The Last Mosquito Reunion

[Martin Bull]

Just a quick note to say that a memorial dedicated to all Mosquito aircrew and ground staff of WWII is to be dedicated at the Mosquito Museum on April 10th.

This is also being used as the last-ever meeting of the Mosquito Aircrew Association and around 150 veterans, all with Mossie connections, are expected to attend.

It will be the last significant reunion of 'The Men Who Flew The Mosquito'.

[Martin Bull]

A super day today - even the weather obeyed orders.

It made you realise how few veterans remain as time takes it's inevitable toll.
What a privilege to meet them, including a group of four Mosquito PFF men, all DFC holders, one of whom was shot down by a nightfighter while actually on his bomb-run over Berlin ; as the port wing tanks exploded he escaped through the cockpit canopy, rolling off the starboard wing and under the tail before parachuting safely down to capture by German troops.His pilot ( a Squadron Leader with DFC and bar ) wasn't so lucky, breaking his neck against the tailplane....

Incredible to talk to this charming old gentleman while trying to imagine all this.

Kind of puts my moaning about being stuck in traffic on the M25 into perspective...... :( :rolleyes:

[no4mkit]

Totally envy you being able to attend that MB. Did you take any pics that you can post?

[Martin Bull]

Plenty of pics, No4 - but all on Steam Camera, I'm afraid.....

( I'll get a digi thing one of these days :( )

But I'll just tell one nice little story related by F/Lt Frank Diamond DFC, who flew 'Cookie' raids to Berlin with 571 Sqn on Mosquito BXVIs.

A few years back he was invited to a German Nightfighter Crew Reunion and came back loaded down with gifts and mementoes, one of which was a bottle of Sekt.

Back at home, he put it on a windowsill in an upstairs room ( 'Bit of a silly thing to do' ) - the bottle was in direct sunshine and it was midsummer.

A few days later he heard a muffled 'boom' and sure enough, the bottle had exploded with lethal-looking shards of glass all over the room - which luckily had no-one in it. A bit later, he told the story to one of his old Squadron comrades who laughed :

'Ha ! There you are ! The b*gg*rs are still trying to get you !'

Well - it's a nice story....

[no4mkit]

ah, too bad on the pics, but a great story just the same.

Has to be an odd feeling attending a party with men who were at one time trying their best to off you, and were in fact successful against many of your friends.