464 (FB) Squadron RAAF in WW2

A Brief History of De Havilland Mosquito Operations

July 1943 to September 1945 Page 4

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

NT229

00May44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial NT229 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 11th of 20 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range NT219 to NT238.

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.

00May44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

13May44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.27 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Shawbury, Shropshire. 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.

04Jul44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Thorney Island, West Sussex and issued to A Flight as SB-G. This was a replacement aircraft for NS926/G.

05Jul44 1^st Operational Flight. FGST G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 2335hrs as one of 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 then strafed a wooded area before returning to Base at 0205hrs/05Jul.

06Jul44 2^nd Operational Flight. FGST G. Williams and FSGT J. Dunn departed Thorney Island at 2255hrs as one of 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 lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0355hrs/07Jul.

07Jul44 3^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Thorney Island at 2255hrs as one of fifteen 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 lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0120hrs/08Jul.

08Jul44 4^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and Canadian War Reporter Mr. Murray Edwards departed Thorney Island at 1600hrs tasked to perform a daylight recce of the main battle area. Aircraft armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The flight was successful and the aircraft returned to Base at 1725hrs.

5^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Thorney Island at 2359hrs 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 bombed and strafed a station and strafed a road before returning to Base at 0340hrs/09Jul.

09Jul44 6^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Thorney Island at 0130hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to support the D-Day landings. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges between Caen and Falaise. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a train but undershot, they then strafed the train causing the locomotive and several wagons to catch fire followed by several large explosions before returning to Base at 0320hrs.

11Jul44 7^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Thorney Island at 0200hrs as one of twelve 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 bombed a railway then and strafed a wooded area before returning to Base at 0405hrs.

12Jul44 8^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR A.W Langton and FLGOFF H. Sykes departed Thorney Island at 2345hrs 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 crew bombed a railway junction before heading for Base. Half way across the Chanel they were ordered to divert to RAF Manston where they at 0150hrs/13Jul.

13Jul44 WNGCDR A.W Langton and FLGOFF H. Sykes departed Manston am hours and returned to Base.

14Jul44 9^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Thorney Island at 2055hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos and five each from 21 & 487Sqns tasked to support the SAS Operation Bulbasket against the SS. Specifically, fourteen No.140 Wing Mosquitos were tasked to attack the SS barracks at Bonneuil-Matours near Poitiers in the Vienne Department, France. Aircraft loaded with a mixture of 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs and American Incendiary bombs, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns.

The formation crossed the French coast and flew past the target location then swung around and attacked from the east in line astern formation. The attack only lasted for a short time but during that period nine tons of bombs and incendiaries were accurately dropped on the barracks and surrounding buildings. A post-raid report stated ‘target believed completely destroyed’ and the French Resistance later confirmed that the target was indeed destroyed with approximately 150 SS deaths. Importantly, damage to the nearby town of Bonneuil-Matours was minimal and not a single civilian was killed or injured.

Parsons and Ramsay dropped their bombs on target and on their way home strafed a train before returning to Base at 0045hrs/15Jul.

18Jul44 10^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Thorney Island at 2220hrs/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 0030hrs/18Jul.

22Jul44 11^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Thorney Island at 2325hrs 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 in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy before returning to Base at 0130hrs/23Jul.

23Jul44 12^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Thorney Island at 0045hrs 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 before returning to Base at 0245hrs.

25Jul44 13^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.D Parsons and FLGOFF R. Ramsay departed Thorney Island at 0001hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols over northern France to support the D-Day operation. Targets included road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in the area bounded by the coast, Rennes, Le Mans and Lisieux. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed a train then bombed another train before returning to Base at 0330hrs.

27Jul44 14th Operational Flight. SQNLDR K.D Taute and SUBLT H.H Becker departed Thorney Island at 0335hrs 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. After bombing a busy road junction the crew returned to Base at 0605hrs.

29Jul44 15^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR G. Panitz and FLTLT R.S Williams departed Thorney Island at 2240hrs 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 in a wooded area before returning to Base at 0150hrs/30Jul.

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

02Aug44 16^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR G. Panitz and FLTLT R.S Williams departed Thorney Island at 2230hrs 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 strafed a train then bombed the same train before returning to Base at 0230hrs/01Aug.

04Aug44 17^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR G. Panitz and FLTLT R.S Williams 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 a road bridge hitting the third span, the crew of another following aircraft both saw the span collapse into the river. The crew then located and strafed a train hauling twelve flat wagons observing numerous hits and some small explosions. The crew returned to Base at 0335hrs.

06Aug44 18^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR G. Panitz and FLTLT R.S Williams departed Thorney Island at 2340hrs 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 a large road bridge hitting the roadbed and causing a large explosion before returning to Base at 0140hrs/07Aug.

09Aug44 19^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR G. Panitz and FLTLT R.S Williams departed Thorney Island at 0045hrs 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.

15Aug44 20^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR G. Panitz and FLTLT R.S Williams departed Thorney Island at 0420hrs 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 before returning to Base at 0605hrs.

16Aug44 21^st Operational Flight. WNGCDR G. Panitz and FLTLT R.S Williams departed Thorney Island at 2310hrs 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 0055hrs/17Aug.

17Aug44 22^nd Operational Flight. WNGCDR G. Panitz and FLTLT R.S Williams departed Thorney Island at 0015hrs as one of twenty 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 river crossing on the West Bank of the Seine River at Duclair before returning to Base at 0140hrs/17Aug.

23^rd Operational Flight. WNGCDR G. Panitz and FLTLT R.S Williams departed Thorney Island at 0345hrs 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 0515hrs.

18Aug44 24^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR G. Panitz and FLTLT R.S Williams departed Thorney Island at 0420hrs 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 lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0535hrs.

20Aug44 25th Operational Flight. WNGCDR G. Panitz and FLTLT R.S Williams departed Thorney Island at 1930hrs tasked to perform a solo daylight weather recce over the Chanel. Aircraft armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew performed the task and returned to Base at 2000hrs.

26th Operational Flight. WNGCDR G. Panitz and FLTLT R.S Williams departed Thorney Island at 2250hrs 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 convoy of 8/9 M.T observing many strikes; 15min later they located and strafed a convoy 0f 10/11 trucks before returning to Base at 0050hrs/20Aug.

August 1944. Official War Artist Dennis Adams painting a motif on Mosquito NT299 flown by Wing Commander Peter Panitz, Commanding Officer of 464 Squadron RAAF. Panitz then had the squadron sign writer print 'Bash The Plurry Hun Boss' under it. The painting was completed a few days before Panitz and his navigator were killed in action over Dijon, France.

22Aug44 27th Operational Flight. WGCDR G. Panitz and FLTLT R.S Williams departed Thorney Island at 1600hrs as one of twelve Mosquitos detailed for a daylight attack on a large concentration of ammunition and supply trains discovered in the railway marshalling yards at Chagny near Dijon, France. Aircraft was fitted with two jettisonable external fuel tanks; loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The aircraft failed to return and was listed as MIA.

Post war investigations revealed the aircraft was hit by flak when attacking at a very low altitude and crashed into a hill at Bona, near Nièvre, 220km SSE of Paris. The navigator managed to bale out but he was too low for the parachute to open and his body was found in a field near the crash site. The pilot’s body was found in the cockpit wreckage. Both airmen were buried the next day by locals at the small Catholic Churchyard.

31Aug44 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial NT229 served with 464 Sqn from 04Jul44 until 22Aug44, a period of 49 days. During that period the aircraft flew twenty-seven Operational Flights totalling 63 hrs 50 min plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 80 and 110 hours.

A memorial located where the aircraft crashed in 1944, the stone has a piece of the aircraft affixed
showing the date and both crewmen’s rank/name.

RAAF pilot 404891 Wing Commander Gordon “Peter” Panitz DFC (28) born 21 September 1915 the son of Frederick Samuel Panitz and Janet Panitz (nee Gordon) of Southport, Queensland; husband of Helen Panitz (nee Duncan). Gordon was KIA and is buried in a Joint Grave of the Bona Communal Cemetery, Département de la Nièvre, Bourgogne, France. 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 of the Southport War Memorial, Queensland.

RAAF navigator 411411 Flight Lieutenant Richard Sutton Williams DFC (29) born 12 August 1915 the son of Ernest William and Evangeline Williams; husband of Joyce Mabel Williams, of Patonga Beach, New South Wales. Richard was KIA and is buried in a Joint Grave of the Bona Communal Cemetery in Burgundy, France. 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 of the Patonga War Memorial, New South Wales.

NT231

00May44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial NT231 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 13^th of 20 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range NT219 to NT238.

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.

00May44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

15May44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to by No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire.

27May44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Aircraft Repair Flight (ARF) at RAF Lasham, Hampshire

04Jun44 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-Y.

05Jun44 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.

06Jun44 1^st Operational Flight. FLTLT C.F Babbage and FLGOFF C.H McIntyre departed Gravesend at 0030hrs as one of eighteen aircraft tasked to attack road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in support of the D-Day Landings. 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 attacked traffic on the Falaise Road and returned to Base at 0330hrs.

07Jun44 2^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLTLT R.W Hepworth departed Gravesend at 0025hrs 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 had to abort the operation after 20min when the port engine failed, returned to Base at 0115hrs.

08Jun44 3^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLTLT R.W Hepworth departed Gravesend at 0231hrs 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 road junction before returning to Base at 0325hrs.

10Jun44 4^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLTLT R.W Hepworth 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 enemy transports before returning to Base at 0045hrs/10Jun.

5^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLTLT R.W Hepworth 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 lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0430hrs.

12Jun44 6^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLTLT R.W Hepworth departed Gravesend at 0030hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack Le Mesnil Mauger Railway Yards, 32km east of Caen 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 dropped flares over Le Mesnil Mauger railway station then bombed and made three strafing attacks before returning to Base at 0200hrs.

13Jun44 7^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Gravesend at 2330hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack the Mézidon-Canon Railway Yards, 20km SE of Caen, 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 8^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Gravesend at 0010hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack various targets in support of the D-Day landings. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 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 0300hrs.

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

9^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLTLT R.W Hepworth departed Thorney Island at 2230hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack various targets in support of the D-Day landings. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 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 Le Mans in Pays de la Loire, 125km SSE of Caen before returning to Base at 0120hrs/10Jun.

20Jun44 10^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLTLT R.W Hepworth departed Thorney Island at 0025hrs 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 vehicles and lights on a road near Lèves in Centre-Val de Loire 70km SW of Paris before returning to Base at 0335hrs.

21Jun44 11^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF B.I Crofts and FLTLT R.W Hepworth departed Thorney Island at 0011hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 dropped flares then bombed Dreux railway station before returning to Base at 0245hrs.

23Jun44 12^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.R. Hurst and FLGOFF W.R Binks 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 dropped flares then bombed railway marshalling yards at Verneuil, in Charente department located 150km NNE of Bordeaux before returning to Base at 0255hrs.

25Jun44 13^th Operational Flight. SQNLDR T. McPhee and FLTLT G.W Atkins departed Thorney Island at 1530hrs tasked for a solo daylight Recce of the Cherbourg area. Aircraft armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The operation was carried out successfully and the crew returned to Base at 1700hrs.

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

03Jul44 14^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 0010hrs 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 a railway before returning to Base at 0315hrs.

04Jul44 15^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FLGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0010hrs 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 lost Gee bearings and jettisoned bombs near Tours before returning to Base at 0415hrs.

05Jul44 16^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 2345hrs as one of 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 wooded area before returning to Base at 0215hrs/06Jul.

06Jul44 17^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.R Mulligan and FSGT W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 2250hrs 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 a train before returning to Base at 0150hrs/07Jul.

07Jul44 18^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 0250hrs as one of fifteen 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 a railway before returning to Base at 0420hrs/08Jul.

14Jul44 19^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.R Mulligan and FSGT W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 0210hrs 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 0420hrs.

18Jul44 20^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 0100hrs 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 0155hrs.

19Jul44 21^st Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 0115hrs 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 0315hrs.

20Jul44 22^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF R. Johnston and FLGOFF C.J.H Turner departed Thorney Island at 0005hrs 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 railway before returning to Base at 0215hrs.

22Jul44 23^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 0105hrs 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 river bridge and crossing before returning to Base at 0310hrs

23Jul44 24^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 0115hrs 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 wooded area before returning to Base at 0315hrs.

25Jul44 25^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward 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 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 vehicle which exploded violently before returning to Base at 0220hrs.

27Jul44 26^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 0250hrs 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 junction and railway line then strafed a river crossing before returning to Base at 0445hrs.

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

03Aug44 27^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.R Mulligan and FSGT W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 2255hrs/02Aug 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 Forêt d'Andaine in the Orne region of Normandy before returning to Base at 0140hrs/03Aug.

04Aug44 28^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0110hrs as one of fourteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to carry out night Intruder attacks on rail junctions, bridges, pontoons, barges, trucks, sidings, trains and marshalling yards. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a stationary train and returned some 10min later and made two strafing runs before returning to Base at 0415hrs.

06Aug44 29^th Operational Flight. FSGT E.G Wicky and FSGT O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0140hrs 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 a rail crossing before returning to Base at 0345hrs.

08Aug44 30^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 2345hrs 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 bridge before returning to Base at 0245hrs/09Aug.

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 FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward. 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 31^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0030hrs 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 a road interchange containing 8-10 burning vehicles before returning to Base at 0245hrs.

32^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.C Nixon and FGOFF P. Mosby departed Thorney Island at 0410hrs 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 Foret de Breteuil and strafed lights in a wooded area before returning to Base at 0615hrs.

13Aug44 33^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 0110hrs 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 road bridges before returning to Base at 0250hrs.

34^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 0410hrs 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 a lighted area before returning to Base at 0555hrs.

14Aug44 35^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 0001hrs 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 before returning to Base at 0315hrs.

15Aug44 36^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 2315hrs 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 before returning to Base at 0045hrs.

16Aug44 37^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 0040hrs 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 then strafed small group of searchlights before returning to Base at 0220hrs.

17Aug44 38^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 2330hrs/16Aug as one of twenty 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 river crossing on the West Bank of the Seine River at Duclair before returning to Base at 0130hrs/17Aug.

18Aug44 39^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 0110hrs 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 M.T before returning to Base at 0245hrs.

40^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.A Rollo and FLGOFF G.S Haward departed Thorney Island at 0355hrs 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 0520hrs.

22Aug44 41^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster DFC and FSGT H. Bradley 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 aborted the mission at 1625hrs when the port engine failed, returned to Base at 1700hrs.

23Aug44 42^nd Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.L Doube and PLTOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 0145hrs 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 ferry jetty before returning to Base at 0330hrs.

26Aug44 43^rd Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.L Doube and PLTOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 0315hrs 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 44^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.L Doube and PLTOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 0325hrs 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 lights in a wood then later bombed the railway marshalling yards at Charleville before returning to Base at 0600hrs.

30Aug44 45^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.L Doube and PLTOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 2200hrs/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 based on Gee fixes before returning to Base at 0040hrs/30Aug.

31Aug44 46^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.L Doube and PLTOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 0245hrs 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 a train before returning to Base at 0535hrs.

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

08Sep44 47^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.L Doube and PLTOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 0255hrs as one of eight 464Sqn aircraft tasked to attack ferry crossings and rail connections on Walcheren Island in the Dutch Province of Zeeland. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a road before returning to Base at 0525hrs.

10Sep44 48^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 0355hrs 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 0650hrs.

12Sep44 49^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 2055hrs 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 row of nine barges then bombed and strafed the same barges and surrounding pier installations before returning to Base at 0020hrs/13Sep.

16Sep44 50^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Thorney Island at 0315hrs as one of twelve 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 lighted ferry fire and strafed a road before returning to Base at 0615hrs.

25Sep44 51^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF W.A Greenshields and FLGOFF E.H Norman departed Thorney Island at 2110hrs as one of seventeen 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. At 2205hrs the pilot aborted the mission because of electrical faults and returned safely to Base at 0020hrs.

26Sep44 Aircraft withdrawn from operations to undergo repairs.

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

01Oct44 Aircraft returned to operations, issued to B Flight and re-coded SB-U.

02Oct44 52^nd Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.L Doube and PLTOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 2000hrs as one of fifteen Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges around Osnabrück in Lower Saxony, 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 lights and bombed a train near Zwolle on the east coast of the Zuider Zee before returning to Base at 2335hrs.

03Oct44 53^rd Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.L Doube and PLTOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 2330hrs as one of fifteen 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 wooded ship in the dockyards before returning to Base at 0320hrs/04Oct.

05Oct44 54^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0001hrs 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 and strafed a road before returning to Base at 0340hrs.

06Oct44 55^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.L Doube and PLTOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 0155hrs as one of thirteen Mosquitos 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 aborted the operation at 0210hrs because of electrical problems and returned to Base at 0225hrs.

07Oct44 Aircraft withdrawn from operations to undergo repairs.

11Oct44 56^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.L Doube and PLTOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 0250hrs as one of thirteen 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 row of barges before returning to Base at 0515hrs.

14Oct44 57^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.L Doube and PLTOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 2300hrs as one of fourteen 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 and strafed lights on a coastal road before returning to Base at 0130hrs.

19Oct44 58^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 2010hrs 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 train and a road before returning to Base at 0020hrs/20Oct.

21Oct44 Aircraft withdrawn from operations to undergo scheduled maintenance.

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

04Nov44 Aircraft returned to operations.

05Nov44 59^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.L Doube and PLTOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 0055hrs as one of twelve Mosquitos tasked to attack Communication Nodes in eastern 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 patrolled their area but no targets were located, returned bombs to Base at 0355hrs.

18Nov44 60^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.L Doube and PLTOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 2310hrs as one of fifteen 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 the Velen railway station and saw a large explosion before returning to Base at 0250hrs/19Nov.

27Nov44 61^st Operational Flight. PLTOFF M.L Doube and PLTOFF J.M Moon departed Thorney Island at 1900hrs as one of seventeen 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 marshalling yards near Cloppenburg before returning to Base at 2310hrs.

29Nov44 62^nd Operational Flight. FLTLT W.K Shrimpton and FLGOFF P.R Lake departed Thorney Island at 1745hrs as one of fifteen Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail junctions across 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/rail junction then returned to Base at 2025hrs.

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

02Dec44 63^rd Operational Flight. WOFF L.C Bradley and FSGT E.O Bule departed Thorney Island at 1915hrs 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 2215hrs.

04Dec44 64^th Operational Flight. WOFF L.C Bradley and FSGT E.O Bule departed Thorney Island at 1800hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to attack road and rail junctions in and around the German towns of Geldern, Dülken and Bocholt. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a road/rail junction near Geldern before returning to Base at 2115hrs.

06Dec44 65^th Operational Flight. WOFF L.C Bradley and FSGT E.O Bule departed Thorney Island at 2050hrs 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 a railway near Woerden before returning to Base at 2335hrs.

11Dec44 66^th Operational Flight. WOFF L.C Bradley and FSGT E.O Bule departed Thorney Island at 2300hrs 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 a railway before returning to Base at 0210hrs/12Dec.

17Dec44 67^th Operational Flight. WOFF L.C Bradley and FSGT E.O Bule departed Thorney Island at 0315hrs as one of sixteen 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 Mayen in the Rhineland-Palatinate before returning to Base at 0645hrs.

18Dec44 68^th Operational Flight. WOFF L.C Bradley and FSGT E.O Bule departed Thorney Island at 1805hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 the centre of Altenahr before returning to Base at 2115hrs.

24Dec44 69^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF N.G Gilmour and FSGT L.T Dwyer departed Thorney Island at 2300hrs 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 the town of Bullange in Walloon Region of Belgium before returning to Base at 0240hrs.

28Dec44 70^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF N.G Gilmour and FSGT L.T Dwyer departed Thorney Island at 2000hrs 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 La Roche-en-Ardenne and Arzfeld through the dense cloud cover based on Gee fixes before returning to Base at 2250hrs.

31Dec44 71^st Operational Flight. PLTOFF L.C Bradley and FSGT E.O Bule departed Thorney Island at 0140hrs as one of eighteen 464Sqn aircraft detailed to bomb enemy concentrations in the battle area and attack motor transport, tanks and other related targets. The aircraft failed to return as was listed as MIA.

The aircraft was shot down by a German fighter at 0320hrs in Allied Territory, and crashed on the Six-Plane farm near Brechaud, hamlet of Gros-Fays, Belgium. The bodies of the two men were recovered by a US Army patrol and initially buried by them near the crash site. Both men were later exhumed and reinterred in the Heverlee War Cemetery.

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

00Jan45 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial NT231 served with 464 Sqn from 04Jun44 until 31Dec44, a period of 210 days. During that period the aircraft made seventy-one Operational Flights totalling 180 hrs 22 min plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 220 and 250 hours.

RCAF pilot J/93970 Pilot Officer Irvine Clifford Bradley (22) born 1923, the son of William Clifford and Margaret Jessie Bradley, of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba in Canada. Irvine was KIA and initially buried beside the remains of the crashed aircraft near Bièvre, Arrondissement de Dinant in the Namur region of Belgium. In December 1946 his remains were exhumed by No.84 Graves Concentration Unit of the British Army. He was reinterred on 09Debember 1946 in Section K, Joint grave 2, Rows 13-14 of the Heverlee War Cemetery located 30kms from Brussels in Leuven, Arrondissement Leuven, Flemish Brabant (Vlaams-Brabant), Belgium. He is commemorated on Page 347 of the Canadian Second World War Book of Remembrance in Ottawa, Canada; on the RCAF Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, Alberta; and, on the Portage la Prairie War Memorial (Saskatchewan Avenue West in Portage la Prairie.

RCAF pilot J/93970 Pilot Officer Irvine Clifford Bradley (22) born 1923, the son of William Clifford and Margaret Jessie Bradley, of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba in Canada. Irvine was KIA and is buried in Section K, Joint grave 2, Rows 13-14 of the Heverlee War Cemetery located 30kms from Brussels in Leuven, Arrondissement Leuven, Flemish Brabant (Vlaams-Brabant), Belgium. He is commemorated on Page 347 of the Canadian Second World War Book of Remembrance in Ottawa, Canada; on the RCAF Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, Alberta; and, on the Portage la Prairie War Memorial (Saskatchewan Avenue West in Portage la Prairie.

RAFVR navigator 1602613 Edward Owen Bule (24) born 1921; son of Fred Eric and Olive Bule, husband of Irene Doris Bule of Stafford, England. Edward was KIA and is buried in Section K, Joint grave 2, Rows 13-14 of the Heverlee War Cemetery located 30kms from Brussels in Leuven, Arrondissement Leuven, Flemish Brabant (Vlaams-Brabant), Belgium. He is commemorated on the Staffordshire County War Memorial located on Broadeye, Stafford, Staffordshire ST16.

PZ259

00Jun44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial PZ259 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 43 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range PZ217 to PZ259.

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.

00Jun44 Test flown at Hatfield before hand over to the RAF.

02Jul44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire.

31Aug44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.218 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Colerne, Wiltshire.

12Sep44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Repair & Salvage Unit (RSU) at RAF Lasham, Hampshire

28Nov44 Aircraft taken on charge with No.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Thorney Island, West Sussex and issued to B Flight as SB-X.

29Nov44 1st Operational Flight. FSGT D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 2200hrs as one of fifteen 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, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. At 2250hrs the pilot abort with electrical problems and returned to Base at 2345hrs.

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

04Dec44 2^nd Operational Flight. FSGT D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 2345hrs as one of fifteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack targets in and around the German towns of Geldern, Dülken and Bocholt. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed a road junction near Kruchten then bombed Dülken before returning to Base at 0240hrs/05Dec.

06Dec44 3^rd Operational Flight. FSGT D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 1855hrs 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 the town centres of Geldern and Straelen in North Rhine-Westphalia before returning to Base at 2210hrs.

11Dec44 4^th Operational Flight. FSGT D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 0225hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked 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 Dülken and Kruchten before returning to Base at 0530hrs.

17Dec44 5^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J.R Mulligan and WOFF W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 0510hrs 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 two road junctions and strafed M.T before returning to Base at 0840hrs.

18Dec44 6^th Operational Flight.FLGOFF N.G Gilmour and FSGT L.T Dwyer departed Thorney Island at 1740hrs 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 bombed a rail junction in Daun before returning to Base at 2140hrs.

23Dec44 7^th Operational Flight.FSGT D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 0001hrs as one of eighteen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 strafed burning buildings in Mayenne before returning to Base at 0350hrs.

24Dec44 8^th Operational Flight.FSGT D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 2350hrs 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 the town of Prüm in the Rhineland-Palatinate then strafed two small villages nearby before returning to Base at 0300hrs/25Dec.

28Dec44 9^th Operational Flight.FSGT D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 1910hrs as one of fourteen 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 La Roche-en-Ardenne through the dense cloud cover based on Gee fixes before returning to Base at 2150hrs.

31Dec44 10^th Operational Flight.FSGT D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 0225hrs as one of eighteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked 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 bombed St Vith before returning to Base at 0555hrs.

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

01Jan45 11^th Operational Flight.WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 1840hrs 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 and were homeward bound when they were diverted as the entire UK east coast was closed to all air traffic because of appalling weather. The aircraft landed at 2230hrs on Cambrai-Épinoy airfield located 100kms NNE of Paris.

02Jan45 Aircraft and crew returned to Thorney Island pm hours.

03Jan45 12^th Operational Flight.WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor 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; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The pilot aborted the operation because of severe icing and returned to Base at 0515hrs

05Jan45 13^th Operational Flight.WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 0410hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack targets of opportunity in the battle area in the west of the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD bombs. Armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed and bombed their assigned target before returning to Base at 0710hrs.

12Jan45 14^th Operational Flight.WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 0345hrs 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, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed an ammunition dump and the town of St Vith in the Walloon region of Belgium before returning to Base at 0655hrs.

13Jan45 15^th Operational Flight.FLGOFF R.W.A Rankin and PLTOFF D.S Judd departed Thorney Island at 2100hrs as one of twelve 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, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed a road then bombed the town of Karlshausen in the Rhineland-Palatinate before returning to Base at 0005hrs/14Jan.

14Jan45 16^th Operational Flight.WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 0235hrs 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 St Vith in the Belgian Walloon region then strafed woods and roads around the town before returning to Base at 0350hrs.

25Jan45 17^th Operational Flight.WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 2005hrs 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 strafed a large group (52 vehicles) parked in rows near Waxweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate then bombed the town before returning to Base at 2325hrs.

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

01Feb45 18^th Operational Flight.WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 0200hrs 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 bombed a railway line and strafed barges near Bonn before returning to Base at 0600hrs.

03Feb45 19^th Operational Flight.WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 1930hrs 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 2245hrs.

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

07Feb45 20^th Operational Flight.WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 0350hrs 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 and strafed the centre of Neubeckum in North Rhine-Westphalia before returning to Base at 0640hrs.

08Feb45 21^st Operational Flight.WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 0005hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack communication and logistic targets in front of the Canadian 1st 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 Geldern railway station through dense cloud based on Gee fixes before returning to Base at 0210hrs.

10Feb45 22^nd Operational Flight.WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 2210hrs as one of twelve 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 railway lines in Euskirchen and strafed roads in the town before returning to Base 0015hrs/11Feb.

20Feb45 23^rd Operational Flight.WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 2255hrs 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 Limburg in the Flemish region of Belgium before returning to Base at 0215hrs/21Feb.

24^th Operational Flight.WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 1155hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn 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 was 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 factory; a stationary train with several attached wagons; and, a large signal box. Soon after they spotted a moving train which they bombed and saw one bomb explode on the tracks directly in front of the locomotive. The aircraft returned to Base at 1515hrs.

25^th Operational Flight.FLTLT W.H Clark and FLGOFF W.B Searl departed Rosières at 2010hrs as one of seven 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 Grevenbroich through dense cloud based on Gee fixes before returning to Base 2220hrs.

24Feb45 26^th Operational Flight.FLTLT W.H Clark and FLGOFF W.B Searl departed Rosières at 0250hrs as one of nine 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 a rail line surrounded by factories before returning to Base 0505hrs.

25Feb45 27^th Operational Flight.WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 2230hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack communication nodes and logistics 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 towns of Siegen and Euskirchen and strafed a large factory before returning to Base 0130hrs/26Feb.

27Feb45 28^th Operational Flight.FLTLT A.C Stark and SGT S.A Ancell departed Rosières at 1900hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack enemy lines of communications behind the front. This included bombing and strafing trains, coaches, marshalling yards, motor transport and power stations. . 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 lights in a wood then bombed and strafed a train before returning to Base 0010hrs/28Feb.

28Feb45 Aircraft flew eleven Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-operational flights in Feb45.

03Mar45 29^th Operational Flight. WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 2200hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack rail and communication nodes behind the battle fronts. 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 Oppenheim causing a very large explosion; 20min later they located and strafed eleven trucks on a road, three of which exploded, before returning to Base 0115hrs/04Ma4.

08Mar45 30^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.C Stark and SGT S.A Ancell departed Rosières at 1955hrs 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 aircraft failed to return and was listed as MIA.

Some reports state the aircraft was hit by AAA which caused serious damage and the pilot headed for a designated emergency landing ground at B.58/Melsbroek near Brussels. The landing gear would not extend and the captain made a belly landing at B.58. Unfortunately, the pilot lost all control and the aircraft crashed on the runway. Both crewmen were killed in the crash.

However, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and a report in May 1947 by No.85 Graves Concentration Unit of the British Army clearly state the crew remains were extracted from the wreckage and buried in a communal grave located in the SE corner of the Drommershausen Civilian Cemetery in the German State of Hesse and reinterred in the Hannover (Limmer) War Cemetery located 5km west of Hannover in the Niedersachsen region of Germany. If the preceding reports are correct it is highly unlikely the aircraft crashed near Brussels and the crew taken to Drommershausen for burial. The true story of this crew may never be known.

31Mar44 Aircraft flew two Operational Flights in March 1945.

00Apr45 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial PZ259 served with 464 Sqn from 28Nov44 until 08Mar45, a period of 100 days. During that period the aircraft flew thirty Operational Flights totalling 61 hrs 05 min plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 100 and 120 hours.

RAFVR pilot (568229) 48313 Flight Lieutenant Alexander Charles Stark (25) born 1920 the son of Charles Stark and Nancy Stark of Crosshill, Ayrshire Scotland; husband of Mary Geraldine Stark (nee Taylor) of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Canada. Alexander was KIA and is buried in Section 6, Row B Grave 16 of the Hanover War Cemetery near Seelze, Region Hannover, Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) in Germany. He is commemorated on the Crosshill War Memorial in Ayrshire, Scotland; also, on the honour roll of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada.

RAFVR navigator 1802572 Sergeant Sidney Arthur Ancell was KIA and is buried in Section 6, Row B Grave 17 of the Hanover War Cemetery, Seelze, Region Hannover, Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) in Germany.

PZ309

00Jul44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial PZ309 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 37^th of 44 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range PZ273 to PZPZ316.

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.

00Jul44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

21Jul44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.27 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Shawbury, Shropshire.

16Sep44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.218 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Colerne, Wiltshire.

05Oct44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Repair & Salvage Unit (RSU) at RAF Lasham, Hampshire

09Nov44 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-Z.

18Nov44 1^st Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G. Rowell and FLGOFF C.E. Davidson departed Thorney Island at 2230hrs 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 found no target to attack before returning to Base at 0105hrs/19Nov.

20Nov44 2^nd Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G. Rowell and FLGOFF C.E. Davidson departed Thorney Island at 1850hrs as one of eleven 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 three M.T and strafed lights in a village before returning to Base at 2220hrs.

27Nov44 3^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G. Rowell and FLGOFF C.E. Davidson departed Thorney Island at 1900hrs 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 line of M.T before returning to Base at 2230hrs.

29Nov44 4^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G. Rowell and FLGOFF C.E. Davidson departed Thorney Island at 2340hrs as one of fifteen 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 near the town of Venlo in south-eastern Holland, close to the border with Germany, before returning to Base at 0255hrs/30Nov.

30Nov44 5^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G. Rowell and FLGOFF C.E. Davidson departed Thorney Island at 1910hrs as one of four 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road/rail junctions in Lower Saxony, German. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 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 railway station at Lingen, Germany before returning to Base at 2255hrs.

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

02Dec44 6^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G. Rowell and FLGOFF C.E. Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0105hrs 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 0435hrs.

06Dec44 7^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 2135hrs as one of seventeen 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 and strafed a section of railway line between Burgsteinfurter and Dorsten before returning to Base at 0135hrs/07Dec.

11Dec44 8^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 2015hrs as one of seventeen Mosquitos tasked 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 a rail junction before returning to Base at 2320hrs.

17Dec44 9^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0450hrs as one of sixteen 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 lights in a wooded area before returning to Base at 0750hrs.

18Dec44 10^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF C.H.L Foster and PLTOFF S.R.J Thomas departed Thorney Island at 1735hrs as one of seventeen Mosquitos 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 strafed lights in a wood then bombed and strafed the town of Anhoff before returning to Base at 2050hrs.

23Dec44 11^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0020hrs as one of eighteen Mosquitos 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 convoy of trucks before returning to Base at 0355hrs.

24Dec44 12^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 2345hrs as one of seventeen 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 goods train in a siding before returning to Base at 0325hrs/25Dec.

31Dec44 13^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0020hrs as one of eighteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked 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 a road junction then bombed and strafed a convoy of twelve M.T observing many hits before returning to Base at 0350hrs.

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

01Jan45 14^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 1925hrs as one of eighteen 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, Illumination Flares 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 and were homeward bound when they were diverted as the entire UK east coast was closed to all air traffic because of appalling weather. The aircraft landed at 2245hrs on Cambrai-Épinoy airfield located 100kms NNE of Paris.

02Jan45 FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson ferried the aircraft back to Thorney Island pm hours.

03Jan45 15^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0250hrs as one of thirteen Mosquitos to attack targets of opportunity in the St Vith and Houffalize areas of 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 pilot aborted due to severe icing conditions and returned to Base at 0500hrs.

05Jan45 16^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0410hrs as one of seventeen Mosquitos tasked to attack targets of opportunity in the battle area in the west of the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the town of Euskirchen near the German-Belgian border before returning to Base at 0710hrs.

12Jan45 17^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0345hrs as one of fourteen 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, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the town of Euskirchen near the German-Belgian border before returning to Base at 0655hrs.

13Jan45 18^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W. Killingworth and FSGT D.F Watson departed Thorney Island at 2135hrs/12Jan as one of twelve 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, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed a road then bombed lights in a wood before returning to Base at 0035hrs/13Jan.

14Jan45 19^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0120hrs as one of fifteen 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 strafed a group of seven M.T; 15min later they located a laager area containing approximately thirty vehicles which they bombed and strafed. Two vehicles exploded and many others damaged. The crew returned to Base at 0450hrs.

25Jan45 20^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 1820hrs as one of seventeen 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 bombed a factory in Borken, Rhineland-Palatinate and strafed M.T in a nearby car parking area before returning to Base at 2150hrs.

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

01Feb45 21^st Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 0410hrs as one of seventeen 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 bombed the town of Borken in the Rhineland-Palatinate before returning to Base at 0750hrs.

03Feb45 22^nd Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Thorney Island at 1700hrs as one of seventeen 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 barge, then bombed and strafed a row of barges before returning to Base at 2115hrs.

05Feb45 FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson ferried the aircraft to their new operating base at B.87/Rosières-en-Santerre, 20km SE of Amiens in the Somme Department, France.

08Feb45 23^rd Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Rosières at 0010hrs as one of seventeen Mosquitos tasked to attack communication and logistic targets in front of the Canadian 1st 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. The crew bombed the Kempen railway station in North Rhine-Westphalia through dense cloud based on Gee fixes before returning to Base at 0240hrs.

10Feb45 24^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and SubLt H.H Becker departed Rosières at 2325hrs as one of twelve 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 a railway junction near Bad Münstereifel in North Rhine-Westphalia before returning to Base 0235hrs/11Feb.

13Feb45 25^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.G Rowell and FLGOFF C.E Davidson departed Rosières at 0045hrs as one of twelve 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 a marshalling yard, motor vehicles and surrounding buildings in Frankenberg on the banks of the river Eder in Hesse, Germany. The crew returned to Base at 0330hrs.

20Feb45 26^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.C Henderson and WOFF R.J Hawke departed Rosières at 2315hrs as one of twelve Mosquitos 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 a road junction before returning to Base at 0155hrs/21Feb.

24Feb45 27^th Operational Flight. FLTLT A.J Smith and FLTLT H.P Woodward departed Rosières at 2355hrs as one of twelve 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 strafed two trains, stopping both trains; they then attacked a third train and observed two explosions and copious amounts of smoke and debris before returning to Base 0255hrs/25Feb.

25Feb45 28^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H. Clark and FLGOFF W.B Searl departed Rosières at 2350hrs as one of eleven Mosquitos tasked to attack communication nodes and logistics 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 railway station at Rheda-Wiedenbrück, North Rhine-Westphalia before returning to Base 0300hrs/26Feb.

27Feb45 29^th Operational Flight. FLTLT J.F Filteau and FLGOFF H.I Storen departed Rosières-en-Santerre, France at 1926hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to attack enemy lines of communications behind the front. This included bombing and strafing trains, coaches, marshalling yards, motor transport and power stations. The aircraft failed to return and was listed as MIA.

Advice was received from the US Army 506^th Military Police Battalion stating they responded to reports of an aircraft crash at approximately 2100hrs, one and a half miles west of Sovet, Belgium. Lt G. Wagenseil arrived on the scene soon thereafter but could not get close to the fiercely blazing wreckage plus there was a possible danger posed by unexploded bombs. At some time later faint cries for help were heard from nearby bushes and MP SGT Victor R. DeVivo discovered the very seriously injured pilot. An ambulance took FLTLT Filteau to the US Army 130th General Hospital, where he sadly succumbed to his injuries.

Meanwhile navigator Storen, who had baled out successfully some minutes before the pilot, sustained moderate injuries and heavy concussion during his landing in an open field some miles away from the aircraft’s crash site. He took time to gather his strength and started walking until he found a road which led him to Namur, where he walked into the HQ of the US Army 296^th Military Police Company at 0800hrs/28Feb. Colonel A.L Bonham-Carter was a British Liaison Officer embedded with US Forces and was immediately informed of Storen’s situation. The Colonel took control of Storen and rang HQ 2^nd TAF to arrange transport and inform them of the fate of PZ309.

28Feb45 Aircraft flew nine Operational Flights plus an unknown number of non-Ops flights in Feb45.

00Mar45 Aircraft struck off charge. DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II Serial PZ309 served with 464 Sqn from 09Nov44 until 27Feb45, a period of 111 days. During that period the aircraft flew twenty-nine Operational Flights totalling 75 hrs 40 min plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 100 and 120 hours.

RCAF pilot J/10125 Flight Lieutenant John Frederick Filteau (25) of Calgary in Alberta, Canada sustained serious injuries when he baled out at very low level. He was taken to the US Army 130th General Hospital in Namur, Belgium where he succumbed to his injuries and was buried in Grave No.1, Row 1, Plot E of the American Military Cemetery at Neuville-en-Condroz in Neupré, Wallonia, Belgium. He was later reinterred in Section III, Plot C Grave 6 of the Hotton War Cemetery located 58km south east of Namur, Belgium. He is commemorated on Page 514 of the Canadian Second World War Book of Remembrance in Ottawa, Canada: and, on the Canadian Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, Alberta.

RCAF navigator J/45432 Flying Officer H.I. Storen sustained concussion and other injuries when he baled out near Namur. He was give treatment in Belgium before repatriation to the RAF Officers Hospital, Cleveleys in Blackpool, Lancashire. While in hospital he was given details of what happened and the death of his pilot. Storen survived the War but nothing further is known.

PZ350

00Aug44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial PZ350 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 29 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range PZ330 to PZ358.

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.

00Aug44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

19Aug44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.10 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Hullavington, Wiltshire.

02Sep44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.218 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Colerne, Wiltshire.

19Oct44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Repair & Salvage Unit (RSU) at RAF Lasham, Hampshire

28Nov44 Aircraft taken on charge with No.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Thorney Island, West Sussex and issued to B Flight as SB-X.

29Nov44 1^st Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.J Pritchard and FLTLT J.A Glover departed Thorney Island at 1815hrs as one of fifteen 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 rail junction then returned to Base at 2135hrs.

30Nov44 Aircraft flew one Operational Flight plus a number of non-operational flights in Nov44.

02Dec44 2^nd Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.J Pritchard and FLTLT J.A Glover departed Thorney Island at 0150hrs as one of thirteen 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 rail/road junction near Woerden in Utrecht, Holland before returning to Base at 0430hr/03Dec.

04Dec44 3^rd Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.J Pritchard and FLTLT J.A Glover departed Thorney Island at 0001hrs as one of fifteen Mosquitos tasked to attack targets 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 Straelen in North Rhine-Westphalia, before returning to Base at 0250hrs.

06Dec44 4^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.J Pritchard and FLTLT J.A Glover departed Thorney Island at 1900hrs as one of seventeen 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 lights in the town of Dülken before returning to Base at 2200hrs.

11Dec44 5^th Operational Flight. WNGCDR R.J Pritchard and FLTLT J.A Glover departed Thorney Island at 0345hrs as one of seventeen Mosquitos tasked 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 pilot aborted the operation with fuel problems as the aircraft crossed the Dutch coast and returned to Base at 0530hrs.

17Dec44 6^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and SubLt H.H. Becker departed Thorney Island at 0250hrs as one of sixteen 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 a road junction before returning to Base at 0750hrs.

18Dec44 7^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J.R Mulligan and WOFF W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 1710hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 lights in a wood before returning to Base at 2025hrs.

23Dec44 8^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J.R Mulligan and WOFF W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 2320hrs as one of eighteen 464Sqn Mosquitos 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 strafed M.T noticing many strikes and several fires; 20min later they bombed a road/rail junction in the town of Prüm, Rhineland-Palatinate before returning to Base at 0230hrs/24Dec.

24Dec44 9^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J.R Mulligan and WOFF W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 0005hrs 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 long train near Arzfeld, seeing one direct bomb hit and many canon strikes before returning to Base at 0320hrs.

28Dec44 10^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J.R Mulligan and WOFF W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 1945hrs as one of fourteen 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 La Roche-en-Ardenne through the dense cloud cover based on Gee fixes before returning to Base at 2230hrs.

31Dec44 11^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J.R Mulligan and WOFF W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 0115hrs as one of eighteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked 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 a road junction then bombed and strafed a small convoy of M.T before returning to Base at 0430hrs.

31Nov44 Aircraft flew ten Operational Flights plus a number of non-operational flights in in Dec44.

01Jan45 12^th Operational Flight PLTOFF J.R Mulligan and WOFF W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 1800hrs 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, Illumination Flares 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 and were homeward bound when they were diverted as the entire UK east coast was closed to all air traffic because of appalling weather. The aircraft landed at 2100hrs on Cambrai-Épinoy airfield located 100kms NNE of Paris.

02Jan45 PLTOFF J.R Mulligan and WOFF W. Kinloch ferried the aircraft back to Thorney Island pm hours.

03Jan45 13^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J.R Mulligan and WOFF W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 0230hrs with thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack targets of opportunity in the St Vith and Houffalize areas of 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. Forty minutes after take-off the pilot aborted due to a complete failure of the GEE system and returned to Base at 0400hrs.

13Jan45 14^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF J.R Mulligan and WOFF W. Kinloch departed Thorney Island at 0315hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn aircraft 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, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew failed to return and was listed as MIA.

Post war investigations by a Missing Research and Enquiry unit team learned the aircraft was headed for home when it crashed near the West German town of Niederprüm, it is unknown whether it was victim of flak, fell to a night fighter or, lost for some other reason.

00Jan45 Aircraft struck off charge. De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial PZ350 served with 464 Sqn from 28Nov44 until 13Jan45, a period of 46 days. During that period the aircraft flew fourteen Operational Flights totalling 39 hrs 05 min plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 50 and 70 hours.

RAAF pilot 423164 Pilot Officer Justin Reginald Mulligan (22) born 22 August 1922, the son of Reginald David and Rose Teresa Mulligan of Guyra, New South Wales. Justin was KIA and is buried in Plot 8, Row H, Grave 24 of the Rheinberg War Cemetery at Rheinberg in Kreis Wesel, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.. He is also remembered at panel 109 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, ACT; and, on the Guyra District Honour Roll located in the Guyra Soldiers Memorial Hall, NSW.

RAAF navigator 421988 Warrant Officer Wilbert Albert Kinloch (22) born 16 November 1922, the son of William Turnbull Kinloch and Gertrude May Kinloch of Leeton, New South Wales. Wilbert was KIA and is buried in Plot 8 Row H, Grave 25 of the Rheinberg War Cemetery at Rheinberg in Kreis Wesel, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. He is also remembered at panel 109 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, ACT. He is also remembered on the Chelmsford Place War Memorial in Leeton; and, on the Honour Roll of the St Andrew’s War Memorial Church, Leeton NSW.

PZ452

00Sep44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial PZ452 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 PZ435 to PZ476.

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.

00Sep44 Test flown at Hatfield by a De Havilland Test Pilot.

01Octl44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.44 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Methven, Scotland.

15Oct44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.218 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Colerne, Wiltshire.

10Nov44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Repair & Salvage Unit (RSU) at RAF Lasham, Hampshire

05Dec44 Aircraft taken on charge with No.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Thorney Island, West Sussex and issued to B Flight.

24Dec44 1st Operational Flight. PLTOFF E.G Wicky and PLTOFF O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0105hrs as one of seventeen Mosquitoes tasked to attack road and rail junctions in and around the towns of Bullange, St Vith and Euskirchen near the German-Belgian border. Aircraft loaded with 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 and strafed enemy vehicles in and around the village of Neurenberg before returning to base at 0425hrs.

31Dec44 2^nd Operational Flight. PLTOFF E.G Wicky and PLTOFF O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0135hrs as one of eighteen Mosquitoes tasked 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 strafed a tank in the woods then bombed and strafed the town of St Vith before returning to Base at 0445hrs.

31Dec44 Aircraft flew two Operational Flights plus a number of non-operational flights in December 1944.

01Jan45 3^rd Operational Flight. PLTOFF E.G Wicky and PLTOFF O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 1815hrs as one of eighteen Mosquitoes 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, Illumination Flares 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 and were homeward bound when they were diverted as the entire UK east coast was closed to all air traffic because of appalling weather. The aircraft landed at 2245hrs on Cambrai-Épinoy airfield located 100kms NNE of Paris.

02Jan45 PLTOFF E.G Wicky and PLTOFF O. Mountford ferried the aircraft back to Thorney Island pm hours.

03Jan45 4^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF E.G Wicky and PLTOFF O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0235hrs as one of thirteen Mosquitoes 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 0530hrs.

05Jan45 5^th Operational Flight. FLTLT R.M Trites and FLTLT D.M Shanks departed Thorney Island at 0535hrs as one of seventeen Mosquitoes tasked to attack targets of opportunity in the battle area in the west of the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the town of Nadrin in the Walloon Region of Belgium before returning to Base at 0805hrs.

12Jan45 6^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF E.G Wicky and PLTOFF O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0330hrs as one of fourteen Mosquitoes 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, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew bombed the town of Urflingen in the Belgium Canton of Clervaux then bombed an ammunition dump and strafed nearby vehicles before returning to Base at 0645hrs.

13Jan45 7^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF H.F Purnell and FLGOFF L.E Walker departed Thorney Island at 2015hrs as one of twelve 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, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed a road then bombed the town of Burg-Reuland in the Walloon Region of Belgium before returning to Base at 0010hrs/14Jan.

17Jan45 8^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF E.G Wicky and PLTOFF O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0125hrs as one of fourteen Mosquitoes 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 the town of Prüm, Rhineland-Palatinate before returning to Base at 0430hrs.

28Jan45 9^th Operational Flight. WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Thorney Island at 1805hrs as one of eleven Mosquitoes 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 Mödrath in North Rhine-Westphalia before returning to Base at 2105hrs.

31Jan45 Aircraft flew seven Operational Flights plus a number of non-operational flights in January 1945.

01Feb45 10^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF E.G Wicky and PLTOFF O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 0255hrs 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 bombed and strafed the town of Bergheim in the North Rhine-Palatinate before returning to Base at 0630hrs.

03Feb45 11^th Operational Flight. PLTOFF E.G Wicky and PLTOFF O. Mountford departed Thorney Island at 2015hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to attack enemy targets including barges, woods, and factories behind the battle area. The crew attacked target in their assigned patrol area and were returning home when they ran into extremely poor weather conditions when approaching Thorney Island and became lost. The pilot contacted base on the R/T and reported he was lost in clouds and that was the last contact with the aircraft.

A crash investigation stated that after reporting his situation Wicky decided to go lower to try and establish his bearings. However, soon after the crew emerged from the clouds at a very low level and the wing of the plane clipped a house before the aircraft crashed through the roof of the Horndean Parish Hall at the end of Five Heads road then smashed into a nearby field at approximately 0100hrs on 4^th February. An intense fire at the crash site set-off the 0.303 ammunition and 20mm canon shells keeping would-be rescuers at bay. Investigators determined that Wicky managed to keep the crippled machine in the air long enough to avoid any other houses before it crashed and killed both airmen. The crew were found in nearby trees, the parachutes having opened on impact, shrouding their shattered bodies.

00Feb45 Aircraft struck off charge. De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial PZ452 served with 464 Sqn from 05Dec44 until 03Feb45, a period of sixty-two days. During that period the aircraft made eleven Operational Flights totaling thirty-seven hours and forty-five minutes plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between fifty and seventy hours.

The old Horndean Parish Hall showing damage from the impact (L) and after repairs were completed (R).

RAAF pilot 422783 Pilot Officer Edward George Wicky DFC MiD (22) of Bellingen, New South Wales died in the crash. He is buried in Plot 4.O.18 of the Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey, England. 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 in Manly, Sydney.

RAAF navigator 422628 Pilot Officer Oswald Mountford DFC MiD (21) of Leeton, New South Wales died in the crash. He is buried in Plot 4.N.18 of the Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey, England. He is commemorated on Panel 109 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory; on the Chelmsford Place War Memorial in Leeton; and, on the Honour Roll of the St Andrew’s War Memorial Church, Leeton NSW. 

L-R: PLTOFF E.G Wicky PLTOFF O. Mountford

A special Memorial was unveiled on 4^th February 2020 by the people of Horndean, Hampshire to honour and remember two men who came from across the world and gave their lives to defend them from tyranny and oppression.

RS609

00Dec44 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial RS609 was manufactured to Contract No.555/C.23 (a) by the De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd at their Hatfield factory in Hertfordshire, UK. The aircraft was the 17^th of 41 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range RS593 to RS633.

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.

00Dec44 Test flown at Hatfield by a de Havilland test pilot.

07Dec44 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.27 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Shawbury, Shropshire.

15Jan45 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Repair & Salvage Unit (RSU) at RAF Lasham, Hampshire

20Jan45 Aircraft taken on charge with No.464 Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Thorney Island in West Sussex. Issued to B Flight as SB-V.

25Jan45 1^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF P.G Dawson and FLGOFF L.T Murray departed Thorney Island 1810hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos detailed to attack enemy targets at the rear of the battle line in the Rhineland-Palatinate. 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 large concentration of vehicles near the town of Dreis. The crew made two passes and saw many hits and two medium explosions before returning to Base at 2125hrs.

28Jan45 2^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF A.J Smith and FSGT E.L Green departed Thorney Island 1910hrs as one of eleven Mosquitoes 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 Bergheim in North Rhine-Westphalia before returning to Base at 2230hrs.

31Jan45 Aircraft flew two Operational Flights plus a number of non-operational flights in January 1945.

01Feb45 3^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF A.J Smith and FSGT E.L Green departed Thorney Island 0420hrs as one of seventeen Mosquitoes 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 bombed and strafed a railway line in a forest before returning to Base at 0730hrs.

03Feb45 4^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and SubLt E.E Becker departed Thorney Island 2335hrs as one of seventeen Mosquitoes 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 bombed and strafed a row of barges before heading for home. The pilot opted to divert and land at 0315hrs/04Feb at the advanced landing ground at Vitry-en-Artois, Hauts-de-France.

04Feb45 FLGOFF J.H Palmer and SubLt E.E Becker returned the aircraft to Base.

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

07Feb45 5^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and SubLt E.E Becker departed Rosières at 0350hrs 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 a railway in North Rhine-Westphalia through thick clouds based on Gee fixes before returning to Base at 0520hrs.

08Feb45 6^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and SubLt E.E Becker departed Rosières at 0130hrs as one of seventeen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack communication and logistic targets in front of the Canadian 1st 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. The crew bombed the town of Issum in North Rhine-Westphalia through dense cloud based on Gee fixes before returning to Base at 0350hrs.

13Feb45 7^th Operational Flight. FSGT J.W Wade and FSGT E.A Piper departed Rosières at 0050hrs 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 Grevenbroich, which sits astride the river Eft in North Rhine-Westphalia, then strafed vehicles on two approach roads scoring many hits before returning to Base at 0250hrs.

22Feb45 8^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and SubLt E.E Becker departed Rosières at 1115hrs as one of sixteen 464Sqn 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 was loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD bombs and armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew strafed a goods train with thirty attached wagons scoring numerous hits and starting several fires; strafed three large signal boxes; strafed a radio tower; and, straddled a stationary train with four bombs. The aircraft returned to Base at 1520hrs.

9^th Operational Flight. FLTLT J.F Filteau and FLGOFF H.I Storen departed Rosières at 2040hrs as one of seven 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 Grevenbroich, which sits astride the river Eft in North Rhine-Westphalia, then strafed vehicles before returning to Base at 2245hrs.

24Feb45 10^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and SubLt E.E Becker departed Rosières at 0100hrs as one of nine 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 strafed three fires in wooded areas then bombed the town of Bergheim before returning to Base 0315hrs.

25Feb45 11^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and SubLt E.E Becker departed Rosières at 2340hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack communication nodes and logistics 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 and strafed the towns of Dorsten and Holten, North Rhine-Westphalia before returning to Base 0240hrs/26Feb.

27Feb45 12^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and SubLt E.E Becker departed Rosières at 1950hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack enemy lines of communications behind the front. This included bombing and strafing trains, coaches, marshalling yards, motor transport and power stations. . 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 train pulling twelve wagons scoring many hits, then strafed a goods train hitting the locomotive creating much steam and fire before returning to Base 2250hrs.

28Feb45 13^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 0130hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack enemy lines of communications behind the front. This included bombing and strafing trains, coaches, marshalling yards, motor transport and power stations. 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 and strafed the town of Aldekerk before returning to Base at 0350hrs.

28Feb45 Aircraft flew eleven Operational Flights plus s number of non-operational flights in February 1945.

01Mar45 14^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and SubLt E.E Becker departed Rosières at 2215hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack enemy lines of communications behind the front. This included bombing and strafing trains, coaches, marshalling yards, motor transport and power stations. 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 and strafed a train causing the locomotive to derail; they then located and strafed two further trains before returning to Base at 0220hrs/02Mar.

03Mar45 15^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H Clark and FLGOFF W.B Searl departed Rosières at 0045hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack enemy lines of communications behind the front. This included bombing and strafing trains, coaches, marshalling yards, motor transport and power stations. 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 and strafed a rail junction before returning to Base at 0435hrs.

08Mar45 16^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and SubLt E.E Becker departed Rosières at 1815hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked 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 2110hrs.

10Mar45 Aircraft withdrawn from Ops to undergo scheduled maintenance.

21Mar45 17^th Operational Flight. FLGOFF J.H Palmer and SubLt H.H Becker departed B.87/Rosières at 0840hrs as one of six 464Sqn Mosquitos and flew to RAF Fersfield near Norwich in Norfolk where the aircraft were topped up with fuel and made last minute preparations for Operation Carthage. The Operation called for a small Mosquito formation escorted by Mustang fighters to attack and destroy the Danish Gestapo HQ located in Shell House, Copenhagen.

At 1100hrs the six Mosquitos departed Fersfield and joined up with six Mosquitos from 487Sqn and six from 21Sqn. The aircraft formed up with 21Sqn leading followed by 464Sqn then 487Sqn, bringing up the rear were two Mosquitos from the RAF Film Production Unit to film Operation Carthage. Top cover was provided by eighteen Mustangs from Nos.64 and 126 Squadrons.

Shell House before and after Operation Carthage.

The 464Sqn ORB summed up the raid thus: “The formation initially landed at Fersfield and took off again at 11:00 hrs for the target. 464 Sqn aircraft were in the second box and flying conditions were not good. There was considerable heavy and light flak encountered in the harbour area and the target was attacked at 100 feet. Unfortunately the CO of 21 Sqn RAF (W/Cdr Kleboe) who had just left 464 Sqn to command 21 Sqn, flew into a building about 1.5 miles from the target and smoke caused difficulty for the following aircraft. The buildings were well and truly pranged. The whole operation was a classic example of precision bombing and was up to previous standards. Two 464 Sqn crews were missing.”

One of the aircraft missing was RS609 which had bombed the assigned target and was homeward bound with the surviving 464Sqn Mosquitos. Thirty kilometres NE of Copenhagen the formation was fired on by German Flak batteries in the Port of Hundested. RS609 was hit and was last seen flying on one engine near the island of Samsø. The aircraft failed to return to Base and was listed as MIA.

Post war investigations by a team from the Missing Research and Enquiry Service learned the aircraft had crashed into the Kattegat near Samso, Samsø Kommune, Midtjylland, Denmark. One body was recovered from the Kattegat to the east of Samsø and was laid to rest on 26 March in Tranebjerg cemetery on Samsø Island. In 2000 Danish researchers identified the remains of the body as those of Hermann Hirsch Becker

31Mar45 Aircraft struck off charge. De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial RS609 served with 464 Sqn from 20Jan45 until 21Mar45, a period of sixty days. During that period the aircraft flew seventeen Operational Flights totalling 48 hrs 30 min 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 401850 Flying Officer John Herbert Palmer (27) son of Leonard Palmer, and of Marjorie Palmer of East St. Kilda in Melbourne, Victoria. John was KIA and has no known grave. He is commemorated on Panel 283 of the Runnymede Memorial on Cooper’s Hill in Englefield Green, near Egham, Surrey, England. 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 Port Melbourne.

RNAF navigator 5247 Sub-Lieutenant Herman Hirsch Becker DFC (24) born 30 July 1920 Son of Hille Becker and Judith Zemechman of Stavanger, Norway. (Note: Herman Becker's family died in the concentration camp at Auschwitz). A body was recovered to the east of the island of Samsø and on 26th March 1945 was laid to rest in Plot K Grave 3 of the Tranebjerg Churchyard cemetery on Samsø as an unknown airman. In the year 2000 Danish researchers from the Norwegian War Graves Service proved conclusively the unknown airman was Sub-Lieutenant Herman Hirsch Becker. The old ‘Unknown Airman’ gravestone was then removed and a suitably engraved replacement stone installed.

Unknown airmen gravestone : Replacement gravestone

SZ999

00Feb45 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial SZ999 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 42^nd of 42 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range SZ958 to SZ999.

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.

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. Offensive load up to 2,000lb (910 kg) of bombs or eight RP-3 unguided rockets could be carried externally under the wings. Painted overall Medium Sea Grey with a Dark Green disruptive pattern on upper surfaces and fuselage sides.

00Feb45 Test flown at Hatfield by a de Havilland test pilot.

20Feb45 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.27 Maintenance Unit at RAF Station Shawbury, Shropshire.

23Feb45 Aircraft taken on charge with No.464 Sqn RAAF at ALG B.87/Rosières-en-Santerre, France. Issued to B Flight as SB-P.

13Mar45 1^st Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Dawson and FLGOFF F.T Murray departed Rosières at 2300hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols across 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 some burning buildings near Seigburg in North Rhine-Westphalia located on the banks of the rivers Sieg and Agger before returning to Base at 0125hrs/14Mar.

14Mar45 2^nd Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Dawson and FLGOFF F.T Murray departed Rosières at 1920hrs as one of 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Intruder Patrols across 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 and strafed M.T before returning to Base at 2200hrs.

21Mar45 3^rd Operational Flight. FLGOFF R.G Dawson and FLGOFF F.T Murray departed Rosières at 0840hrs as one of six Squadron aircraft and flew to RAF Fersfield near Norwich in Norfolk where the aircraft were topped up with fuel and made last minute preparations for Operation Carthage. The Operation called for a small Mosquito formation escorted by Mustang fighters to attack and destroy the Danish Gestapo HQ located in Shell House, Copenhagen.

At 1100hrs the six Mosquitos departed Fersfield and joined up with six Mosquitos from 487Sqn and six from 21Sqn. The aircraft formed up with 21Sqn leading followed by 464Sqn then 487Sqn, bringing up the rear were two Mosquitos from the RAF Film Production Unit to film Operation Carthage. Top cover was provided by eighteen Mustangs from Nos.64 and 126 Squadrons.

Shell House before and after Operation Carthage.

The 464Sqn ORB summed up the raid thus: “The formation initially landed at Fersfield and took off again at 11:00 hrs for the target. 464 Sqn aircraft were in the second box and flying conditions were not good. There was considerable heavy and light flak encountered in the harbour area and the target was attacked at 100 feet. Unfortunately the CO of 21 Sqn RAF (W/Cdr Kleboe) who had just left 464 Sqn to command 21 Sqn, flew into a building about 1.5 miles from the target and smoke caused difficulty for the following aircraft. The buildings were well and truly pranged. The whole operation was a classic example of precision bombing and was up to previous standards. Two 464 Sqn crews were missing.”

One of the aircraft missing was SZ999 which had bombed the assigned target and was homeward bound with the surviving 464Sqn Mosquitos. Thirty kilometres NE of Copenhagen the formation was fired on by German Flak batteries in the Port of Hundested. SZ999 was hit and crashed into the sea off Nyrup Bay some 13 kilometres north of Nykøbing Sjælland. Aircraft wreckage washed ashore in Nyrup Bay but no trace was ever found of the crew.

31Mar45 Aircraft struck off charge. De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial SZ999 served with 464 Sqn from 23Feb45 until 21Mar45, a brief period of just twenty-six days. During that period the aircraft flew three Operational Flights totalling eight hours twenty minutes plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between fifteen and twenty hours.

RAAF pilot 412245 Flying Officer Ronald Gordon Dawson (27) son of George Francis and Constance Sophia Dawson of Undercliffe in Sydney, New South Wales. Ronald was KIA and had no known grave. He is commemorated on Panel 283 of the Runnymede Memorial on Cooper’s Hill in Englefield Green, near Egham, Surrey, England. 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 in Sydney.

RAFVR navigator 172131 Flying Officer Fergus Thomas Murray (34) son of John Francis and Winifred Elizabeth Murray; husband of Bridget Ann Murray of Wanstead, Essex. Fergus was KIA and has no known grave. He is commemorated on Panel 267 of the Runnymede Memorial on Cooper’s Hill in Englefield Green, near Egham, Surrey, EnglandTA372

00Feb45 De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial TA372 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 4^th of 45 aircraft built in the RAF Serial Range TA369 to TA413.

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.

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. Offensive load up to 2,000lb (910 kg) of bombs or eight RP-3 unguided rockets could be carried externally under the wings. Painted overall Medium Sea Grey with a Dark Green disruptive pattern on upper surfaces and fuselage sides.

00Feb45 Test flown at Hatfield before hand over to the RAF.

09Mar45 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.44MU at RAF Station Edzell, Scotland.

17Mar45 Aircraft delivered by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.417 Repair & Salvage Unit (RSU) at Cambrai/Epinoy ALG, France.

20Mar45 Aircraft taken on charge with No.464 Sqn RAAF at ALG B.87/Rosières-en-Santerre, France.

24Mar45 1^st Operational Flight. WOFF K.D Frewing and FSGT H.D Houghton departed Rosières at 0120hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack targets in front of the lead elements of General Montgomery’s Operation Varsity. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 500lb Mk.IV MC TD bombs, Illumination Flares and, armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and 4 x 7.77mm machine guns. The crew attacked a gun site at Dorsten then returned to base at 0355hrs.

29Mar45 2^nd Operational Flight. WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 2145hrs as one of nine 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack targets in front of the lead elements of General Montgomery’s Operation Varsity. Aircraft loaded with a combination of 4 x 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 Rheine in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany based on Gee fixes then returned to base at 0215hrs.

30Mar45 3^rd Operational Flight. WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 0030hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Rover Patrols over 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 rail lines near Osnabrück in Lower Saxony; strafed a train then returned to base at 0400hrs.

31Mar45 4^th Operational Flight. WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 1830hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked for Rover Patrols over 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 Helmstedt in Lower Saxony; strafed a train; and, strafed four M.T then returned to base at 2300hrs.

31Mar45 Aircraft made four Operational Flights plus a number of non-operational flights in March 1945.

01Apr45 5^th Operational Flight. FLTLT H.G Hobson and FSGT J.W.G Barnard departed Rosières at 0300hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked 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 a railway crossing and strafed roads before returning to Base at 0700hrs.

04Apr45 6^th Operational Flight. WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 0140hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail junctions in and around Solingen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 25km east of Düsseldorf. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and four x 7.7mm machine guns. The crew bombed the town of Northeim in Lower Saxony; strafed vehicles, trains and buildings in a railway marshalling yard before returning to Base at 0540hrs.

05Apr45 7^th Operational Flight. FLTLT H.G Hobson and FSGT J.W.G Barnard departed Rosières at 2045hrs 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 and strafed a railway bridge over an Autobahn before returning to Base at 0040hrs/06Apr.

06Apr45 8^th Operational Flight. WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 2030hrs/05Apr as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail junctions in and around Northeim in Lower Saxony, Germany. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and four x 7.7mm machine guns. The crew bombed and a train and strafed a railway line before returning to Base at 0100hrs/06Apr.

07Apr45 9^th Operational Flight. WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 2320hrs/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 a long goods train near Neustadt in Hess, observed many strikes that left wagons burning and the locomotive enveloped in steam, goods shed and buildings alongside the train were shredded. The crew returned to Base at 0320hrs/07Apr.

08Apr45 10^th Operational Flight. WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 0050hrs as one of ten 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail junctions in and around Nordhausen in Thuringia, Germany. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and four x 7.7mm machine guns. The crew bombed Nordhausen based on Gee fixes before returning to Base at 0440hrs.

09Apr45 11^th Operational Flight. FLTLT W.H. Heinz and FLGOFF N.L Eldridge departed Rosières at 2005hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail junctions in and around Cloppenburg in Lower Saxony, Germany. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and four x 7.7mm machine guns. The crew strafed several roads, a railway crossing, buildings and, enemy vehicles on the Autobahn before returning to Base at 0025hrs/10Apr.

10Apr45 12^th Operational Flight. WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 2130hrs/09Apr as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail junctions in and around Rohrberg in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and four x 7.7mm machine guns. The crew bombed a vehicle concentration in the town of Oschersleben in Saxony-Anhalt, then strafed five further (smaller) groups of M.T in the town observing many hits and fires before returning to Base at 0200hrs/10Apr.

11Apr45 13^th Operational Flight. WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 0255hrs as one of eleven 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked to attack road and rail junctions in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Aircraft loaded with 4 x 500lb MC TD Mk.IV bombs; armed with 4 x 20mm cannons and four x 7.7mm machine guns. The crew strafed a reasonably long goods train scoring hits on wagons and locomotive before returning to Base at 0710hrs.

12Apr45 14^th Operational Flight. WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 2005hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked 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 strafed a goods train with hits on the locomotive and first few wagons; strafed a lighted village; and, strafed a small lighted factory before returning to Base at 0055hrs/13Apr.

15Apr45 15^th Operational Flight. WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Rosières at 2315hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked 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 road junction then strafed some enemy vehicles approaching the junction before returning to Base at 0400hrs/16Apr.

16Apr45 16^th Operational Flight. FLTLT K.O Simes and FLGOFF S. Horne departed Rosières at 2115hrs as one of eight 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked 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 strafed a train, enemy vehicles and a power station before returning to Base at 2345hrs.

18Apr45 Aircraft moved to new operating base at Melsbroek aerodrome [B.58], 12km NE of Brussels, Belgium

20Apr45 17^th Operational Flight.WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Melsbroek at 0130hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked 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 the town of Brake on the western bank of the River Weser in Lower Saxony and strafed nearby M.T before returning to Base at 0445hrs.

21Apr45 18^th Operational Flight. WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Melsbroek at 0005hrs as one of thirteen 464Sqn Mosquitos tasked 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 and strafed a train seeing many hits and three explosions after the bombs had detonated; bombed marshalling yards; and, strafed roads before returning to Base at 0455hrs.

RAAF crewmen Warrant Officer Rutter and Flight Sergeant Taylor of No. 464 (Mosquito) Squadron, RAAF, being interrogated after returning from their latest intrusion into Germany. Left to right: Squadron Leader A. K. McIntyre, RAAF Medical Officer; 427949 WO D. R. Rutter, of Perth, WA; 429676 F Sgt A. A. Taylor, of Perth, WA; Flight Lieutenant G. Davies, RAF Interrogation Officer.

23Apr45 19^th Operational Flight. WOFF D.R Rutter and FSGT A.A Taylor departed Melsbroek at 2210hrs as one of twelve 464Sqn aircraft detailed to carry out night Ranger operations in the Sternberg area including bombing Bremen under MRCP and attacking railway junctions, trains, engines, sidings, villages. A brief radio message from the pilot was heard to say ‘baling out’. The aircraft failed to return.

On the 26^th April 1945 WOFF Rutter returned to the unit after evading capture and returning through Allied lines. The Squadron ORB states: “...we were pleasantly astonished and relieved to see W/O Rutter return to us after his time spent in occupied Germany, evading capture and returning through our lines. He confirmed that Flt Sgt Taylor had baled out although he lost track of him immediately after.” Rutter reported that “after delivering an attack on a train, accurate 88mm ack-ack fire struck the aircraft rendering the elevators, rudder, trim controls and ASI useless. He called up to say that he and his nav were baling out. Rutter saw Taylor’s chute open but saw nothing further of him. Returned to unit on 26/4 after taking evasive action following chute descent about 30 miles NE of Bremen.”

30Apr45 Aircraft struck off charge. De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.V1 Series II with RAF Serial TA372 served with 464 Sqn from 20Mar45 until 23Apr45, a brief period of thirty-four days. During that period the aircraft flew nineteen Operational Flights totalling 78 hrs 10 min plus an unknown number of non-operational flights. Total accumulated flying hours with 464Sqn is estimated to be between 100 and 120 hours.

RAAF pilot 427949 / 051960 Warrant Officer Douglas Ross Rutter MiD (20) born 1 June 1924 son of Arthur Norman Rutter and Marjorie Ethel (nee Ockenden) of Nedlands Perth, Western Australia. Doug baled out of his aircraft and landed safely behind enemy lines approximately 30 miles NE of Bremen, Germany. He successfully evaded capture for three days by hiding during the day and walking west by night. He eventually contacted lead elements of the advancing allied Army and was returned to Melsbroek. In recognition of his exploits Doug was made a Member of Caterpillar Club the RAF Escape and Flying Boot Clubs for saving his life by parachute and escaping through enemy lines. He was also awarded the Mentioned in Despatches for his display of courage under stress. He completed his tour of operations and moved back to the UK before repatriation to Australia in September 1945. He was commissioned a Pilot Officer in November 1944 and promoted to Flying Officer in May 1945. He resigned from RAAF with the rank of Flying Officer on 13^th February 1946 in Perth, then enlisted in the active reserve with No.11 (GR) Squadron in April 1952. Douglas Rutter passed away in Crawley Western Australia on 25 April 2007 aged 83 years and was buried in The Western Australian Garden of Remembrance Nedlands, Nedlands City, Western Australia.

Warrant Officer Douglas Ross Rutter

RAAF navigator 429676 Flight Sergeant Aubrey Arthur Taylor (20) born 17 June 1924 son of Arthur E and Violet Taylor of Morley Park in Perth, Western Australia. Aubrey baled out of his aircraft and landed safely behind enemy lines approximately 30 miles NE of Bremen, Germany. He avoided capture for one week before surrendering to Luftwaffe troops on 29Apr45 when his frostbite and starvation could not be ignored. He was placed in a German Field Hospital near Bremen and treated for his frostbite and exposure. He was liberated on 2^nd May 1945 by troops from the British 3rd Infantry Division and sent back to England and was posted to No.1 Personnel Holding Unit at RAF Innsworth until his repatriation back to Australia in October 1945. Aubrey Taylor resigned from the RAAF in Melbourne, Victoria on 15^th January 1946 with the rank of Flying Officer.

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