Info on 608 Squadron Mosquito KB228, damaged in NF attack Berlin raid 15-16 September 1944

[MW Giles]

The Form 541 section of the ORB is missing for this raid.
Five aircraft of 608 Sqn took off. Bombing for at least three of them was between 02:00 and 02:03 hrs.

KB228 C was flown by F/O Wilkinson, with F/Sgt Dale as Navigator. In the book 608 Mosquito Bomber Squadron by Barry Blunt F/O Wilkinson recounts

"We were coned by searchlights on the final bomb run at about 21,000ft, some wag broke radio silence to announce, "You're in the limelight chum," as if I didn't know. A night fighter suddenly appeared from astern and fired a burst that clipped the starboard wing. At this point Tich let go the bombs and I closed the bomb doors. Still lit up by the searchlights the hun came in again on his second run just as Tich came out of the nose. This time the fighter was dead on and it raked us from nose to tail - shattering the nose of the aircraft and the rear part of the canopy. Tich was struck in the eye with a fragment of shattered perspex and I was hit in the right cheek - the starboard engine caught fire. I flipped the aircraft on to its back and made a vertical 180 degree turn which took me out of the searchlight cone."

He then describes how he managed to feather the stbd engine and return to the UK

Therefore the fighter attack was near the target and probably between 01:55 when the markers went down and 02:03 when the third 608 Sqn aircraft bombed. But this is not proven beyond reasonable doubt

Regards

Martin