A Fire so Fierce it Took Four Hours to Extinguish

In November 1944, a Mosquito of 608 Squadron, RAF Downham Market, returned from a mission to Gelsenkirchen, Germany. A successful mission overall, but this was to be the last time Mosquito KB364 and its crew would fly.

The night was cold and possible icing may have prevented Pilot Officer James McLean and Sergeant Mervyn Tansley, from maintaining altitude. Their flight was about to end abruptly.

Bawdeswell, a small, quiet village in Norfolk, believed to be home to Geoffrey Chaucer’s uncle, was about to make history once more. Find out what happened that night over Norfolk.

Bawdeswell Village Sign Reflects the Incident that Night.

The Bawdeswell village sign reflects the incident of that fateful night.