6 Group Unavailable
424 Tiger Squadron (Castigandos Castigamus) RAF Skipton-on-Swale. Halifax BIII aircraft MZ 908 QB-X was shot down by night fighter pilot Oberfeldwebel Hans Schadowski of 3/NJG 3 during a GARDENING (mining) operation near Flensburg, Germany. The bomber exploded in mid-air with the loss of the entire crew near Langeland Island, Denmark
On 1945-01-15, Squadron Leader A. Ross Dawson, the Chief Technical Officer with 424/433 Sqns at Skipton on Swale, after returning from leave, wrote in his diary:
"Jan 12 . . . 5 from each sqdn were put up on bombing & 3 from each on mining. The bombing was finally scrubbed but the gardening effort got off ok with no non-starters or early returns. However 424 had some bad luck & 2 of their 3 kites didn't come aback including F/Lt Mackie one of my good friends here " and he only had two more trips to do here unfortunately"
Diary of A Ross Dawson, courtesy CWMFlying Officer AM Mackie DFC (RCAF), Pilot Officer HA Carruthers (RCAF), Flying Officer HD Christie (RCAF), Pilot Officer FW Dobbs (RCAF), Flight Sergeant HCHHudson (RCAF), Pilot Officer JS Netzke (RCAF) and Sergeant JJ Farqhar (RAFVR) were all missing, presumed killed in action
The missing have no known grave and all are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial
There were two 424 Squadron Halifax III aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serial Halifax NP 947 QB-Y for information on this aircraft and crew
[Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...
Halifax MZ805 crashed in the sea east of the island of Langeland 12/1...