418 Squadron Mosquito

[Brian]

Hi guys

I have just learned that the Mosquito flown by Flg Off Stuart May RCAF of 418 Squadrion in 1944 carried the name 'Flame McGoon' (apparently a comic character of the time). Any idea of the serial number/code letter of this aircraft?

Cheers
Brian

[mhuxt]

PZ220

[Brian]

Wow! That was super quick!

Many thanks

Brian

PS: I have just been advised that 'Flame McGoon' was NS587 TH-L !!!

Over to you, mhuxt!

[mhuxt]

Hi Brian:

Fighter Command Losses and Air Britain both have PZ220 as having been lost with 418 Sqn. on 17 October '44. Definitive answer would I suppose be in the ORB.

Edit - NS857 is supposed to have gone to 51 OTU and survived the war.

Part of the issue may have been that (according to what I remember from a series of email exchanges with the good folks in Slovakia), more than one 418 Sqn. aircraft was christened Flame McGoon.

Hugh Hallliday says PZ220 was TH-C on 31 August '44.

I think I've Mr. Ferianec's book upstairs, will have a squizzo.

[mhuxt]

Back again, just had a look at Mr. Ferianec's book (he researched the crash in his hometown for decades, has met May a couple of times, once I believe in Piestany...)

Stu May himself says it was NS587 TH-L, though this disagrees with both the dH Museum, which says PZ220 TH-F, and the ORB, which apparently just says TH-C.

So, as the book notes, it's difficult to provide a definitive answer, short of any photographic evidence.

Perhaps I'm not the only one with finger trouble...

[Brian]

Hi mhuxt

I think I may have casused the confusion - I was not after the identity of the Mosquito in which he crashed on 17 October 1944 - I was endeavouring to establish which aircraft he was flying at the start of the anti-Diver campaign in June. I tend to believe it was NS587 and PZ220 later.

Thanks for all your digging.
Cheers
Brian

[mhuxt]

Hi Again Brian:

There's a couple of pics in Bohuslav Ferianec's book (Mosquito nad Piešt'anmi) dated 22 July '44 of May & Ritch and their ground crew, standing in front of "Flame McGoon", which clearly has an L on the nose below the mgs.

Edit - meh, nothing new under the sun... Here's a modelling site with an excellent version of the pic in question, and the noseart.

http://gregers.7.forumer.com/viewtop...d18321ec4888cb

Cheers,

Mark