Mosquito Bytes
The official eNewsletter of the CALGARY MOSQUITO SOCIETY
Retain, Restore, Honour and Educate

Welcome to Volume 22 (May 06, 2010)

CITY HALL DOINGS: The City has just issued its "Request for Information"; the document to which we must respond with our funding and restoration plan for the Mosquito. Deadline for responses is May 27th. We will need some input and assistance from YOU, our members. Stay tuned for another Bytes or Nibble next week for specifics.

A piece of very good news is that we now have access to the independent study on the condition of the Mosquito which lists it in overall good condition with just a few minor items missing. Anyone continuing to claim that the 'Remains have been cut up' is officially talking nonsense. In fact the study, conducted by one of the most experienced aircraft restoration operations in this country, makes it clear that it is a relatively simple restoration with all required materials and information readily available. So much for the self serving misinformation which others have been spreading to serve their own interests.

MAY MEETING DATE is the 12th at 7 pm at the Phoenix Foundation, #1, 2821 - 3 Ave. N.E. June's will be on the 9th as we are now meeting on the second Wednesday of each month. Lots of critical stuff on the go. Come find out.

OUR CHARITABLE STATUS application has now been submitted to the Canada Revenue Agency for their approval. Once given the nod, we can issue tax receipts for all donations. Our thanks to L. Doug Rae and Nadya Sannikova of Rae and Company for their assistance in this arduous process. If all goes well, we should have this by July.

SUMMER EVENTS: We're going to need some help with our travelling display and information booth. I am working most weekends this summer and we have a lot of dates and places to attend. Our displays could use some sprucing up and we also need to get into some merchandising. Are you willing to help? It’s not tough work, but I need to enroll some assistance in this area. Please let me know if you are willing to step into this. Lets not kid ourselves about this. That's what has been driving the desire to sell the Mosquito all along.

ITS ABOUT THE MONEY! To reach our goals of RETAIN and RESTORE, we are going to have to come up with a funding plan and put some money in the bank before December's city council meeting. $1.6 million will do it. We'll happily accept anything toward that total. Even pledges count. We will be asking you to support our goals financially in the near future and to help with fundraising projects.

You can also help by getting letters of support from your employer, your contacts and those who you think will be willing to support our goals. Please see the attached letter to aid this effort. Can your company pledge financial or material support? The letter gives a clear outline of how you and others can contribute.

ARTIFACT #2 We were recently contacted by a lady in Massachusetts who has an interesting Spartan Air Services artifact. One of our members purchased it and will be donating it to the society. Stay tuned for details.

HONOUR and EDUCATE Are two of our society's goals. In the process of corresponding with one of our members I learned that Robert Kirkpatrick (our only resident American member) not only flew Mosquitos in WWII, but participated in one of the most high profile Mosquito specialty raids of the war. It is our privilege to be able to relay some of his experience here:

The Attack on the Gestapo HQ Copenhagen, Denmark, 21st March 1945 by Bob Kirkpatrick

I’ll start with a little chronology. I was born in Canada while my US parents 3rd generation were visiting there. Returned to States when I was 10 months old. Dec 8,1941 I enlisted in US Marines, Dec 9 physical, reported for camp Dec 12 and was told I had a heart murmur and not fit. Dec 15 I went to Windsor, Ont, Canada and joined the RCAF, didn't mention the Marines. Was accepted and called in Feb 42. Got my wings June 43 ,UK in Aug 43, twin engine conversions and a Beau OTU and then a Mossie OTU. Joined 21 Sqdn RAF Sep 44.

We flew MkVI Mossies, mostly at nite and singly.

Mar 15,45 I was sent to Cambrai (France) to pick up DZ383 a MKIV Mosquito used by 2 Group for PRU (Photo/Recon) work. Aircraft was at 138 Wing. March 16, 17, and 18 flew some picture taking of low level formation practice of 21 Sq, my "looker" (navigator) Fl/Lt R S Undrill took the pictures. Mar 20 , a Sgt Hearne a photographer went with me as we followed 21, 464, and 487 Squadrons to Fersfield airfield [near Norwich].

It was early morning on 21st that we were briefed and told about Shellhaus.

There were 20 Mossies, 21 Sq, 6 in 1st flt plus DZ 464 [another MKIV flown by Fl/Lt Ken Greenwood].464 RAAF 6 in 2nd flt and 487 RNZAF 6 plus me in DZ383 in 3rd flt. Low level all the way, Embry (Commanding Officer) said anyone flying higher than me I'll personally shoot him down. Don't know how he would have known , he was 3rd in 1st flt. At Lake Tisso, about 20 miles west of Copenhagen the first flt went on, the rest were to circle Tisso once for 464, twice for 487 and three times for DZ383 and then proceed to target.

As I was about 2 minutes from target I saw 4 Mossies coming from my left and turning east towards a big pile of smoke, I thought , am I lost? They have navigators and they were so close I either had to turn right 360 or get close to them because of the delayed action bombs. 30 seconds for first 3, 11 for 2nd three. I slipped right next to #4 and we went thru the smoke and they unloaded their bombs, unfortunately as we later learned on the French School. I was carrying incendiaries and told to drop them a few blocks from the target to create a diversion in case some of the prisoners were able to escape. Turns out I burnt up a few houses east of the school and west of Shellhaus. Our windscreens were fouled with salt spray and difficult to see thru, this precluded my right 360 and prompted me to join the 4 from 487. As it turned out 464 the second wave also were diverted by the school crash and missed their run-in, they orbited and the leader bombed Shellhaus, 2 were shot down and one took his bombs home. Good news , bad news; had 464 been successful in their orbit and 487 on target, 487 would probably been blown up, had everybody been on target no prisoners would probably have survived.

We picked up some flak that damaged the starboard engine and the nose. Engine kept running OK but as I wasn't completely comfortable in the MKIV Mosquito and it was a long trip, I was sweating fuel, 8 tanks to monitor, nobody to follow, I just flew reciprocals and when I saw England picked first field I saw to land, turned out to be Rackheath.

There was no traffic at the time, about 14:00. Got the gear down but no brakes, so just coasted to a stop at the end of 26. Was met by a jeep full of MP's and taken to the tower, Sgt Hearne brought his film and when I called base and was told they would pick us up in the morning, he said " I'll be in London before then". I think he had asked an MP to take our picture which showed us examining holes in the cowling and nose. That was the last I saw of 383 or Sgt. Hearne. I don't remember much of my sojourn at Rackheath, probably slept most of the time.

Have seen quite a few reruns of our films both during practice and from the raid.

Bob Kirkpatrick

Postscript: Bob flew 9 more operations after the Copenhagen Raid of the 21st March 45. He was back in Copenhagen with participants in the raid on July 3, 4 and 5,1945 for a victory celebration and to meet the prisoners able to be freed, also honored by King Christian 10th, and given silver cufflinks with a Danish symbol on them.

He left the RCAF in October 1945. Retired in 1984 after 20,000 hours of business flying and crop spraying. Bob returned to Copenhagen in 93 and 95 for the dedication of several memorials to the Shell House attack, including those at the former French Convent School where many children lost their lives that day. He currently lives in Humboldt, Iowa, and looking forward to celebrating a 60th wedding anniversary in September.

Thank you Bob for your donations and support of our Society, but far more so, for your service and sacrifice in the cause of the freedoms which we all now enjoy.

Richard de Boer
President, CMS
403-235-1350