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de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mark VI
Origins
Though conceived in the same tense period after Munich that saw official support for the Bristol Beaufighter concept, de Havilland’s private venture design for a high-speed unarmed reconnaissance bomber had to survive sustained and profound official discouragement.
Thus it was March 1940 before a production contract was offered for the DH.98 Mosquito, and late November 1940 before a prototype took to the air. The first Mark I reconnaissance aircraft entered RAF service in September 1941, followed by the Mark IV bomber version in November 1941, and the Mark II fighter variant in January 1942.
211 Squadron Mosquito FB Mark VI RF729 ‘M’ St Thomas Mount 1945 (D Winton)
This aircraft was that of W/O AB Wythe. ‘Z’ in the background.
The success of the design was quickly apparent. Numerous marks were developed in rapid succession and built in large numbers. Versatile and highly successful in many roles, “the ubiquitous Mosquito and its admirable equipment” served the RAF with distinction in World War II and long afterwards.
Like the Beaufighter, the importance of the Mosquito has been widely recognised and there is a vast literature readily found in libraries, bookshops and on the Web.
FB Mark VI
Designed for the fighter-bomber role, the FB VI first flew in mid-1942. Nearly 2600 were built, more than any other of the 40-odd Mosquito variants.
Armed with four 20mm cannon, four .303in machine guns and capable of carrying two 500lb bombs internally plus externally-racked bombs, rockets or drop-tanks, the FB VI was admirably suited to the sort of strike role that had been the Beaufighter’s forté in the Burma theatre. However, in the Far East (and despite extended local testing), the extremes of heat and humidity found out weaknesses in the bonding of the plywood skins and of the laminated wing spars. These lead to skin delamination and wing spar failures, which saw Mosquitoes stood down from service in the Far East for a period in late 1944.
Specifications
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General
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Fighter-bomber.Twin-engine, mid-wing cantilever stressed-skin wooden monoplane.
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Crew
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Pilot; Navigator/Wireless Operator
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Engines
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2xRolls-Royce Merlin 25 V12 engines of 1,635hp, two-speed supercharging, 100 octane or 150 grade fuel, maximum boost +18lb in M gear on take-off, 5 minute combat limit +25lb boost with 150 grade fuel in M or S gear.
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Armament
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4x20mm cannon and 4x.303in Browning machine guns, fuselage mounted.
2x500lb bombs internally. External load: 8xrocket projectiles (25lb AP or semi-AP, or 60lb HE), or 2x500lb bombs.
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Weights
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Empty, variously quoted and depending on “fit”: 14,300lb
All-up, variously quoted as above: 20,500lb
Overload (maximum take-off): 22,000lb
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Range
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1,200 miles (at 220mph up to 20,000ft), duration 7 hours
Internal fuel capacity 453 gallons: 50 gallon internal tank, 2x143 gallon inner-wing tanks, 2x58 gallon outer wing tanks.
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Stalling speed
Safety speed
Approach
Maximum speed
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Flaps & undercarriage up: 130mph. Flaps and undercarriage down: 110mph
200mph (and initial climb speed). Max rate of climb speed 170mph
125mph
Variously quoted 380mph at 13,000ft
Vne (without external stores) 425mph (with 8x60lb RP) 400mph
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211 Squadron service
As the end neared in the Far East, 211 Squadron stood down from operational readiness in May 1945 to convert to the Mosquito. Ready to resume operations for the expected invasion of Malaya in August 1945, they were forestalled by the surrender of Japan.
Unfortunately, the Operations Record Book records few details of aircraft allocated to the Squadron, however, some aircraft data can be gleaned from the relevant Air Britain volumes, RAF Aircraft HA100–HZ999 (J Halley, Air Britain 1989) and RAF Aircraft PA100–RZ999 (J Halley, Air Britain 1992). The logbooks of Tom Taylor and Doug Winton, with Doug’s photos and those of Monty Walters, have all added much to the sparse official and published record of Mosquito service with 211 Squadron.
F/O Dunnett’s Mosquito FB VI RF791 ‘G’, Akyab November 1945 (D WInton)
Also flown on a “local” by F/O Winton, 11 August 1945 shortly after arriving on the Squadron at St Thomas Mt.
June to October 1945: Yelahanka and St Thomas Mount
Following initial conversion lectures, flying training began on 11 June. Aircraft now known to have been on Squadron charge at this period may represent the entire complement of 18.
RR277 (delivered as a Mosquito III)
RF588, RF653, RF661, RF710, RF711 ‘A’, RF729 ‘M’ (of AB Whythe DFC DFM), RF751 ‘B’, RF756, RF 765 ‘S’*, RF775, RF776, RF819, RF791 ‘G’, RF950 ‘C’
TA500.
*Flown frequently by F/Sgt T Taylor from September to November.
The RF serialled FB VI aircraft were all part of a batch of 300 with Merlin 25 engines, built by Standard Motors between December 1944 and June 1945, while TA500 was built by de Havilland at Hatfield.
Low level exercise July 1945 St Thomas’ Mount (Walters collection)
B-Baker RF751 flown by F/Sgt Ray Wood (Nav/W Johnny Sleight) taken from Mosquito S-Sugar RF765 (with ME Walters the pilot and Nav/W Ron Kemp) who are tucked well in. Training at St Thomas Mount near Madras before flying to Akyab, on 17 July 1945. Monty kept another shot of this flight.
The Squadron found the conversion process testing, the training programme being marred by two fatal accidents within a week:
HR554 crashed on a village in the course of a Spitfire affiliation exercise on 29 June. The pilot, 1432334 W/O Geoff Lowcock and 1575737 W/O William Wilkes, another pilot “sitting in”, both died instantly. By awful chance the crash occurred on the day of a local festival and 38 villagers also died in the resulting explosion and fire which destroyed several buildings. They were laid to rest with full military honours the next day in Bangalore Military Cemetery and today lie in Madras War Cemetery.
RF779 crashed in the course of a formation shallow dive-bombing display on 2 July, 28 miles North of Bangalore. Sadly, the pilot 1455066 W/O Kenneth Webster misjudged the pullout and the aircraft disintegrated on impact with the ground. Webster and his Nav/W 1550365 F/Sgt Jack Hopes both died. They too were accorded full military honours the next day at Bangalore Military Cemetery and rest today in Madras War Cemetery.
November 1945–March 1946, Akyab to Don Muang
The Squadron moved to Don Muang in Thailand, arriving on 27 November 1945 with 18 Mosquito aircraft. After further expert searching at the UK National Archives, the seemingly missing pages of the Squadron Operations Record Book for December 1945 to March 1946 were found in the right place after all and have shed much light on this rather testing period, as have the log books and photographs referred to above.
Of the Squadron aircraft at Akyab and Don Muang in November and December 1945, 17 of the 18 available are now known:.
HR568 ‘H’
RF630 ‘D’, RF588, RF661, RF710 ‘W’, RF711 ‘A’, RF733, RF750 ‘L’, RF751 ‘B’, RF765 ‘S’, RF775, RF776, RF790 ‘G’, RF819 ‘K’, RF950 ‘C’,
TA500, TE598 ‘V’
Like the RFs, TE598 was a Standard Motors built aircraft.
Mosquito grief, Don Muang: probably HR568 ‘H’ (Walters collection)
At Don Muang, they suffered a number of accidents on landing or in the circuit, and sadly encountered more serious problems with their aircraft, one of which broke up in bad weather on a long flight to Singapore, causing the Squadron’s final losses of the Second World War.
HR568 ‘H’
Swung on take-off at Don Muang, 5 December 1945. The pilot was unable to correct the swing and in the resulting ground loop the undercarriage collapsed. Though unremarked in the Operations Record Book, Monty Walters has a number of fine shots of this spectacular aaccident. No casualties, though Monty’s other shots of the incident show that the aircraft was practically reduced to components.
RF588
Broke up in mid-air 10 miles SSW of Ipoh in Malaya, 13 December 1945, on a courier flight with the loss of F/O Stephen Falconer Dunnett 179774 and his passenger. A “Mr England” of the Rice Commission according to the ORB—although elsewhere noted as 120560 Captain James Edward England MC, 51, Intelligence Corps—his loss is unrecorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The break-up of the Mosquito was witnessed from the ground. The weather had been extremely difficult over Malaya and in an earlier departure F/Lt Witt, with passenger Rear Admiral Douglas-Pennant of SEAC, had found it advisable to divert to Singapore. According to the accident record as reported by Cummings in his Price of Peace:
The final honours were rendered the following day by a local RAF Station (possibly RAF Ipoh) with F/O Donley and F/O Glossop of 211 Squadron in attendance. Dunnett lies at rest in the Taiping War Cemetery.
TA500
Seriously damaged by fire, 17 December 1945. While engaged in a four aircraft formation flight, F/Sgt Kneebone detected fire in the cockpit and immediately broke away to make a very good landing with smoke issuing from the rear of the cockpit and the starboard side of the aircraft. The fire was extinguished but not before the aircraft suffered serious damage. On investigation, it was determined that some electrical wiring and fuses had been removed in an unauthorised modification, leaving the electrical circuits unprotected from overload.
RF711 ‘A’
Engine cut, lost height and crashlanded with both engines out in the circuit at Don Muang on 31 January 1946 without serious injury to the pilot W/O Ashcroft or to his passenger Cpl Edwards.
RF751 ‘B’
Struck off charge 20 February 1946
The last hurrah
The mid-air break-up of Dunnett's aircraft in mid-December 1945 had been followed by stand-down of all aircraft for spar inspection and maintenance. There were sufficient aircraft ready for the great Bangkok Victory parade flypast on 19 January 1946, in the presence of the King of Siam (Ananda Mahidol, Rama VIII, who had recently returned to his country) and the SEAC Supremo Lord Mountbatten.
Monty was right on the spot, to photograph what was to be the last formal Squadron flying formation. These shots were all taken that day.
At dispersal, Don Muang 19 January 1946 (Walters collection)
Taxiing out to take-off, Don Muang 19 January 1946 (Walters collection)
211 Squadron formation, Don Muang 19 January 1946 (Walters collection)
211 Squadron formation, Don Muang 19 January 1946 (Walters collection)
Led by S/Ldr FM Bruckshaw, who is still with us. Tom Taylor and Vic Broome are there too, flying RF765 ‘S’.
However, the following day, all 211 Squadron aircraft were grounded again for inspection and repairs. Then a further round of inspections was called for, which found just three of the eighteen aircraft on strength to be serviceable.
This development quickly drew a reversal in policy, with the issue in early February of an order to prepare for final disbandment of the Squadron. Late that month, at least nine aircraft had been brought to a state where they could be flown away to Seletar for spar inspection and possible repair, with three aircraft remaining at Don Muang to be prepared for a final fly-out in March.
The serious structural difficulties of the de Havilland Mosquito have been discussed in a number of places. It was eventually determined that the problems were the result of a combination of poor gluing practices and poor mate-up of structural members, leading to spar failure and wing skin delamination. The tropical conditions of the Far East did not assist.
Aircraft fates after 211 Squadron disbanding
RF652 Struck off charge 25 September 1946
RF729 Struck off charge 8 October 1946
RF733 Struck off charge 30 May 1946
RF756 Struck off charge 30 May 1946
RF765 Struck off charge 13 June 1946
RF776 Struck off charge 10 April 1947
RF791 Engine caught fire and undercarriage collapsed after landing, Kuala Lumpur, 28 May 1946
RF950 Struck off charge 30 May 1946
Almost nine years of sterling service in peace and war were coming to an end. The final words of the Squadron CO W/C DL Harvey in the Squadron Operations Record Book can hardly be bettered:
Vale CCXI.
Sources
211 Squadron Operations Record Book AIR 27/1303 May 1945 to March 1946
TD Taylor Pilot’s Flying Logbook
DE Winton Pilot’s Flying Logbook and photos
Monty Walters photos
Air Ministry Pilot’s Notes Mosquito FBVI... (AP2019E) (AM 1944)
Bowman De Havilland Mosquito Crowood 1997
Cummings The Price of Peace (Nimbus)
Halley RAF Aircraft HA100–HZ999 (Air Britain 1989)
Halley RAF Aircraft PA100–RZ999 (Air Britain 1992).
www.211squadron.org © DR Clark & others 1998–2008
Site created 15 Apr 2001, last updated 31 Jul 2008. Page created 28 Feb 2005, last updated 31 Jul 2008
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