Mosquito DD754 near West Flotmanby, Filey.
On 12th December 1943 the crew of this 25 Squadron Mosquito was one of a number carrying out training flights from the same unit, this aircraft was leading the formation when it pitched up in a steep climbing turn without warning, the aircraft then made a couple of spins before diving into the ground near West Flotmanby, Filey and burst into flames. The Unit were warned that their aircraft may be required to fly towards the Danish Coast to meet and provide fighter proctection for a force of RAF bombers expected to be returning from a raid on Peenemunde in daylight the following day. Not being a day fighter squadron crew were ordered off in pairs to practice mock combats in readiness. This incident occurred during that practice. The aircraft crashed into marshy ground, this caused the crash investigation team problems which led to the reasons for the crash not being fully concluded. Much of the aircraft is still said to be in the ground because of the difficulty in recovering it. The crew of two were sadly killed, though the crash investigation states that the bodies of the crew were not recovered at the time because of the difficulty in accessing the front end of the buried aircraft. However, as the airmen have graves this suggests that their bodies were indeed recovered, perhaps only in part, and given proper burials.
Pilot - S/Ldr Colin Robertson DFC RAF (33412), aged 26, of Falkirk. Buried Camelon Cemetery, Falkirk, Scotland.
Navigator / Radar Operator - F/O Ernest Bartholomew RAFVR (145496), aged 28? Of Lower Brynamman. Buried Lower Brynamman Baptist Chapelyard, Glamorgan.
S/Ldr Robertson was a very experienced Mosquito pilot, at the time of his death he had 365 flying hours on the Mosquito, with a grand total on all aircraft of 1116 flying hours. He received a commission on 17th December 1938 to the rank of P/O having trained at Cranwell. He flew with 41 Squadron before the outbreak of war. He was posted to 603 Squadron just before the outbreak of the War and was awarded the DFC early in the War for service with 603 Squadron for flying done over Central Scotland, Gazetted on 31st May 1940, Hugh Halliday's superb Airforces awards research has located the citation for his award which reads.."This officer has consistently shown skill and coolness in attacks on enemy aircraft, often in bad weather and always without Direction Finding facilities. On three occasions in October he was a member of sections which shot down an enemy aircraft in each engagement. On the 7th March he took part in an action in which an enemy aircraft was shot down and he also succeeded in closing in and reading its lettering which proved the aircraft to be one of the group operating directly under the German High Command. On 17th March, in poor visibility, he intercepted enemy aircraft which, however, escaped into low cloud." He was injured in a non-flying accident just before the Battle of Britain so was not involved in any operational flying during this period and does not count as a Battle of Britain pilot. He recovered from his injuries and having been promoted to F/O on 17th June 1940 he resumed his flying. He was later promoted to F/Lt on 17th June 1941 and to S/Ldr on 1st July 1943. The photograph of his gravestone shown above was posted to the internet by "APANDERSON" to the Scotish War Graves website.
Ernest Bartholomew was buried in his local churchyard. This photograph of his gravestone was found on another website and the credit to it is due to Ms Wendy Edwards. Ernest Bartholomew received a commission on 13th April 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) and was promoted to F/O on 13th October 1943.
Mosquito DD754 was built to contract Ctts/a/c/555 by De Havilland Ltd. at Hatfield and was received by 30 MU on 13th September 1942. The aircraft then passed to 27 MU on 9th October 1942 and was then taken on charge by 25 Squadron at Church Fenton on 24th October 1942. It may have received some form of accident damage on or just prior to 22nd January 1943 (that was deemed Cat.Ac) because the aircraft's AM Form 78 states that No.43 Group D.A. assessed it on the following day and that was often following accident damage. A repair on site was begun on complete on 5th February 1943 1943 and it returned to 25 Squadron. It sustained damage in the air on 28th April 1943 that saw Cat.Ac/FA damage be the damage assessment. A repair on site was carried out and it was returned to 25 Squadron on 16th July 1943. On 12th December 1943 the aircraft crashed near West Flotmanby, near Filey and sadly both crew were killed. Cat.E2/FA damage was the assessment of the wreckage and it was struck off charge.