Mosquito NS979 487 Squadron lost 17/9/44

[Brian]

Hi guys

Reading '2ndTAF' Voulme Two, I note that a Mosquito IV from 487 Squadron (NS979 crewed by F/Lt GW Brown and F/Off RA Fuller) was reportedly shot down by a fighter over the Schelde at an estimated time of 0130 on 17/9/44. Both crew were killed but presumably had reported before their demise of being attacked by a fighter.

A Mosquito from 410(RCAF) Squadron flown by F/Lt CE Edinger reported intercepting an unidentified aircraft off the Dutch islands, but this took such violent evasive action before he could open fire that it crashed into the sea, at 0150.

I have not been able to find a Luftwaffe claim to correspond with the shooting down of the 487 Sqn Mosquito, and speculate that this may have been another friendly fire-type incident. Any ideas?

Cheers
Brian

[mhuxt]

Hi Brian:

Don't think so - the Schelde is on the southern border of the Netherlands. It actually flows through Antwerp in Belgium before emptying into an estuary in Dutch territory.

F/O Fuller is buried in Goes, on the northern side of the Estuary.

The Frisians are up the other end of the country - the southernmost island must be around 180km away from Goes.

I've got the book you refer to upstairs - I don't see a reference to a fighter having been involved with the 487 aircraft, finger trouble on my part maybe. Are you looking at the "ftr" notation in the listing for that day? "Failed to return"?

I've a note here from Fighter Command War Diaries Volume 5 that it was on a sortie to strafe barges - flak is my guess.

Cheers,

Mark

[Brian]

Hi Mark

Yep, you seem to be spot on! Egg on face again! And yes, I did take 'ftr' to mean fighter - I must admonish both Chris Shores and Chris Thomas for these misleading notations. They should write 'FRT' in higher case, as thus, and not lower case which suggests an abbreviation for fighter. Chris Thomas was on the phone to me a couple of days ago but I hadn't spotted the entry then.

Anyway, Mark, thanks for pointing this out - hopefully I won't make a similar mistake again. Also, my geography requires some work, I see!!

Cheers
Brian

[mhuxt]

No worries Brian.

But lordy, don't "admonish" Chris Thomas. You know how authors are: he'll stop writing books!

<grins>

Cheers,

Mark

[Chris Thomas]

Originally Posted by Brian

Hi Mark

Yep, you seem to be spot on! Egg on face again! And yes, I did take 'ftr' to mean fighter - I must admonish both Chris Shores and Chris Thomas for these misleading notations. They should write 'FRT' in higher case, as thus, and not lower case which suggests an abbreviation for fighter. Chris Thomas was on the phone to me a couple of days ago but I hadn't spotted the entry then.

Anyway, Mark, thanks for pointing this out - hopefully I won't make a similar mistake again. Also, my geography requires some work, I see!!

Cheers
Brian

As an author Brian, you should know you can't cater for every old 'FRT' .
Chris Thomas

[Brian]

Hi Chris

Touche!

From one old FRT to another! See you soon!

Cheers
Brian