Mosquito - 29 Squadron

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D

dbwest1

Recruit
9
2
Feb 23, 2019
Dear All,

My grandfather (Ft. Lt. Henry West) flew Mosquito's in 29 Squadron.

His last flight was on the 19th Sep 1944 with his co-pilot, Ft. Lt. L.A. Komaroff, when they were shot down over the Netherlands crashing at the following location.

Google Maps

It's been mentioned that they were flying low and fast following the river, west from the coastline at Nummer Een. (picture below)



Apparently poor intelligence meant that the location of the German guns that were expected at the coast line, were instead positioned along the river they flew down.

I'm trying to identify where the intelligence for the mission briefings originated from ? Bletchley Park ?

I'm aware of the Englandspiel (compromised dutch agents sending ignored/missed warning msg). However, this incident happened 4.5 months after German counter-espionage Major Hermann Giskes sent a cynical clear text message to SOE on 1 April 1944 complaining about the lack of recent business given that he had been servicing them for so long. Giskes' message also "promised a warm welcome to any further agents SOE wished to insert into the Netherlands".

Englandspiel - Wikipedia

Any thoughts / information would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards, David.
 
Are you sure about the date? Only 1 mossie was shot down above Holland that day and that was 627 sq Gibson. A lot of info came from Ultra about movements of forces but also daily recce with camera planes. But in that aerea there were a lot of mobile aaa forces. Think ship, truck based that were moved about with speed.
 
Apologies for the late reply and thank you for your assistance.

I'm going by the date on the head stone at Bergen op Zoom and references to a letter sent to his parents by his commanding officer (documented in school memorial book). Head stone Photo below.



May I ask which website / archive you were able to check in regards to daily losses / reported activities ?

Best regards, David.
 
Last edited:
The database I have has the date as Sept 20 with the following description:

20.09.1944 eveng Defensive patrol 29 to Arnheim area from Hunsdon . Lost without trace (FCL). F/L H West +, F/L LA Komaroff +, both buried at Bergen op Zoom Cem May have crashed due to weather, see details at: Stortte in de late avonduren van deze dag neer nabij Groede. Het toestel voerde een intruder en ranger missie uit maar werd vanwege het slechte weer terug geroepen. See details at http://www.wingstovictory.nl/database/database.php Missing on patrol 20.9.44 (Air Britain Serials)

Aircraft was an NF XIII s/n MM463
 
dbwest1 said:
Dear All,

My grandfather (Ft. Lt. Henry West) flew Mosquito's in 29 Squadron.

His last flight was on the 19th Sep 1944 with his co-pilot, Ft. Lt. L.A. Komaroff, when they were shot down over the Netherlands crashing at the following location.
Click to expand...
Snip
dbwest1 said:
I'm trying to identify where the intelligence for the mission briefings originated from ? Bletchley Park ?

Any thoughts / information would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards, David.
Click to expand...
Not likely this had anything to do with Bletchly Park. The nighttime patrols by 29 Squadron (with 11-Group) were in support of "Market" Operation, i.e. Market Garden.

Jim

 
When did Bomber Command write up their post operational ORB's JDCave? As this was an Intruder sortie by 29 Squadron as night support against hostile aircraft in the general Arnhem area during resupply drops to the beleagured Parachute troops and drop zones. According to RAF Hunsdons ORB aircraft dispatched at intervals.
In my understanding of RAF Hunsdon Station ORB as a whole, with aircraft operating through the night the ORB could only be written up after a reasonable time for a crew to show up at base or reported down at an outlying airfield, after the fuel and time had obviously ran out, then the crew were posted as missing. I was under the impression that the same applied to Bomber Command and 11 Group as well?
 
It has nothing to do when it was written up. The ORBs may have been written up some days afterwards. 11-Group has the records on the 19th and the Squadron has it on the 20th. And I don't see a good reason for that.

This is how Bomber Command 6-Group recorded a night operation

Royal Canadian Air Force operations record book... - Héritage

Royal Canadian Air Force operations record books : C-12420
heritage.canadiana.ca

And RCAF 419 Squadron for the same operation. This is the Summary, Form 540:

Royal Canadian Air Force operations record book... - Héritage

Royal Canadian Air Force operations record books : C-12292
heritage.canadiana.ca

And the sorties, Form 541:

Royal Canadian Air Force operations record book... - Héritage

So there is very little ambiguity as to the date of this raid.

Jim
 
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