60 OTU Mosquitos, RAF High Ercall

[HarrierOne]

Hi everyone,

I've trawled through all my Mossie refs and all the books on Mossies and Shropshire airfields I can find in the RAFM Cosford and so far have only been able to come up with this small scrap of info below to track any a/c serial and side codes - and no useful side views of any 60 OTU Mossies - whether NF.IIs, T.IIIs or FB.VIs.

On the positive side, I have got two front-on views which show FB.VIs in the standard MSG/DG scheme, one being post-war when the a/c was with 29MU at the same airfield with black spinners and (unreadable - drat!) underwing serials.

60 OTU trained Mossie crews for Intruder ops and the site of RAF High Ercall is just 6 miles from my home. It must have been some sight from the high point overlooking the airfield on the Newport-Shrewsbury road to see 30-40 Mossies there during 1944-45... let alone to have seen them flying!

The scrap I have is from the new-ish book on RAF codes, which under AT has...

"60 OTU, Mosquito NF.II, DZ722, AT-14. Yellow"

The yellow ref I assume refers to the colours of the side codes on this a/c and not it being yellow overall, based on the photos I've mentioned above; though I could find nothing in the book to confirm this assumption.

I doubt there's much if anything on wartime training colours and probably nothing on 60 OTU Mossies in the TAS archives, but maybe you can tell me differently Alfie; or maybe the wider membership has some nugget lodged away to unlock this one.

With my thanks and best wishes.

Nick

[Rob Monfea]

Hi Nick,

have you seen this one:

ww2chat.com/forums/general-topics/2508-raf-pilot-killed-accident-his-wife.html

Sad story, but DD630 was clearly on charge.

Rob

[HarrierOne]

Thanks Rob. I'd already come acros that one, a sad story.

Cheers, Nick

[rossm]

The Air Britain book on RAF Flying Training and support Units adds some background on supporting aircraft but no more detail on the Mossies. The Bowyer and Rawlings Squadron Codes 1937-56 adds a bit more:

A Blenheim V is known to have been coded AT:18 serial AZ897

DZ772 is mentioned details as your book

and an all-black Mosquito II seen over Oxford coded AT:A

[edgar]

Alan Lake's "Flying Units of the RAF" gives a Mosquito II DZ722 AT-14, III HJ881, VI HX967, XVI NS510.
Edgar

[rossm]

Going through some DD serials in the Air Britain books gives the following for 60 OTU

DD616, DD622, DD625, DD628, DD630 (crashed on charge to 60 OTU),

DD638, DD670, DD672, DD673, DD678 (dived into ground), DD685 (crashed),

DD717, DD726, DD730, DD733 (crashed), DD735, DD756, DD799

Not much help without code letters I know but as I came across them I thought I'd pass them on.

[HarrierOne]

Hi Ross and Edgar,

Many thanks for the info. A link Alfie sent me to DH mosquito org (sorry not in my favourites at present!) gives a serial by serial listing of Mossie deployments so I know pretty well from that the a/c that served with 60 OTU. What I don't have are codes to go with the serials and confirmation of the camo scheme worn, i.e. photos!!!

I'm contacting RAFM Hendon and IWM photo sections but have to admit I'm not optimistic. Also trying to contact Toby Neal the author of the Langrish Caiger book on Shropshire airfields which has the font on views of two Mossies but not the bits I need to see!

KBO !

Nick