OK folks, here’s the answer to our latest Mind-boggling Mossie Mystery:
Over which country was the last RAF operational sortie by a Mosquito flown, and what was the Mark?’
Congratulations to all those who correctly answered that the last operational sortie by an RAF Mosquito was flown over Malaya by a PR34a.
On December 15th 1955 RG314, serving with No. 81 Sqn PRU, flew a photo reconnaissance sortie from Seletar, in Singapore, over the Malayan jungle to photograph two terrorist camps.
The sortie was undertaken by Flying Officers A J “Collie” Knox and A B “Tommy” Thompson.
joined by their CO Wg Cdr S McCreith
The PR34a was typically equipped with five cameras – four F52 cameras, two forward and two aft of the belly tanks in its ventral bay, together with either one F24 oblique camera or a vertical K17 camera for air survey work.
The next mind-boggler will be published soon.
Mosquito target towing squadron was transferred from RAF Stradishall to Pembrey to replace
Tempests in 1955 I was an instrument mech. and flew in one of the Mossies down to Wales
the pilot was a Polish sergeant from WW2. I spent a very pleasant summer there and then
had an exchange posting to RAFWaterbeach in Cambridgeshire.
Bob Shillito ex SAC.
Hi Bob – thanks for your message. That must have been a great flight! Not many can say they have flown in a Mossie!
Last operational flight? Depends what you call operational. I was an ATC cadet living near RAF Pembrey in the 1950’s then hosting 233 OCU flying Vampire FB 5’s, T11’s and later Hunters. I am certain that in 1955 the Tempest V was utilised as a target tug to be later replaced by the Mosquito TT35. I am sure that the Mosquito continued with this task until 233 OCU transferred to Wittering in September1957. So is target towing defined as “operational”?
Not according to the RAF:) See here: http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/81squadron.cfm (see last paragraph). Fascinating – sounds like you had a bit of luck there!