 Den 26. september 1944 startede 2
Mosquitos fra 23 Squadron på et togt til Danmark. "Vestallierede luftangreb
i Danmark under 2. verdenskrig" s. 580 har detaljer, der her uddybes af
George Stewart i 2014 i en beretning via
Robert Peel,
hvis far Richard Peel var navigatør under
Shellhusangrebet.
Et gigantisk bombeangreb på Grove og 5 andre
flyvepladser med 447 B-17 og
261 B-24 eskorteret af 52 P-47 og 566
P-51 planlagt til 2. april
1945 blev aflyst grundet dårligt vejr i målområdet.
(Kilde: "Vestallierede
luftangreb i Danmark under 2. verdenskrig" s. 601)
"Ja, jeg var leder af en
flyvning med to Mosquitoer fra 23 Squadron på dag angreb
med Flight Lieutenant Bud Badley den 26. september 1944. (Day Ranger - dag
angreb, hvor målene ikke er nøjagtigt udpeget før starten. Ødelæg fly og
transport.
Se
MUS FZ110 ved Aalborg og MOS NS906
Grib Skov. AS)
Vi mente vi gerne ville prøve dette og have
skud på nært hold mod nogle få
fjendtlige fly under skydække på et "slå til og slip væk"-togt.
Vi krydsede Nordsøen under lavt skydække kun for
at se det forsvinde ved kysten
af Danmark. Vi fortsatte dog videre mod Grove for et hurtigt angreb, hvis vi
kunne finde stedet. Under flyvningen tog jeg billeder af en gård, hvor det
danske flag
vajede og fortsatte videre.
Pludselig over min venstre vinge så jeg en mand trække kamouflagenet hen
over
et fly et overdækket sted. Vi var i omkring 100 fods højde.
Da jeg kiggede frem, fik jeg øje på et fly i horisonten parkeret længst væk
på flyvepladsen! Jeg trak brat op for at forberede skydning mod det og kom
tæt på
for at afgive ild. Bud (piloten i den anden Mosquito) råbte: "George, pas
på!"
Jeg så træffere og en eller anden, der løb mod højre, da jeg fløj over
stedet og vi
drejede skarpt til venstre for at skynde os tilbage til kysten og flyve hjem
i skydække. Ved kysten skød jeg mod en
Freya radar
(se mere her) med kanoner og maskingeværer, idet
jeg huskede de mange gange vi var blevet set af dem om
natten under vores
natpatruljer! Da jeg fløj hen over stedet, så jeg en maskingevær-rede og
hørte en
lille kugle komme ind forbi Pauls skulder og ramme ned i en instrumentknap.
Jeg rettede op og satte kursen hjemad.
(Paul = Paul Beaudet,
George Stewarts navigatør)
Tilsyneladende gjorde Bud det samme, og jeg forsvandt ind i skydækket og
fløj sikkert mod vest til England. Jeg
kaldte ham op over radioen uden at få svar, og da der var skyer hele vejen
rundt, ville jeg aldrig have kunnet finde ham. Triste fortsatte vi og
håbede, at han
bare havde radioproblemer!
Jeg landede tilbage i Little Snoring, da denne "tingest" i en skør vinkel
fløj hen
over os. Det var Bud, som fortsatte til Woodbridge for at lande sikkert.
Han blev hårdt ramt, da han fulgte mig under mit
angreb. Han mistede en motor,
ror og højdekontrol, men mirakuløst genvandt han kontrollen lige akkurat
over
vandoverfladen og bragte flyet hjem. Det var genialt at han fuldførte
det!!!!! Sammy Hoare blev rasende og
aflyste alle ture af den slags i fremtiden.
Trist nok mistede vi Bud for nogle få måneder siden, men hans brillante
flyvning
og hans mod vil altid være en inspiration for mig!!!!!"
Da George Stewart så dette den 15. august 2014 tilføjede han:
"Jeg vil meget gerne høre om nogen under vores angreb som kan give det noget
perspektiv som tilskuer, vagt, mekaniker eller andet." |
 On 26 SEP 1944 2
Mosquitos from
23 Squadron
took off on a Day Ranger
to Denmark. "Western Allied Air Raids in Denmark during World War II" p 580
has details, here with more from George Stewart in 2014 in an account via
Robert Peel whose father
Richard Peel was a Navigator in the
Shell House Attack.
A gigantic bombing raid on Grove and 5 other airfields with 447
B-17s and
261 B-24s escorted by 52
P-47s and 566
P-51s planned for 02 APR 1945 was cancelled due to bad
weather in the target area.
(Source: "Western Allied Air Raids in Denmark during World War II"
p. 601)"Yes, I led a flight of 2 Mosquitos from 23 Sqdn,
on a Day Ranger, with F/L
Bud Badley 26th Sept 1944.
(Day Ranger: Target not exactly pointed out before take off. Destroy planes
and transport.
See
MUS FZ110 at Aalborg and MOS NS906
Grib Skov. AS)
We thought would like to try this, and have a "Pot
Shot" at a few enemy aircraft, under cloud cover in a "Hit and Run" raid.
We crossed the North Sea, under this low cloud.
only to find it disappear at the Danish coast. We continued on to Grove anyway
for a quick pass if we could find
it.
I took a camera gun shot of a farm house,
flying the Danish flag, and carried on.
Suddenly, over my port wing, I saw a man pulling
camouflage netting over an
aircraft in a sheltered spot. We were at about 100
feet.
Looking ahead, I spotted an aircraft on the
horizon parked at the far side of the aerodrome! I pulled up sharply to prepare
to strafe it, and closed in to fire! Bud
(the Pilot of the other Mosquito)
yelled, "George, watch your cover!" I saw strikes, and someone running off to the right, as I passed overhead, and we
turned sharply left to race back to the coast
and fly home in cloud cover!!
At the coast, I took a pass at a Freya
(see more here), with
cannons and
machine guns, remembering those many times we had been scanned by
them
at night, in our intruder patrols! As I passed overhead, I saw a machine
gun nest,
and heard a
small bullet came in past
Paul's shoulder, and hit the base of the starboard feathering button. I
straightened out heading home.
(Paul = Paul Beaudet,
George Stewart's Navigator)
Apparently Bud did the same, and I disappeared
into cloud I flew safely west to England!
I radioed him, but had no reply, and as there was
cloud all around, I couldn't have found him. Sadly we carried on, hoping he
just had radio problems!
I landed back at
Little Snoring, when ages later,
this "Thing" came flying at a crazy angle flew overhead. It was Bud, who
carried on to Woodbridge, to land safely.
He was hit severely, as he followed me in my
attack. He lost one engine, rudder
and elevator control, but miraculously
recovered control, just barely over the water, and brought it home! It was a
stroke of genius, that he accomplished it!!!!!!!
Sammy Hoare in a rage, cancelled all such trips
in the future.
Sadly we lost Bud a few months ago, but his
brilliant flying and courageous spirit
will always be an inspiration to me!!!!!"
Seeing this on 15 AUG 2014 George Stewart added,
"I
would sure like to hear about anyone there at the time of our pass, who may
give it some perspective as a bystander, or guard, or mechanic etc."
|
