAFVR navigator 153315 FLGOFF L. C. Webb were departing Thorney Island for an Intruder Patrol. 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. On the take-off roll the aircraft departed the runway and ran onto the grass and headed for the Officers Mess. Unfortunately, Lancaster ND812 60-M from 582 Sqn was between the Mosquito and the Mess. Realising a collision was unavoidable the pilot retracted the undercarriage and the aircraft slid across the grass. The Mosquito went under one wing of the Lancaster and emerged on the other side, the tail cutting the Lancaster in half just behind the mid-upper turret. The wrecked Mosquito then slid to halt amongst tents containing ground crew members of 582Sqn. NS926 was declared a write-off but the Lancaster was repaired and returned to active service.

00Jul44 Aircraft struck off squadron charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial NS926 served with 464 Sqn from 27Apr44 until 04Juln44, a period of sixty-nine days. During that period the aircraft flew twenty-six Operational Flights totalling 62hrs 10min plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 90 and 110 hours.

08Jul44 RAF Movement Card (Form 78) states the wreck was transported to No.2 Group Support Unit at RAF Swanton-Morley where it was converted to Instructional Airframe 4835M.NS937

00Mar44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial NS937 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 12^th of 40 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range NS926 to NS965.

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.

00Mar44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

15Mar44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.13 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Henlow, Bedfordshire for acceptance tests.

22Mar44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire.

30Apr44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Aircraft Repair Flight at RAF Lasham, Hampshire

26May44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot No.464 Sqn RAAF RAF Station Gravesend, Kent. Issued to B Flight as SB-L.

01Jun44 1st Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and PLTOFF E. Ramsey departed Gravesend at 2315hrs with one other Mosquito to attack airfields in 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. At 2355hrs the pilot aborted with electrical problems and returned to base.

03Jun44 2^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and FSGT H. Bradley departed Gravesend at 2325hrs with one other Mosquito to attack Dreux airfield approximately 50km west of Paris. 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. Pilot aborted over the target when the Blind Bombing System failed. Returned to Base at 0125hrs/04Jun.

04Jun44 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 3^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and FSGT H. Bradley departed Gravesend at 2340hrs 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 rail bridge over a river near Port Athon before returning to Base at 0200hrs/06Jun.

06Jun44 4^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and FSGT H. Bradley departed Gravesend at 0004hrs 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 0319hrs.

07Jun44 5^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and FSGT H. Bradley departed Gravesend at 0050hrs 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 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 aborted the mission following an electrical systems failure and returned to Base at 0150hrs.

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 6^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and FSGT H. Bradley departed Dunsfold at 0045hrs 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 0255hrs.

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

20Jun44 7^th Operational Flight. FLGFOFF E.H Dunkley and FLGOFF H.P Woodward departed Thorney Island at 2250hrs/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 dropped flares and bombs on a railway line close to Rambouillett in the Île-de-France region on the outskirts of Paris. The crew then strafed another train at Épernon station 27 kilometres northeast of Chartres and scored many hits before returning to Base at 0150hrs/20Jun.

21Jun44 8^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and FSGT H. Bradley departed Thorney Island at 0100hrs 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 Rambouillett in the Île-de-France region on the outskirts of Paris before returning to Base at 0335hrs.

22Jun44 9^th Operational Flight. FLGFOFF E.H Dunkley and FLGOFF H.P Woodward departed Thorney Island at 0155hrs 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 and strafed M.T on a road near Dreux station before returning to Base at 0430hrs.

23Jun44 10^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and FSGT H. Bradley departed Thorney Island at 0210hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass movement of the 9th and 10th 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 Lisieux airfield before returning to Base at 0405hrs.

27Jun44 11^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and FSGT H. Bradley departed Thorney Island at 0230hrs 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 and strafed a railway junction east of Vire before returning to Base at 0530hrs.

29Jun44 12^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and FSGT H. Bradley departed Thorney Island at 2240hrs 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 9th and 10th 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 before returning to Base at 0110hrs/30Jun.

30Jun44 Aircraft flew twelve Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Jun44.

03Jul44 13^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and FSGT H. Bradley departed Thorney Island at 0105hrs as one of fourteen 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 a train before returning to Base at 0355hrs.

04Jul44 14^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF E.H Dunkley and FLGOFF H.P Woodward departed Thorny Island at 2359hrs as one of 14 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. They spotted a train at 0112hrs and as they approached the target they were hit by flak which caused severe damage, with one engine running away at maximum revs. Dunkley tried in vain to shut down the runaway engine whilst setting course for a designated emergency airfield within the Normandy beachhead. Fearing the runaway engine could explode at any time, and being unable to raise the emergency airfield, Dunkley decided to bale out. Both crewmen landed within allied lines and were rescued by allied troops. Dunkley had a fractured leg and spent several months in hospital. Woodward was uninjured and returned to Thorney Island the next day.

00Jul44 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial NS937 served with 464 Sqn from 26May44 until 04Jul44, a period of thirty-nine days. During that period the aircraft flew fourteen Operational Flights totalling 31hrs 10min plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 60 and 80 hours.

NS943

00Mar44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial NS943 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 40 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range NS926 to NS965.

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.

00Mar44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

12Mar44 Aircraft delivered for acceptance tests by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire.

28Mar44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Aircraft Repair Flight at RAF Lasham, Hampshire

26May44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Gravesend, Kent and issued to B Flight as SB-N. Later wore Squadron Codes O and C.

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 1^st Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Gravesend at 0300hrs/06Jun as one of sixteen 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 bridge over a river near St Jean Sur Mayenne at 0456hrs then returned to Base at 0600hrs.

07Jun44 2^nd Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Gravesend at 0055hrs as one of sixteen 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 bridge then returned to Base at 0315hrs.

08Jun44 3^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Taylor and SQNLDR P. Livery 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 4^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.R.C Walton and FLGOFF C.R Harper departed Gravesend at 2230hrs/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 lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0130hrs/10Jun.

5^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.R.C Walton and FLGOFF C.R Harper departed Gravesend at 0200hrs 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 0440hrs.

11Jun44 6^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Gravesend at 0120hrs 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 failed to find a target in their patrol area so returned to Base at 0300hrs.

13Jun44 7^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Gravesend at 0050hrs 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 a railway junction and strafed a wooded area before returning to Base at 0320hrs.

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 8^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre 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/18Jun.

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

20Jun44 9^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0145hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail links in support of the Allied Armies. 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 ten burning vehicles and strafed another twenty on a nearby road before returning to Base at 0415hrs.

21Jun44 10^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0025hrs 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 Dreux railway junction before returning to Base at 0240hrs.

22Jun44 11^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0200hrs 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 Beaumont-Le-Roger in Normandy before returning to Base at 0415hrs.

23Jun44 12^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 2300hrs 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 0125hrs/24Jun.

27Jun44 13^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.R. Hurst and FLGOFF W.R Binks departed Thorney Island at 0225hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn aircraft 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 road through a wooded area before returning to Base at 0505hrs.

29Jun44 14^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R. Johnston and FLGOFF C.J.H Turner departed Thorney Island at 2340hrs 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 9th and 10th 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 before returning to Base at 0210hrs/30Jun.

30Jun44 Aircraft flew fourteen Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-Ops flights in Jun44.

03Jul44 15^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0135hrs as one of fourteen 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 a road and railway seeing many hits before returning to Base at 0445hrs.

04Jul44 16^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2305hrs as one of fourteen 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 a railway tunnel and strafed a lighted woods area before returning to Base at 0245hrs/05Jul.

05Jul44 17^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.R.C Walton and FLGOFF C.H Harper departed Thorney Island at 2300hrs/04Jul as one of twelve 464Sqn 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 train before returning to Base at 0200hrs/05Jul.

06Jul44 18^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2310hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn 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 railway and bridge before returning to Base at 0245hrs/07Jul.

09Jul44 19^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0110hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges between Le Havre and Rouen. 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 lighted woods area near Quillebeuf-sur-Seine before returning to Base at 0405hrs.

10Jul44 20^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0225hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the Caen-Falaise corridor. 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 wooded area from GEE fixes then patrolled their assigned sector but found no further targets before returning to Base at 0410hrs.

18Jul44 21^st Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 2330hrs/17Jul 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 0220hrs/18Jul.

19Jul44 22^nd Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0055hrs 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 0340hrs.

22Jul44 23^rd Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2320hrs/21Jul 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 0205hrs/22Jul.

23Jul44 24^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0015hrs 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 0230hrs.

26Jul44 25^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 2230hrs/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 bombed lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0130hrs.

27Jul44 26^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0300hrs 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 road junction before returning to Base at 0550hrs.

29Jul44 27^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 2235hrs 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 train at the ancient fortified town of Pathenay in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of western France, then strafed the train before returning to Base at 0205hrs.

31Jul44 Aircraft flew 13 Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-Ops flights Jul44.

02Aug44 28^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0050hrs 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 junction before returning to Base at 0335hrs.

08Aug44 29^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0140hrs 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 flak batteries near the Forêt de Brotonne, situated to the west of Rouen before returning to Base at 0355hrs.

09Aug44 30^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0100hrs 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 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 the specified area behind the battle field through dense cloud and returned to Base at 0300hrs.

11Aug44 31^st Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0050hrs 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 a road/rail junction before returning to Base at 0330hrs.

12Aug44 Aircraft flew sixteen operational sorties between 12-31Aug 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). Half of the sixteen missions were flown by FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre. 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.

12Aug44 32^nd Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0015hrs 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 road interchange before returning to Base at 0240hrs.

33^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0330hrs 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 and strafed a road before returning to Base at 0500hrs.

13Aug44 34^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0120hrs 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 road bridge before returning to Base at 0300hrs.

35^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0435hrs 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 before returning to Base at 0605hrs.

14Aug44 36^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2320hrs 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 strafed a railway siding and bombed lights in a wooded area before returning to Base at 0210hrs/15Aug.

15Aug44 37^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2350hrs 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 bridge and strafed a road before returning to Base at 0140hrs/16Aug.

16Aug44 38^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0030hrs 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 bombed a main highway before returning to Base at 0220hrs.

17Aug44 39^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2355hrs/16Dec 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 a river crossing near Candebec before returning to Base at 0055hrs/17Aug.

40^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0340hrs as one of fourteen 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 rail bridge before returning to Base at 0500hrs.

18Aug44 41^st Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0125hrs 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 junction before returning to Base at 0325hrs.

20Aug44 42^nd Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.L Doube and PLTOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 2350hrs 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 and strafed a light in the woods starting several more fires before returning to Base at 0125hrs/21Aug.

23Aug44 43^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0125hrs 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 lights on a road causing several explosions before returning to Base at 0315hrs.

24Aug44 44^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0125hrs 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 0410hrs.

26Aug44 45^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0205hrs 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/rail junction and strafed MT before returning to Base at 0500hrs.

28Aug44 46^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.C Henderson and WOFF R.J Hawke departed Thorney Island at 2350hrs 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 four rows of coaches at a station yard before returning to Base at 0340hrs.

31Aug44 47^th Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF W.C McIntyre departed Thorney Island at 0205hrs 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 aircraft sustained minor damage when one of the long range fuel tanks hit the wing when jettisoned. The crew bombed a train and later strafed enemy vehicles before returning to Base at 0420hrs.

31Aug44 Aircraft flew twenty operations plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Aug44.

10Sep44 48^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.A Greenshields and FLGOFF E.H Norman departed Thorney Island at 2345hrs as one of seventeen Mosquitos 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 attacked a factory but the bombs hung-up, they then strafed lights on a road seeing several explosions before returning to Base at 0315hrs/11Sep44.

16Sep44 49^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.A Greenshields and FLGOFF E.H Norman departed Thorney Island at 0215hrs as one of seventeen Mosquitos 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 row of six barges before returning to Base at 0445hrs.

18Sep44 50^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF F. Webster and PLTOFF H.J Willoughby departed Thorney Island at 2215hrs 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 bombed lights on a canal before returning to Base at 0040hrs.

22Sep44 51^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 2305hrs 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 lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0440hrs/23Sep.

25Sep44 52^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E. Davidson departed Thorney Island at 2135hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack airfields in the Cologne region of the Ruhr, 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 railway junction before returning to Base at 0140hrs/26Sep.

30Sep44 Aircraft flew five Operational Flights and made two non-operational flights in September 1944.

02Oct44 51^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E. Davidson departed Thorney Island at 2210hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges around Osnabrück in Lower Saxony, Germany. Attacked railway yards at Zwolle on the east coast of the Zuider Zee. On the third attack the aircraft was hit by light flak in the port wing outboard of the engine nacelle. Port flap and aileron were badly damaged resulting in the aircraft trying to roll to port and making control very difficult. The pilot coaxed his damaged aircraft back to RAF Manston where he made a successful high-speed one engine landing at 0050hrs/03Oct. Damage was assessed as Cat.Ac.

03Oct44 A Civilian Repair Organization came to Manston and repaired the aircraft.

05Oct44 Aircraft ferried back to Thorney Island.

06Oct44 52^nd Operational Flight. FSGT D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 0030hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for a Ranger mission to the Breskens-Flushing-Goes area in Zeeland, Holland. 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 factory near Goes then bombed and strafed barges near Flushing before returning to Base at 0310hrs.

11Oct44 53^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF A.J McMahon and FSGT K. Gowlett departed Thorney Island at 2325hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for a Ranger mission to the Breskens-Flushing-Goes area in Zeeland, Holland. 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 dropped flares over Middleburg then strafed and bombed a lighted jetty at Flushing before returning to Base at 0140hrs/12Oct.

14Oct44 54^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E. Davidson departed Thorney Island at 2245hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol to Geldern in North-Rhine Westphalia, 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 a headland near Geldern and strafed lights on a road before returning to Base at 0050hrs/15Oct.

21Oct44 55^th Operational Flight. FLTLT S. Clayton and FSGT H.V Morrison departed Thorney Island at 2220hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol over Holland. 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 0200hrs/22Oct.

23Oct44 56^th Operational Flight. FLTLT S. Clayton and FSGT H.V Morrison departed Thorney Island at 0220hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol in atrocious weather conditions over several Dutch Islands. 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 were recalled to Base because of impending weather issues at 0217hrs when five kilometres from Schouwen-Duiveland Island and returned to Base at 0415hrs/22Oct.

27Oct44 FLTLT S. Clayton and FSGT H.V Morrison departed Thorny Island with eight other 464Sqn Mosquitos and flew a two hour low-level training exercise for an upcoming Secret Mission to Europe.

28Oct44 57^th Operational Flight. FLTLT S. Clayton and FSGT H.V Morrison departed Thorney Island at 0005hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol over Holland. 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 stationary train before returning to Base at 0355hrs.

28Oct44 FLTLT S. Clayton and FSGT H.V Morrison departed Thorny Island at 1600hrs with eight other 464Sqn Mosquitos plus seven 21Sqn; six 487Sqn Mosquitos, four HQ 140 Wing Mosquitos; and, one Photo Mosquito. The massed formation flew a two hour low-level training exercise to ensure low-level techniques, timing coordination and formation flying were all in order for the Secret Mission to Europe.

29Oct44 58^th Operational Flight. FLTLT S. Clayton and FSGT H.V Morrison departed Thorney Island at 1915hrs as one of nine 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol in the Zuider Zee area of Holland. 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 six trucks making numerous strikes. They then located and bombed two Oil Storage tanks setting both ablaze before returning to Base at 0005hrshrs/30Oct.

31Oct44 59^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR S. Clayton and FSGT H.V Morrison departed Thorney Island at 0935hrs as one of nine 464Sqn; seven 21Sqn; and, six 487Sqn Mosquitos that flew to RAF Swanton Morley in Norfolk where the crews received their final briefing. The mission entailed a round trip of 1,260 miles (2,079km) to bomb/strafe Gestapo Headquarters which occupied three buildings of the Aarhus University in the city of Aarhus on the Jutland Peninsula, Denmark. The crews were warned that accuracy was vital as the target buildings were located only 250m from two hospital buildings.

The force began departing Swanton Morley at 0900hrs and after quickly formatting set course for Denmark. Each aircraft was loaded with 2 x 500lb MC TD bombs and fitted with two long range fuel tanks on each of the underwing pylons and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The Mosquitos were escorted by eight Mustang IIIs from 315 (Polish) Squadron

The raid was a huge success and the following extract from the Danish University records provides a good account of the actual raid “...the attack force entered Jutland around the coastal town of Henne around 11:20 a.m. and the Germans were alerted at 11:36 a.m. As planned, 315 Squadron broke off around Grove and 140 Wing continued on towards Skanderborg. At 11:38 a.m., the first wave reached the rendezvous at Skanderborg Lake, followed shortly after by the other three waves. While the other waves circled the lake waiting their turn, the first wave broke off and reached Aarhus in about three minutes. The crews got a sighting of the dorms with the Gestapo offices and dropped 4 long tons (4.1 t) of bombs. At 11:41 a.m., the first bombs exploded and four minutes later, they were followed by the second wave, then the third and fourth, attacking with incendiaries. The later waves were engaged by flak and a Mosquito from the fourth wave was severely damaged. Instead of returning to base, another Mosquito escorted it across the Kattegat, where it continued on alone to Sweden, landed safely and was destroyed by the crew before they were apprehended by Swedish authorities. The rest of the aircraft exited Danish airspace in their designated waves between 12:16 p.m. and 12:34 p.m.; about two hours later, they landed safely in England.

31Oct44 Aircraft flew nine Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Oct44.

01Nov44 60^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR S. Clayton and FSGT H.V Morrison departed Thorney Island at 1820hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol targeting communication nodes and transport hubs in the Overflakke region of Holland. 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 seven trains and a factory before returning to Base at 2240hrs.

03Nov44 61^st Operational Flight. SQNLDR S. Clayton and FSGT H.V Morrison departed Thorney Island at 0005hrs 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 were unable to locate a suitable target during their patrol so all bombs were returned to Base at 0325hrs.

05Nov44 62^nd Operational Flight. SQNLDR S. Clayton and FSGT H.V Morrison departed Thorney Island at 0140hrs 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 bombed a rail junction at Deventer in Overijssel, Holland then strafed a road of six barges in a nearby canal before returning to Base at 0445hrs.

06Nov44 Aircraft withdrawn from Operations to undergo a scheduled major servicing.

18Nov44 63^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clarke and FLGOFF K.B Searl departed Thorney Island at 0140hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail targets near Velen in North-Rhine Westphalia, 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 in dense cloud when 40 miles off the Dutch coast so the pilot aborted and retuned all bombs back to Base at 0210hrs/19Nov.

19Nov44 Aircraft recognition Code changed from N to O.

20Nov44 64^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clarke and FLGOFF K.B Searl departed Thorney Island at 0030hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail targets near Velen in North-Rhine Westphalia, 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 a railway junction before returning to Base at 0330hrs.

27Nov44 65^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR S. Clayton and FSGT H.V Morrison departed Thorney Island at 1825hrs 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 the centre of Cloppenburg before returning to Base at 2230hrs.

29Nov44 66^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR S. Clayton and FSGT H.V Morrison departed Thorney Island at 1900hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail junctions in the Netherlands. 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 2215hrs.

30Nov44 Aircraft flew seven Operational Flights plus a number of non-operational flights in November 1944.

00Dec44 Aircraft sustained Cat.B damage in a non-operational accident, details unknown.

00Dec44 Received for repair by No.86 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Manston, Kent where it went repairs for the next three months.

25Feb45 Received by No.417 Repair & Salvage Unit (RSU) at Cambrai/Epinoy ALG, France.

04Mar45 Aircraft taken on charge with RAAF No.464 Sqn at Advanced Landing Ground B.87 near Rosières-en-Santerre, in the Somme department of Hauts-de-France and issued to A Flight as SB-C.

08Mar45 67^th Operational Flight. FLTLT J.D Stratton and FLGOFF F.W Smith departed B.87/Rosières at 2020hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to attack rail and road targets ahead of the advancing American forces in the Rhine crossing area in 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 a railway marshalling yard based on GEE fixes before returning to Base at 2240hrs.

10Mar45 68^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clarke and FLGOFF K.B Searl departed B.87/Rosières at 2035hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to attack rail and road targets ahead of the advancing American forces in the Rhine crossing area in 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 a road/rail railway junction based on GEE fixes before returning to Base at 2255hrs.

13Mar45 69^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clarke and FLGOFF K.B Searl departed B.87/Rosières at 2220hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to support advancing American forces by attacking rail and road targets near Siegburg in North Rhine-Westphalia, 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 and strafed fires in Siegburg before returning to Base at 0050hrs/14Mar.

14Mar45 70^th Operational Flight. FLTLT J.D Stratton and FLGOFF F.W Smith departed B.87/Rosières at 2015hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to support advancing American forces by attacking rail and road targets on the northern end of the Front. 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 near Bocholt in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany before returning to Base at 2315hrs.

15Mar45 71^st Operational Flight. FLTLT J.D Stratton and FLGOFF F.W Smith departed B.87/Rosières at 1935hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to support advancing American forces by attacking rail and road targets on the northern end of the Front. 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 railway junction near Salzbergen in Lower Saxony, Germany before returning to Base at 2230hrs.

22Mar45 72^nd Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Heinz and FLGOFF N.L Eldredge departed B.87/Rosières at 1955hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to support advancing American forces by attacking rail and road targets on the northern end of the Front. 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 the centre of Anholt in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany before returning to Base at 2225hrs.

23Mar45 73^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clarke and FLGOFF K.B Searl departed B.87/Rosières at 0355hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to support General Montgomery’s amphibious crossing of the Rhine River (Operation Plunder) by attacking targets of opportunity in the battle area north of Wesel, 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 and strafed villages and roads near Borken and Haltern before returning to Base at 0615hrs.

24Mar45 74^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clarke and FLGOFF K.B Searl departed B.87/Rosières at 0155hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to support General Montgomery’s amphibious crossing of the Rhine River (Operation Plunder) by attacking targets of opportunity in the battle area north of Wesel, 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 a gun site near Bocholt and then strafed the village before returning to Base at 0410hrs.

29Mar45 75^th Operational Flight. FLTLT K.C Simes and FLGOFF S. Herne departed B.87/Rosières at 2135hrs/28Mar as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to support General Montgomery’s amphibious crossing of the Rhine River (Operation Plunder) by attacking targets of opportunity in the battle area north of Wesel, 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 Rheine on GEE fixes before returning to Base at 0130hrs/29Mar.

30Mar45 76^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clarke and FLGOFF K.B Searl departed B.87/Rosières at 0145hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed for Intruder Patrols in the Osnabrück area of Lower Saxony, 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 a railway junction on GEE fixes then strafed a nearby town before returning to Base at 0500hrs.

31Mar45 77^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clarke and FLGOFF K.B Searl departed B.87/Rosières at 1935hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed for Intruder Patrols near the city of Göttingen in Lower Saxony, central 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 a railway junction in Göttingen before returning to Base at 2300hrs.

31Mar45 Aircraft flew eleven Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Mar45.

01Apr45 78^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clarke and FLGOFF K.B Searl departed B.87/Rosières at 0250hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed for Intruder Patrols near the city of Lübeck in Schleswig-Holstein, 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 what appeared to be a laager area east of Hildsheim in Lower Saxony before returning to Base at 0530hrs.

03Apr45 79^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clarke and FLGOFF K.B Searl departed B.87/Rosières at 2155hrs/02Apr as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed for Intruder Patrols near the city of Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, 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 a road junction and strafed four enemy trucks before returning to Base at 0130hrs/03Apr.

04Apr45 80^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clarke and FLGOFF K.B Searl departed B.87/Rosières at 0200hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed for Intruder Patrols in North Rhine-Westphalia, 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 a road before returning to Base at 0545hrs.

05Apr45 81^st Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clarke and FLGOFF K.B Searl departed B.87/Rosières at 2100hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed for Intruder Patrols in North Rhine-Westphalia, 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 a railway before returning to Base at 0015hrs/06Apr.

07Apr45 82^nd Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clarke and FLGOFF K.B Searl departed B.87/Rosières at 2330hrs/06Apr as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols in the district of Neuwied in Rhineland-Palatinate, 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 strafed several lights starting many fires before returning to Base at 0330hrs/07Apr.

08Apr45 83^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT H.G Hobson and FSGT J.W.B Barnard departed B.87/Rosières at 0025hrs as one of ten 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed for Intruder Patrols in the district of Neuwied in Rhineland-Palatinate, 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 a railway based on GEE fixes before returning to Base at 0445hrs.

09Apr45 84^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clarke and FLGOFF K.B Searl departed B.87/Rosières at 2025hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed for Intruder Patrols in the district of Cloppenburg, Lower Saxony, 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 strafed the town of Sprakensehl located 58km NE of Hannover and during the second strafing run the aircraft was hit in the lower fuselage and starboard wing.

The pilot decided to divert to RAF Manston as the aircraft was acting oddly during the return flight. The aircraft entered the Manston circuit and in preparation for landing the pilot discovered the undercarriage would not extend so he aborted the landing and set up for a belly landing. At 0110hrs/10Apr the pilot executed a flawless belly landing which caused minimal damage to the machine. An after flight inspection revealed the main reason for the undercarriage malfunction was the loss of hydraulics and damage to the operating system as a result of flak. Damage assessed as Cat.A and was repaired at RAF Manston and flown back to B.87 on 11Apr45.

12Apr45 85^th Operational Flight. FLTLT H.G Hobson and FSGT J.W.B Barnard departed B.87/Rosières at 2020hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed for Intruder Patrols in northern Germany to support British Army in the forward battle 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 strafed a small village and five trucks laagered nearby before returning to Base at 0400hrs/13Apr.

14Apr45 86^th Operational Flight. FLTLT G.J Walker and FSGT J.B Alguire departed B.87/Rosières at 2115hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed for Intruder Patrols in northern Germany to support British Army in the forward battle 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 strafed a small village before returning to Base at 0110hrs/15Apr.

15Apr45 87^th Operational Flight. FLTLT G.J Walker and FSGT J.B Alguire departed B.87/Rosières at 2350hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed for Intruder Patrols in northern Germany to support British Army in the forward battle 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 and strafed a small village before returning to Base at 0315hrs/16Apr.

16Apr45 88^th Operational Flight. WOFF K.D Frewin and FSGT H.D Houghton departed B.87/Rosières at 2015hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed for Intruder Patrols in northern Germany to support British Army in the forward battle 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 strafed a town, a small village and a woods before returning to Base at 2350hrs.

17Apr45 Aircraft moved to new operating Base at Advanced Landing Ground B.58 at Melsbroek aerodrome located 12km NE of Brussels, Belgium.

20Apr45 89^th Operational Flight. WOFF K.D Frewin and FSGT H.D Houghton departed B.58/ Melsbroek at 0205hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed for Intruder Patrols in northern Germany to support British Army in the forward battle 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 the town of Bremervörde in the district of Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany and strafed the small village of Glinde before returning to Base at 0440hrs.

21Apr45 90^th Operational Flight. FLTLT H.G Hobson and FSGT J.W.B Barnard departed B.58/ Melsbroek at 0001hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed for Intruder Patrols in northern Germany to support British Army elements in the forward battle 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 town and a small before returning to Base at 0331hrs.

23Apr45 91^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF P.J Baker and FLGOFF C.A Lee departed B.58/ Melsbroek at 2147hrs as one of twelve Mosquitos detailed for night Intruder patrols in the Sternberg area located southwest of Rostock, 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 aircraft failed to return and was listed as MIA.

00Apr45 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial NS943 served with 464 Sqn from 26May44 until 23Apr45, a period of 332 days. During that period the aircraft flew ninety-one Operational Flights totalling 259 hrs 42 min plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 300 and 350 hours.

RCAF pilot J/36574 Flying Officer Peter Joseph Baker (24) born 1921 to Joseph and Annie Baker; husband of Elizabeth Baker, of Fruitland in Ontario, Canada. Peter was KIA and is buried in Joint Grave 8, Section E, Rows 35-36 of the Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery in Charlottenburg, Berlin. He is commemorated on Page 493 of the Canadian Second World War Book of Remembrance in Ottawa, Canada; and, on the RCAF Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, Alberta.

RCAF navigator J/46470 Flying Officer Conrad Albert Lee (21) born 1924 son of John Albert and Ethel Alberta Lee of Edmonton, Alberta. Conrad was KIA and is buried in Joint Grave 8, Section E, Rows 35-36 of the Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery in Charlottenburg, Berlin. He is commemorated on Page 533 of the Canadian Second World War Book of Remembrance in Ottawa, Canada; and, on the RCAF Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, Alberta.

NT129

00Mar44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial NT129 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 45 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range NT112 to NT156.

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.

00Mar44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

31Mar44 Aircraft delivered for acceptance tests by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.13 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Henlow, Bedfordshire.

22Apr44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire.

24Apr44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Gravesend, Kent and issued to A Flight as SB-J.

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.

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 1^st Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker 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 junction 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.

21Jun44 2^nd Operational Flight. FLTLT J.L Martin and SGT H.L Morgan departed Thorny Island at 0107hrs as one of sixteen Mosquitos tasked to bomb various targets in support of the D-Day invasion. 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 aircraft failed to return from the mission and the consensus was they were either shot down by flak or crashed while low flying when attacking a target.

00Jun44 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial NT129 served with 464 Sqn from 24Apr44 until 21Jun44, a period of 58 days. During that period the aircraft flew two Operational Flights totalling 4 hrs 28 min plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 15 and 25 hours.

RAF pilot 45053 Flight Lieutenant John Langham Martin (27) born 1917 the son of Tom and Amy Martin of Bromley Cross, Lancashire. John was KIA and is buried in Plot.1 Joint grave 384 of the Creil Communal Cemetery in Oise, 44km north of Paris in the Hauts-de-France region of France. He is commemorated in the RAF WW2 Books of Remembrance at St Clement Danes Church, London; and, on the Manchester University War Memorial, Lancashire.

RAFVR navigator 992108 Sergeant Haydn Llewelyn Morgan (23) born 1921 son of James and Mary A. Morgan of Porthcawl, Glamorgan. Haydn was KIA and is buried in Plot.1 Joint grave 384 of the Creil Communal Cemetery in Oise, 44km north of Paris. He is commemorated in the RAF WW2 Books of Remembrance at St Clement Danes Church, London; and, on the Porthcawl Memorial Cross located in the grounds of All Saint’s Church in Porthcawl, Glamorgan

NT138

00Mar44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial NT138 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 45 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range NT112 to NT156.

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.

00Mar44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

13Apr44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.13 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Henlow, Bedfordshire for acceptance tests.

01May44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire.

15Jun44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Gravesend, Kent and issued to B Flight as SB-P.

16Jun44 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.

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

25Jun44 1^st and only Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.R.C Walton and FLGOFF C.H Harper departed Thorney Island at 2318hrs as one of 12 Mosquitos detailed to bomb and strafe road & bridges, railway line/junctions, sidings and airfields in support of the troops in 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. The aircraft failed to return and was posted as MIA.

In a later statement Walton reported: “The aircraft took off on an offensive patrol nr Orleans France. The aircraft was hit in the bomb bay at 02:15 hrs. Flares in the bomb bay ignited and the cockpit filled with smoke. A few moments later the 20mm ammo began exploding. I gave the order to bale out and F/O Harper baled out at 02:15 hrs. I followed. I saw the aircraft explode as it hit the ground. I landed in an orchard near St Pere. I sprained an ankle and lost one shoe. Hid chute, harness and Mae West in bushes and crawled 2kms west. Hid in hay field until 18:00 when I hailed a Frenchman. He agreed to help and went away and returned later with food. I then removed my battle dress blouse and black tie and rolled up my shirt sleeves. The Frenchman gave me a pitch fork and we walked to his home about half a mile. The remainder of my journey was arranged for me.”

RAAF pilot 414530 Flying Officer John Robert Crossley Walton DFC (22) born 15 January 1922 son John Crossley Walton and Mabel Florence (nee Jones) of Buderim, Queensland. John baled out and evaded capture with the aid of the French Resistance. He was liberated by the US Army in August 1944, returned to the UK and posted to No.1 Personnel Holding Unit at RAF Innsworth then to No.11 Personnel Despatch & Receiving Centre at RAF Charmy Down, Somerset until his repatriation back to Australia on 01January 1945. John Walton was terminated from the RAAF as medically unfit on 4^th July 1945 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. John Robert “Bob” Crossley died on 11September 2009 (aged 87) in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. He is buried in Caloundra Cemetery on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

RAFVR navigator 153382 Flying Officer Charles Henry Harper MiD (21) baled out and also evaded capture with the aid of the French Resistance. He was liberated by the US Army in August 1944, returned to the UK and posted to No.1 Personnel Holding Unit at RAF Innsworth. Nothing further known.

00Apr44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial NT143 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 32^nd of 45 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range NT112 to NT156.

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.

00Apr44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

11Apr44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.44 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Edzell, Scotland for acceptance tests.

22May44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Repair & Salvage Unit (RSU) at RAF Lasham, Hampshire.

15Jun44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Gravesend, Kent and issued to A Flight as SB-C.

16Jun44 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.

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

07Jul44 1^st Operational Flight. FLTLT J. Farrally and SGT W.A Lovatt departed Thorney Island at 2240hrs as one of fifteen 464 Sqn Mosquitos detailed to bomb and strafe road & bridges, railway line/junctions, sidings and airfields in support of the troops in 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 strafed targets of opportunity before returning to Base at 0215hrs/08Jul.

08Jul44 2^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF D.V Avery and WOFF J. J Williams departed Thorny Island at 2255hrs/07Jul as one of ten aircraft from the Squadron tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the Caen-Falaise corridor. 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 10km section of the Caen-Falaise railway observing many hits on a passenger train and goods train which started many fires before returning to Base at 0205hrs/08Jul.

09Jul44 3^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF D.V Avery and WOFF J. J Williams departed Thorny Island at 2350hrs/08Jul as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges between Le Havre and Rouen. 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 before returning to Base at 0320hrs.

10Jul44 4^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF D.V Avery and WOFF J. J Williams departed Thorny Island at 2355hrs/08Jul as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges between Le Havre and Rouen. 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 could not locate a target in their patrol area before returning to Base at 0320hrs.

11Jul44 5^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF D.V Avery and WOFF J. J Williams departed Thorny Island at 0040hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the Caen-Falaise corridor. 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 rail bridge before returning to Base at 0240hrs.

12Jul44 6^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and FSGT H. Bradley departed Thorny Island at 2325hrs as one of five 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the Caen-Falaise corridor. 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 pilot tried to attack a railway line but the bombs would not drop, after a second unsuccessful attempt the pilot aborted and returned to Base at 0050hrs/13Jul.

14Jul44 7th Operational Flight. FLGOFF D.V Avery and WOFF J. J Williams departed Thorny Island at 0125hrs as one of five 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the Thury-Harcourt area 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 a railway junction then strafed the area seeing many hits and some fires before returning to Base at 0325hrs.

18Jul44 8^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF D.V Avery and WOFF J. J Williams departed Thorny Island at 2315hrs/17Jul as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France targeting road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges. 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 target based on GEE fixes but were unable to see any results because of solid cloud coverage. Returned to Base at 0120hrs/18Jul.

19Jul44 9^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF D.V Avery and WOFF J. J Williams departed Thorny Island at 0145hrs 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 two lighted areas in a wood before returning to Base at 0335hrs.

20Jul44 10^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF D.V Avery and WOFF J. J Williams departed Thorny Island at 0205hrs 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 six lights in a wood and was rewarded with a very large explosion before returning to Base at 0355hrs.

22Jul44 11^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF D.V Avery and WOFF J. J Williams departed Thorny Island at 0010hrs 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 a Seine river crossing and flak position at Fécamp in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy before returning to Base at 0210hrs.

26Jul44 12^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and FSGT H. Bradley departed Thorny Island at 2320hrs/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 bombed a Seine river crossing at Quillebeuf-sur-Seine, Normandy before returning to Base at 0225hrs/26Jul.

27Jul44 13^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR A.W Langton and FLGOFF H. Sykes departed Thorny Island at 0140hrs 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 0335hrs.

28Jul44 14^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and FSGT H. Bradley departed Thorny Island at 0035hrs 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 rail junction before returning to Base at 0340hrs.

29Jul44 15^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR A.W Langton and FLGOFF H. Sykes departed Thorny Island at 0110hrs 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 road railway bridge over the Seine before returning to Base at 0355hrs.

31Jul44 Aircraft flew fifteen Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Jul44.

02Aug44 16^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny Island at 0030hrs 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 0310hrs.

03Aug44 17^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny Island at 2250hrs as one of six 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 railway bridge over the river Seine near Saint-Wandrille-Rançon, Normandy, before returning to Base at 0100hrs/04Aug.

07Aug44 18^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny Island at 2315hrs/06Aug 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 a rail crossing and strafed lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0125hrs/07Aug.

08Aug44 19^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny 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 a rail crossing before returning to Base at 0345hrs.

09Aug44 20^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny Island at 2300hrs 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 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 the specified area behind the battle field through dense cloud and returned to Base at 0045hrs/10Aug.

11Aug44 21^st Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny Island at 2350hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 a cross-roads before returning to Base at 0215hrs/12Aug.

12Aug44 Aircraft flew fourteen operational sorties between 12-31Aug 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). All fourteen missions were flown by FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell. 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.

12Aug44 22^nd Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny Island at 2220hrs/11Aug as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 and strafed lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0045hrs.

23^rd Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny Island at 0230hrs 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 and strafed lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0610hrs.

13Aug44 24^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny Island at 0110hrs as one of eighteen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 road bridge before returning to Base at 0250hrs.

25^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny Island at 0410hrs as one of eighteen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 strafed lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0555hrs.

14Aug44 26^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny Island at 2325hrs 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 railway crossing before returning to Base at 0240hrs/15Aug.

16Aug44 27^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny Island at 2355hrs/15Aug 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 a rail bridge before returning to Base at 0155hrs/16Aug.

17Aug44 28^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny Island at 0030hrs 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 a rail bridge before returning to Base at 0150hrs

29^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny Island at 0400hrs 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 and strafed lights before returning to Base at 0515hrs.

20Aug44 30^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorny Island at 2340hrs/19Aug 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 a road/rail crossing before returning to Base at 0120hrs/20Aug.

22Aug44 31^st Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell 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. Intense light Flak was encountered at Le Creusot which caused significant damage to the port wing and fuselage. The crew bombed a group of trucks in the yards and strafed several trains before returning to Base at 2005hrs.

23Aug44 Damage assessed as Cat.Ac and repaired on site by a Civilian Contractor.

26Aug44 32^nd Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorney Island at 0030hrs 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 and strafed lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0355hrs.

28Aug44 33^rd Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorney Island at 2355hrs 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 road junction to the west of Rouen and strafed M.T on a nearby road obtaining many hits before returning to Base at 0250hrs.

30Aug44 34^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorney Island at 0300hrs 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 cross-roads before returning to Base at 0535hrs.

31Aug44 35^th Operational Flight. FSGT G.W Nunn and WOFF H.L Mitchell departed Thorney Island at 0001hrs 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 and strafed enemy vehicles before returning to Base at 0326hrs.

31Aug44 Aircraft flew twenty Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Aug44.

01Sep44 Aircraft sent for a major servicing to No.417 Repair & Salvage Unit (RSU) at RAF Lasham, Hampshire.

29Sep44 Aircraft returned to 464Sqn at completion of the servicing. Issued to B Flight as SB-Y.

30Sep44 Aircraft flew no Operational Flights but made three non-operational flights in September 1944.

05Oct44 36^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A. Moodie and FSGT C.T Hunt departed Thorney Island at 0105hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol to Geldern in North-Rhine Westphalia, 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 lights at a river crossing before returning to Base at 0410hrs.

19Oct44 37^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 0015hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol to the Rhineland area of 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 strafed lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0345hrs.

21Oct44 38^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 2045hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol over Holland. 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 0015hrs/22Oct.

31Oct44 Aircraft flew three Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Oct44.

01Nov44 39^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A. Moodie and FSGT C.T Hunt departed Thorney Island at 2225hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol targeting communication nodes and transport hubs in the Overflakke region of Holland. 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 two trains before returning to Base at 0115hrs/02Nov.

03Nov44 40^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A. Moodie and FSGT C.T Hunt departed Thorney Island at 0310hrs 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 bombed and strafed a bridge near Heteren, Holland before returning to Base at 0550hrs.

05Nov44 41^st Operational Flight. FLTLT A. Moodie and FSGT C.T Hunt departed Thorney Island at 0215hrs 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 bombed lights on at rail junction before returning to Base at 0500hrs.

07Nov44 Aircraft withdrawn from Operations to undergo a fourteen day scheduled maintenance.

27Nov44 42^nd Operational Flight. FLTLT A. Moodie and FSGT C.T Hunt departed Thorney Island at 1910hrs 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 road bridge before returning to Base at 2245hrs.

29Nov44 43^rd Operational Flight. WOFF I.C Bradley and FSGT E.O Bule departed Thorney Island at 1905hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail junctions in the Netherlands. 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 then returned to Base at 2130hrs.

30Nov44 Aircraft flew five Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Nov44.

06Dec44 44^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF E.G Wicky and PLTOFF O. Mountford departed Thorny Island at 2015hrs 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 Dülken before returning to Base at 2330hrs.

11Dec44 45^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF E.G Wicky and PLTOFF O. Mountford departed Thorny Island at 1905hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to attack road and rail junctions in the 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 and strafed a train then strafed vehicles on the Ijsselmeer Causeway before returning to Base at 2220hrs.

18Dec44 46^th Operational Flight. FLTLT G.A Curry and FSGT W.R McAuliffe departed Thorney Island at 1740hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to bomb road and rail junctions in the Ruhr area, 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 aircraft failed to return and the crew was listed as MIA. The following day a message was received stating the aircraft was seen to crash in the middle of the Siegfried Line 200 yards from the village of Kesfeld, Germany. There are no records indicating the crew remains were taken from the aircraft and no trace has ever been found of the crew since the crash.

24Dec44 Aircraft flew three Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Dec44.

Aircraft struck off charge. De Havilland Mosquito Mk.VI with RAF Serial NT143 served with 464 Sqn from 08Jun44 until 18Dec44, a period of 193 days. During that period the aircraft made forty-six Operational Flights totalling 123 hrs 40 min plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 190 and 220 hours.

RAAF pilot 40005 Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Adamson Curry (21) born 26 December 1922 in Albury New South Wales, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Curry, of Windsor, Victoria. Geoffrey was KIA and has no known grave. He is commemorated on Panel 256 of the Runnymede Memorial Cooper’s Hill in Englefield Green, near Egham, Surrey, England; on Panel 109 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT; and, on the Roll of Honour in Albury, New South Wales.

RAAF navigator 424701 Flight Sergeant William Russell McAuliffe (23) born 8 September 1921 of Waverley in Sydney, New South Wales was KIA and has no known grave. He is commemorated on Panel 261 of the Runnymede Memorial Cooper’s Hill in Englefield Green, near Egham, Surrey, England; on Panel 109 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT; and, on the Memorial Roll of No.1 Wireless Air Gunners School.

NT154

00Apr44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial NT154 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 43^rd of 45 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range NT112 to NT156.

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.

00Apr44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

17Apr44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.27 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Shawbury, Shropshire for acceptance tests.

12May44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Repair & Salvage Unit (RSU) at RAF Lasham, Hampshire.

15May44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Gravesend, Kent and issued to B Flight as SB-U.

21May44 1^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Gravesend at 1435hrs with five other Mosquitos tasked to attack the Wurzburg radar site, Le Treport in the Seine-Maritime department of 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. All aircraft attacked and reported the installation was ‘flattened’. Aircraft returned to Base at 1640hrs

2^nd Operational Flight. CPT A.R Wakeman and FLGOFF G.S Holmes departed Gravesend at 2040hrs for an Intruder Patrol tasked to attack targets of opportunity. 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 Deelen airfield 18km north of Arnhem, Netherlands the crew attempted to attack a train but were forced to break off when the guns refused to fire. Wakeman aborted and returned to Base at 2330hrs.

22May44 3^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLTLT R.W Hayworth departed Gravesend at 2310hrs for an Intruder Patrol tasked to attack Rheine airfield, a major Luftwaffe night fighter base. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. Crofts entered the circuit over the airfield and was given a green light to land by the German controllers, so he promptly altered course and made an ideal bomb run down the centre of the strip. Aircraft returned to Base at 0200hrs.

24May44 4^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.R.C Walton and FLGOFF C.H Harper departed Gravesend at 2220hrs on an Intruder Patrol to attack Florennes airfield in the Walloon municipality of 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. Despite the poor weather the crew successfully identified and attacked the airfield and returned to Base at 0120hrs/25May.

27May44 5^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.R.C Walton and FLGOFF C.H Harper departed Gravesend at 2330hrs for an Intruder Patrol to attack Leeuwarden airfield in Friesland, Netherlands. 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 airfield was identified but the pilot was unable to get close and attack, in line with Standing Orders Walton aborted and returned to Base at 0250hrs/28May.

31May44 Aircraft flew five Operational Flights and made two non-operational flights in May 1944

02Jun44 6^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.A Faulafer and FLGOFF R.W Wilkins departed Gravesend at 0025hrs for an Intruder Patrol to attack the Laon/Athies airfield 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 aircraft was hit by flak over the target area and failed to make it back to Base. Post war investigations by a team from the Missing Research and Enquiry Service found no trace of the aircraft or crew on French soil. The team stated the most probable explanation was the aircraft crashed into The Channel as it tried to reach Base.

00Jun44 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial NT154 served with 464 Sqn from 15May44 until 02Jun44, a period of just eighteen days. During that period the aircraft flew six Operational Flights totalling 10 hrs 45 min plus four non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 15 and 25 hours.

RCAF pilot J/16196 Flying Officer Robert Alexander Faulafer (24) born 1920 son of Mr. and Mrs. Valentine George Faulafer; husband of Betty Patricia Faulafer, of Keston, Kent. Robert was KIA and has no known grave. He is commemorated on Panel 246 of the Runnymede Memorial on Cooper’s Hill in Englefield Green, near Egham, Surrey, England; and, on Page 303 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance in Ottawa, Canada: and, on the RCAF Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, Alberta. His name is also listed in the RAF WW2 Books of Remembrance at St Clement Danes Church, London.

RAFVR navigator 134651 Flying Officer Richard William Wilkins (25) of Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex has no known grave and is commemorated on Panel 209 of the Runnymede Memorial on Cooper’s Hill in Englefield Green, near Egham, Surrey, England; and, is also honoured on the Southend-on-Sea County Borough War Memorial. Essex. His name is also listed in the RAF WW2 Books of Remembrance at St Clement Danes Church, London.

War Memorial, Essex.

NT177

00Apr44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial NT177 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 9^th of 39 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range NT169 to NT207.

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.

00Apr44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

22Apr44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.27 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Shawbury, Shropshire for acceptance tests.

19May44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Repair & Salvage Unit (RSU) at RAF Lasham, Hampshire.

29Jun44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Thorney Island, West Sussex and issued to B Flight as SB-O.

00Jul44 Aircraft prepared for D-Day missions by 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.

28Jul44 1^st Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker departed Thorney Island at 0010hrs 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 carried out their mission and returned without incident at 0335hrs.

29Jul44 2^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0030hrs 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 a row of burning rail wagons and bombed a rail/road bridge before returning to Base at 0340hrs.

31Jul44 Aircraft flew two Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Jul44

02Aug44 3^rd Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker departed Thorney Island at 2325hrs 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 and strafed an enemy artillery position which was firing at the time before returning to Base at 0135hrd/03Aug.

03Aug44 4^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker departed Thorney Island at 2325hrs as one of six 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 the entrance to a railway tunnel at Beauvais, Hauts-de-France located 70km northwest of Paris before returning to Base at 0055hrs/04Aug.

06Aug44 5^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR A.W Langton and FLGOFF H. Sykes 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 approximately thirty trucks parked on a siding area and noticed much debris and fires before returning to Base at 0325hrs.

07Aug44 6^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR A.W Langton and FLGOFF H. Sykes departed Thorney Island at 0030hrs 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 a railway junction and strafed a series of lights in woods before returning to Base at 0230hrs/07Aug.

08Aug44 7^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker departed Thorney Island at 0030hrs 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 two roads before returning to Base at 0230hrs.

09Aug44 8^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker departed Thorney Island at 2330hrs 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 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 the specified area behind the battle field through dense cloud and returned to Base at 0050hrs/10Aug.

12Aug44 Aircraft flew fifteen 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). All but five of the fifteen missions were flown by SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker. 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.

13Aug44 9^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker departed Thorney Island at 0015hrs 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 road bridge and strafed lights in a wooded area before returning to Base at 0215hrs.

10^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker departed Thorney Island at 0335hrs 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 and strafed a road bridge before returning to Base at 0525hrs.

14Aug44 11^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker 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 a train then strafed the train six times observing numerous hits and several fires before departing the scene. On their homeward flight the spotted a convoy of six trucks and used the remaining ammunition on a single attack before returning to Base at 0210hrs/14Aug.

15Aug44 12^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker departed Thorney Island at 2245hrs 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 strafed a line of twenty-four transports, setting three on fire then bombed another group of trucks parked nearby before returning to Base at 0440hrs/16Aug.

16Aug44 13^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker departed Thorney Island at 2305hrs 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 a rail bridge and strafed vehicles in a marshalling yard before returning to Base at 0055hrs/17Aug.

17Aug44 14^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker departed Thorney Island at 0015hrs 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 strafed a road before returning to Base at 0140hrs.

15^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker departed Thorney Island at 0345hrs 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 a road junction before returning to Base at 0515hrs.

18Aug44 16^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR G. Panitz and FLLTLT R.S Williams departed Thorney Island at 0050hrs 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 strafed a column of twelve moving vehicles then bombed a crowded road junction before returning to Base at 0235hrs.

20Aug44 17^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker departed Thorney Island at 0315hrs 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 had to abort following a complete Gee failure 5min after departure.

22Aug44 18^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker 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. Intense light Flak was encountered at Le Creusot which caused significant damage to the port wing and fuselage. The crew bombed a train then strafed another train and saw the locomotive exploded before returning to Base at 2005hrs.

26Aug44 19^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker departed Thorney Island at 2300hrs/25Aug 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 strafed a group ot trucks setting ten on fire then bombed the same group before returning to Base at 0240hrs/26Aug.

27Aug44 20^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and FSGT H. Bradley departed Thorney Island at 0455hrs as one of two 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. Thirty minutes after departure the Gee and Artificial Horizon Indicator failed, aircraft returned to Base without incident at 0600hrs.

28Aug44 21^st Operational Flight. FLTLT S. Clayton and FSGT H.V Morrison departed Thorney Island at 2235hrs 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 Duclair railway crossing before returning to Base at 0115hrs/29Aug.

30Aug44 22^nd Operational Flight. FLTLT S. Clayton and FSGT H.V Morrison departed Thorney Island at 0305hrs 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 six M.T on a road before returning to Base at 0540hrs.

31Aug44 23^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT S. Clayton and FSGT M.V Harrison departed Thorney Island at 2215hrs as one of fifteen Mosquitos on Intruder Patrols over northern France tasked to attack trains, goods yards, stations, sidings and rail infrastructure. 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 located a train which they proceeded to bomb and strafe repeatedly in the face of light but accurate flak. They left the train stationary on the tracks with smoke and flames issuing from the locomotive and most carriages. After returning to base, a post flight inspection revealed several holes in the fuselage and port wing. A more detailed survey resulted in a Cat.Ac damage assessment which was beyond the Unit’s repair capability.

31Aug44 Aircraft flew twenty-one Operational Flights plus a number of non-operational flights in Aug44

01Sep44 Aircraft sent to No.417 Repair & Salvage Unit (RSU) at RAF Lasham, Hampshire for repairs and scheduled major maintenance. Aircraft repairs completed in mid-November.

14Nov44 Aircraft delivered back to 464Sqn where it was taken on charge and issued to A Flight as SB-H.

19Nov44 24^th Operational Flight. FLTLTW.H Clark and FLGOFF W.B Searl Thorney Island at 1905hrs as one of nine 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 bombed lights in a wood before returning to Base at 2230hrs.

27Nov44 25^th Operational Flight. FLTLTW.H Clark and FLGOFF W.B Searl departed Thorney Island at 1855hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to carry out night Ranger operations 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 and strafed a train near Cloppenburg before returning to Base at 2245hrs.

30Nov44 Aircraft flew two Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Nov44.

02Dec44 26^th Operational Flight. FSGT D.R. Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 0050hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road/rail junctions in the Rotterdam-Veale-Wesel-Ruhr corridor. 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/rail junction near the town of Venlo in south-eastern Holland, close to the border with Germany, before returning to Base at 0405hrs.

04Dec44 27^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.R Mulligan and FSGT W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 2240hrs 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 and strafed the towns of Xantern and Geldern in North Rhine-Westphalia before returning to Base at 0135hrs/05Dec.

06Dec44 28^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.R Mulligan and FSGT W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 1955hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked 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 the town of Bocholt in North Rhine-Westphalia before returning to Base at 2345hrs.

11Dec44 29^th Operational Flight. FLTLTW.H Clark and FLGOFF W.B Searl departed Thorney Island at 1855hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to attack road and rail junctions in the 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 and strafed the town of Dülken, North Rhine-Westphalia before returning to Base at 2200hrs.

17Dec44 30^th Operational Flight. FLTLTW.H Clark and FLGOFF W.B Searl departed Thorney Island at 0155hrs 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 and strafed a road before returning to Base at 0510hrs.

18Dec44 31^st Operational Flight. FLTLTW.H Clark and FLGOFF W.B Searl departed Thorney Island at 1750hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn aircraft tasked 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 2110hrs.

23Dec44 32^nd Operational Flight. FLTLTW.H Clark and FLGOFF W.B Searl departed Thorney Island at 0135hrs as one of eighteen 464Sqn 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 strafed railway buildings near Altenahr then bombed two road junctions before returning to Base at 0355hrs.

28Dec44 33^rd Operational Flight. FLTLTW.H Clark and FLGOFF W.B Searl departed Thorney Island at 2025hrs 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 through the dense cloud cover based on Gee fixes before returning to Base at 2250hrs.

31Dec44 Aircraft flew eight Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Dec44.

01Jan45 34^th Operational Flight. FLTLTW.H Clark and FLGOFF W.B Searl departed Thorney Island at 1825hrs 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 bombed and strafed targets of opportunity in front of the US Divisions before returning to Base at 2245hrs.

03Jan45 35^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clark and SGT W.B Searl departed Thorney Island at 0305hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack targets of opportunity in the St Vith and Houffalize areas 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. One hour after take-off the pilot aborted due to severe icing conditions and returned to Base at 0410hrs.

05Jan45 36^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clark and SGT W.B Searl departed Thorney Island at 0350hrs 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 under the wings. Armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed and bombed MT entering the town of Schleiden in North Rhine-Westphalia before returning to Base at 0650hrs.

12Jan45 37^th Operational Flight. FLTLT B.R Yeats and SQNLDR P. Livery departed Thorney Island at 0330hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack targets of opportunity in the battle area of south eastern Belgium/western Germany. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD bombs under the wings. Armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed an ammunition dump near Siegburg in North Rhine-Westphalia before returning to Base at 0725hrs.

14Jan45 38th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clark and SGT W.B Searl departed Thorney Island at 0105hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to harass the retreating German Armies in the Ardennes salient. 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 Burg-Reuland in the Belgian Walloon region then strafed woods and roads around the town before returning to Base at 0410hrs.

17Jan45 39^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clark and SGT W.B Searl departed Thorney Island at 0510hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack targets of opportunity in the Ardennes salient. 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 enemy troops and vehicles near the town of Prüm, Rhineland-Palatinate before returning to Base at 0831hrs.

25Jan45 40^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF W. Killingworth and FSGT D.F Watson departed Thorney Island at 1910hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to attack enemy targets in the rear of the battle line. 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 attacked a line of five vehicles near Waxweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate before returning to Base at 2320hrs.

28Jan45 41^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.W.A Rankin and PLTOFF D.S Judd Watson departed Thorney Island at 1820hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack enemy targets in the rear of the battle line and in the Cologne-Munchen-Gladbach areas. 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 Euskirchen in the Rhineland-Palatinate before returning to Base at 2130hrs.

31Jan45 Aircraft flew eight Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Jan45.

01Feb45 42^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.W.A Rankin and PLTOFF D.S Judd Watson departed Thorney Island at 0230hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to carry out Intruder patrols in Ruhr areas behind the battle front. 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 a lighted factory 10km west of Bonn; strafed a railway marshalling yard in Bonn; and, bombed the town of Euskirchen in the Rhineland-Palatinate before returning to Base at 0640hrs.

03Feb45 43^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.W.A Rankin and PLTOFF D.S Judd Watson departed Thorney Island at 2115hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack enemy targets including barges, woods, and factories behind the battle area. 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 lights on a railway and surrounding woods, then bombed the railway before returning to Base at 0045hrs/04Feb.

05Feb45 Squadron moved to new operating base at B.87/Rosières-en-Santerre, 20km SE of Amiens in the Somme Department, France.

07Feb45 44^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.W.A Rankin and PLTOFF D.S Judd Watson departed B.87/Rosières at 0410hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack targets in the Rhineland-Palatinate region. 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 Engelskirchen on Gee fixes before returning to Base at 0630hrs.

08Feb45 45^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.W.A Rankin and PLTOFF D.S Judd Watson departed B.87/Rosières at 0055hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack communication and logistic targets in front of the Canadian 1^st Army as part of Operation Veritable, a strategic military campaign designed to occupy and clear the critical land area between the Maas and Rhine rivers. This operation was a crucial part of the Allied strategy to penetrate German defences and advance towards the heart of Nazi-controlled territory.

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 centre of Rheinburg and were hit by flak which caused slight damage. The pilot elected to divert and check the damage so he landed at Melsbroek airfield at 0150hrs.

09Feb45 Aircraft damage was assessed as Cat.A and not flight critical so the crew returned to Base.

13Feb45 46^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.W.A Rankin and PLTOFF D.S Judd Watson departed B.87/Rosières at 0035hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to bomb enemy communications and logistics centres in front of the 1st Canadian Army on the northern end of the battle area in support of Operation Veritable. 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 Gravenbroich on the river Erft in north Rhine –Westphalia, then strafed a train 6km north of the town before returning to Base at 0315hrs/14Feb.

16Feb45 Aircraft withdrawn from Operations to undergo scheduled maintenance.

20Feb45 47^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W. Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed B.87/Rosières at 0020hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to bomb enemy communications and logistics centres in front of the Western advance. 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 Gravenbroich on the river Erft in north Rhine –Westphalia before returning to Base at 0215hrs/21Feb.

22Feb45 48^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.W.A Rankin and PLTOFF D.S Judd departed B.87/Rosières at 2330hrs as one of sixteen Mosquitos assigned to Operation Clarion. This was the largest single-day effort of the War by the RAF and USAF when more than 2,000 bombers and fighters ranged over most of Germany simultaneously and attacked all sorts of transportation targets: road/rail crossings, stations, barges, docks, signals, tracks, bridges, and marshalling yards. Most of the objectives were located in small towns that had never been bombed before. The Operation was designed to force the Luftwaffe to defend the targets and then destroy the Luftwaffe’s fighter strength. The aircraft failed to return and was listed as MIA.

28Feb45 Aircraft flew seven operational and 11 non-operational flights missions in February 1945

00Mar45 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial NT177 served with 464 Sqn from 29Jun44 until 22Feb45, a period of 240 days. During that period the aircraft flew forty-eight Operational Flights totalling 122 hrs 33 min plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 160 and 200 hours.

RCAF pilot J/25391 Flying Officer Ronald William Alexander Rankin (20) of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada did not get out of his aircraft and was KIA. He was initially buried at Rotenburg an der Wümme, just south of Hamburg but was later exhumed and reinterred in Section 11, Row D Grave No.14 of the Becklingen War Cemetery 65km south of Hamburg, Germany. He is commemorated on Page 557 of the Canadian Second World War Book of Remembrance in Ottawa, Canada: and, on the RCAF Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, Alberta.

RAFVR navigator 165090 Pilot Officer Derek Steven Judd was seen to bale out and was captured by German police. Following initial interrogation in Dulag Luft Oberursel he was given a POW Number and incarcerated for the remainder of the war. He was liberated and returned to the UK on 23 May 1945.

NT189

00Apr44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial NT189 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 39 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range NT169 to NT207.

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.

00Apr44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

30Apr44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire for acceptance tests and storage.

23Jul44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Thorney Island, West Sussex and issued to B Flight as SB-O.

26Jul44 1^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0220hrs as one of ten 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 stationary train and strafed several lorries and cars before returning to Base at 0520hrs.

31Jul44 Aircraft flew one Operational Flights and two non-operational flights in Jul44.

02Aug44 2^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0220hrs 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 and strafed lights on a railway, then strafed a road junction before returning to Base at 0405hrs.

04Aug44 3^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island on the night of 4/5Aug at 0145hrs 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 and strafed a row of barges then strafed approximately seventy+ vehicles in sidings until all ammunition was expended before returning to Base at 0405hrs.

06Aug44 4^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 2315hrs 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 and a road junction before returning to Base at 0235hrs/07Aug.

07Aug44 5^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 2205hrs/06Aug 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 lights in a wood and a railway junction before returning to Base at 0015hrs/07Aug.

08Aug44 6^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0115hrs 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 a railway marshalling yard before returning to Base at 0455hrs.

12Aug44 Aircraft flew sixteen 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). Half of the sixteen missions were flown by FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson. 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.

12Aug44 7^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0115hrs 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 road interchange before returning to Base at 0315hrs.

13Aug44 8^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0015hrs 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 road bridge before returning to Base at 0215hrs.

9^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0335hrs 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 strafed two tanks before returning to Base at 0510hrs.

14Aug44 10^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0120hrs 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 a rail bridge and strafed lights in a wooded area before returning to Base at 0305hrs.

15Aug44 11^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0120hrs 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 bridge before returning to Base at 0315hrs.

16Aug44 12^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0120hrs 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 bombed a bridge and strafed lights before returning to Base at 0305hrs.

17Aug44 13^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 2300hrs/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 a road before returning to Base at 0020hrs/17Aug.

14^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0245hrs as one of fourteen 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 strafed lights in a wooded area before returning to Base at 0415hrs.

20Aug44 15^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2340hrs/19Aug 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 Foret De Bretonne and strafed lights in the town of Lillebonne, Normandy before returning to Base at 0120hrs/20Aug.

22Aug44 16^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford 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 2 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. Intense light Flak was encountered at Le Creusot which caused significant damage to the stbd wing. The crew bombed and strafed a train in the yards with excellent results before returning to Base at 2000hrs.

23Aug44 17^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0115hrs 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 strafed enemy vehicles in a wood then bombed a river crossing before returning to Base at 0320hrs.

24Aug44 18^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.R.T Hurst and FLGOFF W.R Binks departed Thorney Island at 0300hrs 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 concentration of vehicles before returning to Base at 0415hrs.

25Aug44 19^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2355hrs/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 bombed and strafed an enemy M.T convoy that was already burning in a wood laager before returning to Base at 0155hrs/25Aug.

26Aug44 20^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0105hrs 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 and strafed a group of burning trucks before returning to Base at 0445hrs.

28Aug44 21^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.R.T Hurst and FLGOFF W.R Binks departed Thorney Island at 0235hrsas 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 road junction before returning to Base at 0425hrs.

30Aug44 22^nd Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2350hrs/29Aug 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 cross-roads and strafed lights before returning to Base at 0240hrs/30Aug.

31Aug44 23^rd Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0001hrs 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 and strafed four lines of trucks parked in a siding observing numerous strikes and explosions before returning to Base at 0450hrs.

31Aug44 Aircraft flew twenty-two Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-ops flights Aug44.

10Sep44 24^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0055hrs 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 strafed a lighted area in a wooded area then bombed a bridge over the Rhine before returning to Base at 0405hrs.

12Sep44 25^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2255hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 strafed a lighted jetty then bombed fifteen trucks at a rail crossing before returning to Base at 0205hrs/13Sep.

16Sep44 26^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0255hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 large fire and strafed a road before returning to Base at 0510hrs.

19Sep44 27^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 1925hrs 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 lights on a road before returning to Base at 2328hrs.

25Sep44 28^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2035hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack airfields in the Cologne region of the Ruhr, 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 railway junction before returning to Base at 0020hrs/26Sep.

27Sep44 29^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2025hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to carry out night Ranger operations against targets of opportunity in the Ruhr area such as transport, marshalling yards, vans and large factories. 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 strafed a train and covered wagons observing many strikes before returning to Base at 0105hrs/28Sep.

28Sep44 30^th Operational Flight. FSGT D.B Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 2130hrs as one of as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to carry out Intruder patrols against targets of opportunity in the vicinity of the Dutch Islands. 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 train before returning to Base at 0100hrs/29Sep.

30Sep44 31^st Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2020hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack communication nodes in north eastern Holland. 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 railway station before returning to Base at 2358hrs.

30Sep44 Aircraft flew eight Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights Sep44.

02Oct44 32^nd Operational Flight. FLTLT A. Moodie and FSGT C.T. Hunt departed Thorney Island at 2225hrs/01Oct as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack communication nodes and targets of opportunity in the Osnabrück area of 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 railway station before returning to Base at 0135hrs/02Oct.

03Oct44 33^rd Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2150hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol to Münster, 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 and strafed a ferry terminal before returning to Base 0045hrs/04Oct.

05Oct44 34^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 1940hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol to Geldern in North-Rhine Westphalia, 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 lights in a wooded area before returning to Base at 2315hrs

06Oct44 35^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0120hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for a Ranger mission to the Breskens-Flushing-Goes area in Zeeland, Holland. 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 barges before returning to Base at 0410hrs.

14Oct44 36^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0010hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol to Geldern in North-Rhine Westphalia, 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 lights on a coastal road before returning to Base at 0215hrs.

19Oct44 37^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2210hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol to the Rhineland area of 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 strafed five lights on an autobahn before returning to Base at 0220hrs/20Oct.

23Oct44 38^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0145hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol over Holland. 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 stationary lights near The Hague before returning to Base at 0420hrs.

28Oct44 39^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 0205hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol over Holland. . 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 before returning to Base at 0515hrs.

29Oct44 40^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 1935hrs as one of nine 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol in the Zuider Zee area of Holland. 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 before returning to Base at 2315hrs.

31Oct44 Aircraft flew nine Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Oct44.

01Nov44 41^st Operational Flight. WOFF J.A Beer and FSGT R.F Fountain departed Thorney Island at 1920hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for an Intruder Patrol targeting communication nodes and transport hubs in the Overflakke region of Holland. 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 was unable to locate any targets in their patrol area before returning to Base at 2320hrs.

03Nov44 42^nd Operational Flight. WOFF J.A Beer and FSGT R.F Fountain departed Thorney Island at 0015hrs 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 was unable to locate any targets in their patrol area before returning to Base at 0400hrs.

05Nov44 43^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.A Greenshields and FLGOFF E.H Norman departed Thorney Island at 0015hrs 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 bombed a road/rail junction in the town of Deventer in Overijssel, Holland then strafed dock lights and barges before returning to Base at 0445hrs.

18Nov44 44^th Operational Flight. WOFF J.A Beer and FSGT R.F Fountain departed Thorney Island at 2015hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to carry out night Ranger operations on road and rail junctions, roads and bridges in Holland and North West 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 aircraft failed to return and was listed as MIA.

Post war investigations revealed the aircraft was shot down by flak and crashed at Wormensematen near Apeldoorn in the Gelderland Province, Netherlands. Reports state both of the badly wounded airmen were pulled from the wreckage but died in hospital.

30Nov44 Aircraft flew four Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Nov44.

00Nov44 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial NT189 served with 464 Sqn from 23Jul44 until 18Nov44, a period of 118 days. During that period the aircraft flew forty-four Operational Flights totalling 117 hrs 21 min plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 170 and 200 hours.

RAFVR pilot 1239605 Warrant Officer Jack Alfred Beer (22) born 9 August 1922 he son of Alfred George and Violet Annie Constance Beer, of Northampton. Jack was KIA and was initially buried in the Arnhem British Cemetery but on 4 October 1945 Jack’s remains were exhumed and reinterred in Plot 18, Row C, Grave 7 of the Arnhem (Oosterbeek) War Cemetery 7kms west of Arnhem, Netherlands.

RAFVR navigator 1600411 Flight Sergeant Ronald Frederick Fountain (21) born 6 March 1923 Banbury, Cherwell District, Oxfordshire, England. Ronny was KIA was initially buried in the Arnhem British Cemetery but on 4 October 1945 Jack’s remains were exhumed and reinterred in Plot 4, Row D, Grave 2 of the Arnhem (Oosterbeek) War Cemetery 7kms west of Arnhem, Netherlands.

• 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