Operation: Eindhoven

Date: 01st May 1943 (Saturday)

Unit: No. 105 Squadron 2 Group (motto: Fortis in Proeliis - 'Valiant in battles')

Type: Mosquito B.IV

Serial: DK338

Code: GB-O

Base: RAF Marham, Norfolk

Location:

Pilot: F/O. Onslow Waldo Thompson DFM. NZ/401791 RNZAF Age 26. Killed

Obs: F/O. Wallace James Horne DFC .133536 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 14:07 hrs to bomb the Philips factory at Eindhoven with 5 others led by Sq/Ldr. Reginald Wilfred Reynolds 40259 RAFVR flying Mosquito DZ467.

Shortly after take off they suffered a starboard engine failure, the port propeller was feathered in error causing the Mosquito to crash a ¼ mile south west of the airfield at 14:13hrs, killing both the crew.

It was later established that the engine had failed because the main fuel cock had not been fully turned on.

The operation was abandoned due to cloud cover over the target area. The remaining 5 landed safely back at base by 14:30 hrs.

Burial and other details:

F/O. Onslow Waldo Thompson DFM. Marham Cemetery. War graves plot. Grave 39. Born on the 10th November 1916 in Auckland. Enlisted on the 02nd July 1940 at Levin. Joined 105 squadron on te06th February 1943

Son of Waldo Samuel (died 1970) and Ethel Annie Thompson (née Sherwood - died 03rd January 1978, age 92), of Waipiro Bay, New Zealand. Brother of Forrest Harold Thompson (killed 21st March 1945, age 27) and Marjori Gardner (later Wallace - died 02nd March 1998, age 78) of Waipiro Bay, Auckland, New Zealand. Husband of Joyce Constance Thompson, (née Williams, later Kearns) of London, England.married in 1943,

Above L-R: Fl/Lt. James Phillip Farrow NZ/402136 (of Ormond - died 27th July 2016), Fl/Lt. Charles Anthony Armstrong NZ/401368 (of Devonport - killed 12th June 1944) and P/O. Onslow Waldo Thompson (of Waipiro Bay - killed 01st May 1943) show High Commissioner William Joseph Jordan (19th May 1879 - 08th April 1959) their medals.

DFM Citation:

'This airman has completed 43 sorties.uring these operations he has attacked a variety of targets, obtaining bits on warehouses at Catanzaro, destroying a number of lorries on the Benghazi/Tripoli road and participating in a successful attack on Soveranto.
He took part in the second attack on a 10,000 ton enemy merchant ship which resulted in its complete abondonment. On another occasion he attacke a heavily laden 1000 ton merchant vessel off Tripoli: the vessel subsequently sank.This airman has shown able leadership and great determination in pressing home his attacks.'

F/O. Wallace James Horne DFC . Norwich Cemetery. Section 54. Grave 143. Son of Walter James Horne and Helen Madge Horne. Husband of Monica Mary Horne, of Norwich, Norfolk, England. Epitaph: 'He Died As Firm As Sparta's King Because His Soul Was Great'.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, New Zealand Cenotaph, Weekly News of New Zealand, Air Museum of New Zealand, Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland, National Archives Kew AIR-27-827-9/10..

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