ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 138680
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| Date: | Tuesday 6 June 1944 |
| Time: | 01:00 |
| Type: |  de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk VI |
| Owner/operator: | 464 Sqn RAAF |
| Registration: | NS897 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 1 mile north of Gueures, south-west of Dieppe, Normandy. -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Gravesend, Kent |
Mosquito NS897: Took off at 22:50 hrs for night intruder mission over Normandy. 05/06/1944
Was one of twenty aircraft from the Squadron detailed to bomb road and rail junctions, convoys, trains and bridges in support of Army landings in Normandy. Mosquito NS897 crashed at 01:00 hrs. 06/06/1944
Crew:
S/Ldr (Aus.400733) Arthur Geoffrey OXLADE (pilot) RAAF - killed
F/Lt (Aus.400839) Donald McKenzie SHANKS (nav.) RAAF - Ok
F/Lt Shanks returned safe to the UK. He reported as follows : “We took off at 23:00 hrs to do a recce of roads south of the invasion area. We were coned at 2000 feet to the south of Montfoe and the aircraft caught fire from flak hits. We carried on and the fire went out. On the return journey over Yvetot one engine cut out and the pilot was forced to feather it. No sooner was that done when the other engine caught fire. The bale out was ordered and I did so when under 2000 feet. I don’t think the pilot had time to bale out. I landed north of Gueures. The aircraft hit the ground and blew up. Later the bombs blew
up. The chute was tangled in a tall tree. I was forced to leave it there and climb down. I went south and shortly knocked on the door of a farmhouse. A Frenchman and woman told me to get away quickly as the farm was a German Hqrs. I walked past a German guard on the gate and walked east for 2kms. I hid for 2 days in a hedge living on escape tablets. At dusk on 7/6 I walked cross country, reached Ablement and entered a farmhouse. The farmer sheltered me until 13/6 when I moved to Mont Candon in order to
see a flying bomb site close by and wanted to study the thing at close quarters. Flying bombs commenced on 16/6. On 25/6 was moved by the Resistance organization to Montreuil en Caux. On 1/9 made contact with Canadian troops.” Returned to unit on 07/09/1944.
Sources:
1.http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH98%20prodn%20list.txtt
2.ORB 464 Sqdn RAAF
3.https://www.awm.gov.au//catalogue/research_centre/pdf/rc09125z014_1.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Sep-2011 03:57 | Nepa | Added |
| 28-Sep-2011 02:39 | Nepa | Updated [Source] |
| 27-Feb-2012 13:53 | Nepa | Updated [Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 02-Mar-2014 18:09 | Anon. | Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative] |
| 15-Aug-2015 11:42 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Narrative] |
| 10-May-2016 18:41 | Nepa | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 20-Mar-2019 20:30 | Nepa | Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Narrative, Operator] |
| 06-Sep-2021 22:21 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative, Operator] |
| 24-Nov-2021 17:43 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Location, Narrative, Operator] |
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