SQN LDR ARTHUR ‘JACK’ MAHOOD DSO DFC

[Larry]

Dear Members,

Can anyone assist with the service history and Squadrons on which Sqn Ldr Mahood served as a Navigator, prior to 109 Sqn Mosquitos at the end on WW2?

I think he started out as a Sgt Pilot and worked his way up. In post war Britain, Mahood joined BSAA & BOAC as a Navigator on Yorks but was so affected by his wartime experiences that he through away all his RAF records and joined CND in 1950s.

The origin of the name Mahood is Irish.

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

You will find a photograph of 921910 John Arthur MAHOOD (108038) RAFVR, taken at No.1 Air Navigation School, Rivers, Manitoba, in June 1941, here: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia....-training-plan scroll down to "BCATP Navigators".

Col.

[Larry]

Many thanks for the link and the photo

[Larry]

Apparently John (Jack) Arthur Mahood was the correct order of his first names and he apparently carried out 113 Missions in Bomber Command of which many were Oboe sorties as Navigator in 109 Sqn Sqn Mosquitoes.

He was so mentally fatigued by his Bomber Command experiences, he never spoke of them to his BOAC collleagues and destroyed all his personal RAF records in his possession.

[Dave Wallace]

DSO Flight Dec.13/45
Act, Sqn. Ldr. J. A. MAHOOD. D.F.C., R.A.F.V.R., No. 109 Sqn.
Sqn. Ldr. Mahood has completed three tours of operational duty and has achieved in both the Western Desert and European theatres of war. He has been employed on target marking duties during the majority of his missions, and he has proved to be an exceptionally able navigator and set operator. In addition this officer has served as flight navigation leader, in which capacity he has been largely responsible for the high standard of navigation attained by the navigators in his squadron.

[Larry]

Dave, thanks for the update.

Aparently he said to his work colleagues postwar that 109 Sqn lost 23 aircraft while he was with the Sqn but I have no idea how to check ? Bomber Command losses book I guess, but I do not know when he started with each Sqn?

Regards Larry

[Pierre Renier]

Hi Larry

Please see page 15 on this link to National Archive Kew https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...mageViewerLink an entry shows him being posted in to 109 Sqn w.e.f 27May'44. (Second to last line on the page).

Kind regards
Pierre

[Dave Wallace]

I show at least 23 109 aircraft failing to return between April 44 and May 45, with another half dozen or so crashing at Little Staughton. Some of the crews evaded capture and returned to the squadron after being shot down. Approximately 30 109 Squadron men were killed in that timeframe. Two of the crews killed were in Oboe equipped 582 Squadron Lancasters, joining a Lancaster crew and taking over pilot and navigation duties for the Oboe target run, while leading a daylight formation of Lancasters.

[AndreasB]

Originally Posted by Dave Wallace

DSO Flight Dec.13/45
Act, Sqn. Ldr. J. A. MAHOOD. D.F.C., R.A.F.V.R., No. 109 Sqn.
Sqn. Ldr. Mahood has completed three tours of operational duty and has achieved in both the Western Desert and European theatres of war. He has been employed on target marking duties during the majority of his missions, and he has proved to be an exceptionally able navigator and set operator. In addition this officer has served as flight navigation leader, in which capacity he has been largely responsible for the high standard of navigation attained by the navigators in his squadron.

No. 109 Squadron was never fully in ME, but a detachment based at Kabrit flew JOSTLE, electronic warfare missions, from late 1941 into 1942.


All the best


Andreas

[Larry]

I agree, Andreas

From the colleagues he had in BSAA & BOAC it seemed he only served with 109 Sqn as a Nav on Mosquitos in the UK and that his service in the Western Desert, was as a Nav in a 'standard' Bomber Sqn possibly in Vickers Wellingtons