Date:	Saturday 13 May 1944
Time:	16:30
Type:	de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito PR Mk IX
Owner/operator:	60 Sqn SAAF
Registration:	MM256
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	L'étang des Aulnes, 5 km south of Saint Martin de Crau -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Monastir airfield, Tunisia
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Mosquito MM256: Took off at 12:40 for PR mission to 14 points in southern France, including Montpellier, Orange, Salon, Toulouse, Valence, Aix, Avignon and Marsailles. 13/05/1944
The aircraft was bounced by a pair of Bf 109 G-6 of Jagdgruppe Süd based at Orange-Caritat. In the ensuing chase Bf 109 G-6 Werk-Nr. 140324, flown by Fw Erhard Riedel, collided, maybe accidentally, with the already damaged Mosquito and severed one of its wings. Mosquito MM256 crashed into a lake: l‘Étang des Aulnes, near Saint Martin de Crau. The Bf 109 impacts at a farm nearby. The following day German soldiers drag the lake and recover one of the bodies, described as 1.80 m tall, stout, brown hair and mustache, wearing a khaki uniform without insignia. Almost a fortnight later, another body floats to the surface and is described: 1.75 m, red hair with receding hairline, khaki uniform with epaulettes, the name ‘Mervis’ is written in his clothes).
Crew:
Lt (103981V)Wentzel Christoffel JOUBERT (pilot)SAAF - killed
Lt (207058V) Gordon MERVIS (nav.) SAAF - killed

1.http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH98%20prodn%20list.txtt
2.ORB 60 Sqdn SAAF
3.http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=3023
4.http://www.ghostbombers.com/various/Rippert/saint-ex_01.html
5.http://einestages.spiegel.de/external/ShowTopicAlbumBackground/a3229/l0/l0/F.html#featuredEntry

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
14-Nov-2009 09:56	NePa	Added
31-Oct-2011 12:21	Anon.	Updated [Source, Narrative]
09-Mar-2014 20:40	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Phase, Source, Narrative]
02-Aug-2014 14:19	MiG17	Updated [Narrative]
28-Nov-2014 18:04	Fort Knox	Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
13-Aug-2015 19:45	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Narrative]
14-Jul-2017 17:30	Anon.	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
22-Apr-2019 20:13	Nepa	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Operator]
22-Apr-2019 20:18	Nepa	Updated [Departure airport, Narrative, Operator]
02-Oct-2021 17:09	Nepa	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative, Operator]
22-Nov-2021 18:17	Nepa	Updated [Narrative, Operator]
05-Sep-2023 09:46	Nepa	Updated [[Narrative, Operator]]