LEST WE FORGET
Air Operations (No. 464 Squadron Mosquito aircraft MM405), France, 24 February 1944
Mosquito MM405 took off from RAF Hunsdon at 1630 hours on the 24 February 1944 to attack construction works at St Adrien, Northern France. Eight aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and MM405 failed to return. On the journey out a good landfall was made and visibility good. The target was not easy to identify as the aircraft were flying in twos, there being a small time interval between each pair. This proved disastrous for one aircraft (Chambers) of B Flight. The leading aircraft circled the target two or three times. While circling, the second pair arrived and also circled the target. This caused confusion among the following aircraft and it is assumed that Chambers aircraft was hit by blast from bombs dropped from an aircraft in the preceding pair. MM405 was seen to crash into a nearby wood and blow up. Both the crew lost their lives and they are buried in the Grandcourt War Cemetery, France. One other aircraft was damaged by the blast (Flying Officer H L Foster DFC (143155) (RAFVR)) the windscreen and tail being holed. All the aircraft except MM405 returned safely to base.
The crew members of MM405 were:
Sergeant Cyril Boulder (1534445) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Frederick Chambers (145839) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Bibliography:
Lax, M. (Mark) and Leon Kane-Maguire The Gestapo Hunters: 464 Squadron RAAF 1942-5, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 1999
Vincent, D. (David) Mosquito Monograph: A history of Mosquitoes in Australia and RAAF operations, David Vincent Highbury SA 5089, 1982