Operational Mosquito NF units 1943 - 1945

[stringbag]

Am trying to trace an uncles wartime service. Will of course apply for detail of these through usual channels via gov.uk website. He flew Mosquito NF's and in particular night intruder sorties over enemy airfields during the latter stages of the War. Initially he was based at RAF Church Fenton and then RAF Coltishall. His name was Les J. Tite probably W/O at that time. Could anyone provide a likely Squadron I/D and any good sources/links for context/operational/technical overviews of this activity? TIA

[TigerTimon]

Hello,


I think it is 25 Squadron RAF.
No.25 Squadron spent the first three years of the war flying defensive patrols. On 16 February 1943 it began to fly intruder missions over occupied Europe using its newly arrived Mosquito IIs. For the rest of the war the squadron flew a mix of defensive, intruder and bomber support missions.
Bases:
16 May 1942-19 December 1943: Church Fenton
19 December 1943-5 February 1944: Acklington
5 February-27 October 1944: Coltishall


Source:
Rickard, J (30 May 2008), No. 25 Squadron (RAF): Second World War, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/25_wwII.html

[RSwank]

There was a W/O L. J. Tite flying for 515 squadron in April 1945.

On this page a night attack on Grove (Denmark) is described on April 22/23, 1945.

https://www.airmen.dk/grove44CP-MOS.htm

"No. 515 Squadron
Mosquito VI No. 337 - W/O L J Tite and Sgt. J B Ginn (2125-0140 hours)
Completed uneventful patrol of Grove from 2310 to 0012 hours. Airfield not lit and no activity. Dropped 40 4 lb incendiaries at 2350 which caused small fires among
dispersal bays and buildings north side of the airfield. At 2355 hours dropped one
500 lb MC Instant to fires. No Ash* contacts."

You can download the 515 Squadron records for April 1945 (and other months currently for free) from the National Archives.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...oks-1939-1945/

Tite and Ginn flew several missions during April, I did not check other months. 515 squadron may have been his second? or third? tour. I think perhaps his first mission with the squadron was on 18/19 April when Tite and Ginn completed an "uneventful freshman patrol of the Zuider Zee. No A.S.H. contacts." It looks like the Zuider Zee patrol was typically the first mission a new crew flew as it is mentioned for other "freshman" crews.


*ASH – Air to Surface H or AI Mk XV (U.S AN/APS-4) centimetric airborne air-to-air radar derived from ASV operating at 3 cm wavelength at a frequency of 10 GHz. Used by 100 Group Mosquitos. 515 Squadron was in 100 Group.

[stringbag]

Really interesting - will check this out . Many Thanks

[stringbag]

Thanks for the 515 Sqdn info. - yes may have been a second tour. Tite is such an unusual surname it can only be Uncle Les. Will wait for the MOD records to come through and start some in depth researching.