On October 9th 1944 Mosquito KB261 608 (PFF) Sqn, took off with 21 other Downham Market aircraft to attack the naval port at Wilhelmshaven in Lower Saxony, Germany. Situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea in Northern Germany, it was a major target frequently attack by allied bombers during the war.
The Mosquito, ‘D’ – Dog, a MK. XX, piloted by Flt. Lt. Reginald George Gardner (s/n 68776) with Fl. Off. Oswald Cuthbert Sweetman DFM*1 (s/n 145171) as navigator, departed Downham Market at 18:03 carrying a mix of bombs. It arrived over the target only to see 10/10ths cloud, and the target obscured. However, bombs were released successfully on red target indicators, after which crews reported seeing several flashes beneath the cloud along with large explosions lasting several seconds.
In debriefing, all crews reported a successful operation although visual confirmation was difficult due to the cloud cover which had extended to between 6 and 8,000 ft in height.
However, Mosquito KB261 never made it down. It arrived home and circled the airfield waiting for its turn to land, it showed no signs of distress or problem – all appeared well. As it entered the ‘funnel’ it suddenly – and without explanation, – dived into the ground from around 1,000 ft, crashing at 21:30.
The aircraft hit a cowshed in the nearby hamlet of Barroway Drove, to the south-west of the airfield, killing both pilot and navigator. A farm building was slightly damaged and some animals in or near the shed were also killed.
The aircraft had been fully flight tested and reported ‘serviceable’ that afternoon by the pilot Flt. Lt. Gardner, and both engines were known to be running at the time of the crash.
A report into the accident concluded it as “obscure” with no known cause, although the Station Commander witnessed the crash saying “…it would appear that while turning into the funnel the aircraft did a slipping turn resulting in rapid loss of height and final crash.”
In the Accident Report Form 765C, the pilot was noted to have called the tower on the downwind leg, but there was no report at that time, from him, as to any problems with the aircraft and all appeared to be in order.
The two crewmen were both married. Flt. Lt. Gardener was born in 1913 and married Nancy Buttle of Bearstead, Kent, where his remains are buried*2; and Fl. Off. Sweetman, born 1916, was married to Jessie James from Newcastle in 1940, he also remains buried in his home town*3.
On the following two nights, October 10th and 11th, two more 608 Squadron Mosquitoes were lost; KB404 ‘6T-T’ and KB348 ‘6T-M’.
In KB404, a Mosquito B MK. 25, both crewmen (pilot – Fl. Off. James Arthur Smith DFC RAAF, and navigator Sgt. John Burchell) emerged safely from the aircraft which crash landed in a field near to the airfield. The port engine was reported to have cut out at approximately 100 feet after take off, whereupon the pilot managed to perform a wheels up landing bringing the aircraft down safely.
In the third Mosquito, KB348, (MK.XX), the aircraft was hit by Flak over the city of Berlin and crashed at the Bornstettin Army Exercise Grounds near Potsdam at 04:02 hrs. The pilot, Fl. Off. Stanley Warren Reeder (RAFVR), and navigator Flt. Sgt. Robert John Bolton (RAAF) were both killed. Initially buried locally in Potsdam, they were, in 1946, interred in the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Plot 4, Row K, Graves 26 and 27, where they remain today.
608 Squadron were only reformed at Downham Market on August 1st 1944, after being disbanded earlier at the end of July. They remained at Downham Market for the remainder of the war being disbanded again on 24th August 1945. In May 1946 they reformed once more only to disband for the last time on March 10th, 1957 at Thornaby whilst flying Vampires. It was at Thornaby that they were initially formed in 1930.
The last remnants of the main runway being approached by the Mosquito before they were removed.
The history of Downham Market appears in Trail 7 – North West Norfolk.
Notes and sources.
*1 Fl. Off. Sweetman’s DFM was gazetted on 5th February 1943, for service he carried out with 104 Sqn flying Wellingtons in the Middle East.
*2 Flt. Gardener was buried in the Holy Cross Churchyard, Section N, Grave 184
*3 Fl. Off. Sweetman was buried in All Saints Cemetery, Section E, Unconsecrated Grave 191.
National Archives: AIR-27-2101-19, AIR-27-2101-20
Chorley, W.H. “Bomber Command Losses – Vol 5 1944” Midland Publishing,. 1997
Aviation Safety Network website, accessed 11/1/25
Downham Market Heritage Centre
Aviation Trails 