Mosquito loss 16/6-1944

[soren]

On 16/6-44 a Mosquito of 305 Sqn with the crew of S/Ldr Herrick and F/O Turski was shot down near Hadsund in Denmark. Can anyone tell me the serial number of that aircraft ?
I have put a number down on my site but have become uncertain of it and I do not hold the ORB.
Best regards
Soren Flensted
www.flensted.eu.com

[CZ_RAF]

Hi Soren,

according to Skrzydla website of Wilhelm Ratuszynski:

16 June D.H. Mosquito no. NS913 SM-W. Shot down by a fighter during "Ranger" operation near Hadesund in Denmark. Lost were F/O Turski and S/Ldr Herrick (pilot, RAF).

http://www.geocities.com/skrzydla1/305/305_losses.html

But according to other sources it wears code SM-T.

Anyway the loss I can check in the evening in RAF serials if no one will do the same before.

Pavel

[VoyTech]

de Havilland Mosquito FB.VI NS913 SM-T
S/Ldr Michael James Herrick NZ33566 (RNZAF)
F/O Aleksander Marian Turski P.0862 (Polish AF)

According to Robert Gretzyngier (co-author of a book about Polish Mosquitoes: http://aj-press.home.pl/ml101.php) the SM-W resulted from a confusion with another Mosquito of similar serial no.

[Errol Martyn]

Soren,

From my 'For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Two: Fates 1943-1998)':

Fri 16 Jun 1944
ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY AIR FORCE
Ranger to Denmark
305 Squadron, RAF (Lasham, Hampshire - 138 Wing, 2 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force)
Mosquito FB.VI NS913/T - took off from West Raynham, Norfolk, at 0857 to carry out an attack on the airfield at Ålborg. Shot down over Denmark by a fighter, both crew being killed on baling out too low, the navigator falling into woods where the aircraft also crashed. The pilot fell into the sea, his body being buried at Frederikshavn two days after washing ashore on 4 July.
Pilot: 33566 Sqn Ldr Michael James HERRICK, DFC* Air Medal(US), RAF - Age 23.
Herrick’s number of ops is unknown, but prior to becoming ‘B’ Flight commander with 305 Sqn he had flown operationally with 25 Sqn, RAF, followed by two tours in the South Pacific with 15 Sqn, RNZAF, while on loan to New Zealand. Two of his brothers, Brian Henry Herrick and Dennis Trevelyan Herrick, lost their lives while serving as members of the RAF and RNZAF respectively. Brian died on 24 November 1940 while flying with 272 Sqn, RAF, and Dennis on 30 June 1941 after being shot down four days earlier while flying a Blenheim of 53 Sqn, RAF.

And Amendments section Vol Three:
p239; HERRICK, M J – his body fell into the Mariager Fjord, while the Mosquito crashed near Ove, 9km WSW of Hadsund.

VoyTech,

Note that Herrick was a New Zealander serving as a member of the RAF. He was never a member of the RNZAF, though he was loaned to that service during 1941-1943.

Errol

[soren]

Thank you gentlemen.
Errol
If I had known that he was from New Zealand I could have looked it up myself in you excellent books.
Have a nice weekend
Soren
www.flensted.eu.com