Mosquito loss 23/24-3-43

[Brian Bines]

Did a Mosquito, possibly of 157 Sqd, crash near Manningtree on 23/24-3-43. If so who were the crew and what were the circumstances , any help appreciated,
Regards
Brian Bines

[mhuxt]

Hi Brian,

Yes, 157 Squadron, DZ248, S/L VMHH Clive and P/O A Eastwood both killed, made practice interception and crashed vertically into ground. (Fighter Command Losses, Mosquito Crash Log, Air Britain.)

Cheers,

Mark

[Brian Bines]

Hi Mark,

Thanks very much for the answer, I was told it was hit by fire from a Stirling but untill now I did not have any definite i.d. on the aircraft,
Cheers
Brian

[mhuxt]

Yikes! Maybe no-one told the Stirling crew it was a practice interception?

[Brian]

Hi Brian
Have you any further information on this possible blue-on-blue incident? From which unit did the Stirling come from? Who were the crew? Court of Enquiry? Any snippet would be useful.

Cheers
Brian

[Brian Bines]

Hi Brian,
I am afraid the answers to the questions you are asking are what I was hoping to get from my own query. Basically my name was passed to a person interested in the incident to see if I had any info., I had some records of Essex incidents but unfortunately not this one ,hence the thread. The other person had been told by an elderly relative that the Mosquito was flown by a Viscount, who had been vectored onto the unknown Stirling on a Bullseye and was fired on and crashed, AA also opened up. According to the elderly man the wreckage had signs of .303 damage. I understand some research at the PRO did not come up with much which included the 157 Sqd, record book. It was thought the Stirling was flown by a new crew returning from a leaflet raid to the Lille area . All I could find taht night was the loss of a Wellington crew of 16 OTU from a leaflet raid to Orleans, so the storey has some factual back-up.
A former Bomber command Flight Engineer did tell me that RAF night fighters were sometimes vectored onto returning Bombers without the bomber crew being told. I do not know how accurate this is as the man has now passed away.
As regards your Friendly Fire incidents I assume you have the previous posts concerning 28/29-5-44 when two Wellingtons of 82 OTU and a Mosquito of 604 Sqd. fell to 'blue on blue' incidents,
Regards
Brian Bines

[Brian]

Hi Brian

Thanks for the additional information. I have been doing a little digging and have come up with the following. The pilot listed as Sqn Ldr VMHH Clive was in fact Viscount Clive, a descendent of Clive of India! His actual name was Mervyn Horatio Herbert (Herbert being the family name), the Viscount Clive (Service No: 86326). He was 38 at the time of his death - getting on a bit for an operational pilot. It would be interesting to find out his previous service career. Over to the experts!

Cheers
Brian

[sogitind]

About 10 years ago I did a fair bit of research into this at the PRO.
No.11 Group Operations Record Book. AIR25/194 reports; One Mosquito of 157 Sqdn. on patrol under Trimley Heath was transferred to Bullseye and after obtaining contact of friendly a/c took violent evasive action, crashing into the ground at Bradfield near Colchester. Pilot(Viscount Clive) and Nav/Rad. were both killed. No.11 Group Accidents Reported. Air 24/576 gives a slightly different version. viz. Aircraft held by serachlight; banked to starboard and dived to earth. Records for Trimley Heath are missing for that period. I followed this up with tracing all friendly aircraft flying that night. Air Staff Operations Summary No.854. AIR22/128. Bomber Command had 17 aircraft dropping propaganda leaflets on Lille and 4 on Orleans. 16 OTU 92 Group sent 4 Wellingtons to Orleans from Upper Heyford,(AIR27/656) 27 OTU, 28OTU and 30 OTU 93 Group sent 12 Wellingtons and 4 Whitleys from RAF Harwell(Lichfield), RAF Hixon(Sleighford) and RAF Wymeswold(Castle Donnington)AIR 29/671; AIR29/672 and AIR29/670.
4 Whileys were sent from RAF Whitchurch. AIR29/687. Bearing in mind take-off times IF Viscount Clive HAD BEEN in a 'Bullseye' in would have been with returning aircraft. Interceptions/Tactics Report No.63/43. for night of 23/24 March 1943 - AIR24/257- under '93 Group' has the following; BETHUNE. 15m./ SW. 2105 hrs. 10,000 ft. Believed FW.190 with cockpit light, seen 1,000 yards. starboard quarter slightly below. E/A closed to 800 yards. Wellington dived to starboard and climbed to port and E/A passed below. R/G fired short burst at 600 yards. E/A seen again 40 secs later port starboard below at 800 yards appearing to be coming into attach. A/C made diving turn to port and E/A lost to sight."