Quote:
Originally Posted by Coquet
Graeme you still about?
I'm working on the Acklington Station record book for WW2. there's a description reoccurring for aircraft crew members in hand-written text that looks like 'Operator'
Is this correct? or am I mis-reading it?
here's a section below regarding a crash off Seahouses on the 23rd Jan 1943:
interpreted by me as:
23rd
While carrying out an authorised low flying exercise in the region of Seahouses an aircraft of No. 410 Squadron R.C.A.F Mosquito II No. H.J.919
was seen to nose-dive into the sea about 1m off the Seahouses Coastguard Station at approx. 1500 hrs.
The position of of impact was located by debris, and diving operations commenced. The crew Sgt. G.G.Mills (Pilot) and Sgt. M. Lipton (Operator)
having been reported 'missing believed killed'. Proceedings of a formal investigation having been passed to higher Authority.
here's the actual handwriting with that word highlighted:
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Sorry, haven't been around for a while due to domestic things getting in the way!
Pilot was Flight Sgt Garth Gibson MILLS (R113366), RCAF - his radio operator was Sgt Mark LUPTON (1456999), RAFVR - and is listed as an "Observer". Possibly the writer was a new posting and was not used to the official terminology of the time, or had his own style of writing: he has written the aircraft's serial down as H.J.919 but it would have been painted as HJ919 on the fuselage and most of officialdom used the latter format in written reports anyway. Lupton was a radar/radio operator first and foremost, as HJ919 was a Mosquito NF.II - the night-fighter version of the Mk.II, fitted with Airborne Intercept radar.
The official investigation into the crash apparently mentions the aircraft stalling in mid-air whilst performing a tight turn during a low flying mission. A small piece of exhaust was found in May 1996 near the Coast Guard Station.
You might be interested in the following regarding the post-crash search:
File: AIR27/1614
"Wreckage located 2 miles south east of Seahouses by ASR Defiant of No.281 Sqdn. Sgt L Fisher (Sgt Scharf, Air Gunner) were called out to search for a Mosquito from No.410 Sqdn Acklington which had crashed into the sea. They located pieces of wreckage 2 miles SE of Seahouses but there were no survivors.
From diary of Brass Hat (harbour clearance) diver Ken Lucas
26th January
Left for Seahouses for Mosquito. Stayed at Alnwick for the night.
27th January
Arrived Seahouses. Dived for plane. Abandoned. Could not be found."
It wasn't a great month for the Canadians at Acklington - 410 ("Cougar") Sqdn lost another Mosquito NF.II three days later when DZ246 overshot on landing, only just missing the control tower but then crashing into a dispersal hut. The aircraft was wrecked but the only injury was cuts and bruises received by a startled occupant of the hut. Don't have the crew's names.
Graeme