11 April 1944 mission by 613 Squadron ( Hague Gestapo HQ )

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Good night to all!
On 11th April 1944, 613 Squadron dispatched 6 Mosquitos FBVI to bomb the Gestapo HQ at Hague.
I would like some help to identify the PLANES ( codes and serial ) and the crew involved. This is what I do have:
Leader: S/L Bateson
Nav: F/O B J Standish AIRCRAFT ??????
2 crew: F/L P C Cobley
NAV: ????? AIRCRAFT ???????
3 crew: S/L C W M Newman
NAV: ?????? AIRCRAFT ??????
4 crew: ??????????
NAV: ???????????? AIRCRAFT ???????
5 crew: F/L V A Hester, DFC
NAV: ??????????? AIRCRAFT ???????
6 crew: ?????? ( DUTCH )
NAV: ????????????? AIRCRAFT ???????

Any help to identify ALL the aircrew members as well as ALL the serial numbers and letters of personal aircraft involved would be welcomed.

Thanks in advance

Adriano

[Larry]

Sorry only some minor bits of info:

These aircraft were on the Sqn at the time so it might help narrow down the ones involved

Mosquito HP927 was SY-B and was on strength 14.2.44 to 1.1.45
Mosquito LR302 was SY-S and was on strength 26.11.43 to 17.1.45
Mosquito LR366 was SY-L and was on strength ??.11.43 to ??.8.45

Mosquito LR303 SY-? and was on strength 2.12.43 to 8.6.44
Mosquito MM408 SY-? and was on strength 26.2.44 to ?.? 45

Mosquito LR275 was 'lent' to 613 Sqn in 1944 by 305 Sqn but I cannot confirm when. It was lost with 305 Sqn on 8.6.44

NB - LR297 was with 613 Sqn in Jan 1944 but passed to 13 OTU and actually crashed in a landing accident at Bicester on 11.4.44!

[Icare9]

Larry, with such a famous incident there must be a number of books and memoirs about it.
I believe there is even a model kit with artwork depicting one as SY-L with another in the background. I would suggest that SY-L could be S/L Batesons aircraft.

Good luck with the search!

[Leendert]

Adriano,

Bateson's a/c reportedly LR355.

The Dutch pilot was F/O Rob Cohen, who because of Jewish descent had adopted the name of Robert Stevens (149822) in RAF service. KIA 11-8-44 over France.

Regards,

Leendert

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Larry: Manyt thanks for pointing me the ONLY ( ? ) available Mosquitos FBVI of 613 Squadron by the time of the attack on 11th April 1944. ( Very helpful )
Leendert: Thanks for the name of F/O Cohen, and information on his death in action. Do you have the name of Stevens´ NAV?
ICARE9: I quitly do agree with you...as a famous mission, there should BE more DATA available...However, there aren´t! Very few informatio...sometimes pieces of it do comes around...Perhaps on 2nd TAF Books? On the few Mossie books I do possess NO complete information about ALL crews that took place on this raid...sorry!
I do thank both of you for your help and time. Slowly we will get ALL the picture...
Yours
Adriano

[M sIMPSON]

Hi Adriano,
According to a footnote in Sharp and Bowyer 'Mosquito',(page 244 in my edition),the aircraft involved were as follows;
LR355 H W/C Bateson
LR376 Q F/L P C Cobley
NS844 A S/L C W M Newman
HP927 B F/L R W Smith
MM408 F F/O R Cohen
LR366 L F/L V A Hester
Hope this helps,
Regards,Mark.

[udf_00]

From Mosquito Bomber/Fighter-Bomber Units 1942–45, Martin Bowman, OSPREY

1 W/C R.N. BATESON - LR355 - 30 sec da HE bombs
2 ? - 30 sec da HE bombs

3 S/L Charles NEWMAN & F/L F.G. TREVERS - ( incendiary bombs ?? )
4 F/L Ron SMITH & F/O John HEPWORTH - HP927 - ( incendiary bombs ?? )

5 F/L Vic HESTER & F/O R. BIRKETT - HE & incendiary bombs
6 ? - HE & incendiary bombs


From the London Gazette


BATESON, Robert Norman RAFO (39054)
BIRKETT, Raymond RAFVR (88517)
COBLEY, Peter Charles RAFVR (102296)
HEPWORTH, Jack RAFVR (129979)
HESTER, Victor Albert, RAFVR (112695)
NEWMAN, Charles William McNab RAF (33347)
SMITH, Ronald William RAFVR (111709)
STANDISH, Bernard John RAFVR (151666)
TREVERS, Frederick John RAFVR (67594)

[rob van den nieuwendijk]

Hello all,

Interesting - btw it was not an attack on the Hague Gestapo HQ, but on house Kleykamp, where all the papers of the Dutch central bevolkingsregister were kept.

Also see links:

http://knol.google.com/k/rob-van-den...gbpbv73ebvyk/5#

http://geschiedenis.vpro.nl/programm...ngen/40139204/

sorry in dutch only.

Best regards
Rob

[Larry]

Its amazing what we can all come up with! I think your questions have been fully answered!

[Adriano Baumgartner]

MArk, UDF, Rob and Larry!
THANKS for all the aditional information. You gave me almost all the names of the airmen involved. Amazing!...and the serial numbers too.
I really do appreciate. MANY thanks for all.
Adriano