1944: 26th September. Mosquito HR216 YP-Z. Ops: Day Ranger to Grove Airfield, Denmark.
Pilot: Fg Off D L Badley DFC. NZ416998 / Navigator: Sgt A A Wilson. 1565754 RAFVR Damaged by ground-fire and diverted to and at RAF Woodbridge. Crew unhurt. Aircraft repaired. Mosquito HR216/Z: Took off at 09:55 hrs for a Ranger mission over Grove airfield. 26/09/1944
Both aircraft appeared over Grove where the German air defence was taken by surprise. F/O Stewart managed to strafe a Ju88 which was parked in the outskirts of the dispersal area. The German aircraft was heavily damaged. The light flak of the airfield opened fire, but a single German soldier with a handheld weapon caused the most severe damage. He hit Badley’s Mosquito in one engine and he hit the elevator, so that Badley could only ascend if he used his trim tab. The 2 Mosquitoes did not stay long over Fliegerhorst Grove. They headed west and crossed the west coast of Jutland north of the Ringkøbing Fjord. F/O Badley and F/O Stewart had chosen to cross the coast right at the radar station Ringelnatter. F/O Stewart strafed the Wassermann M radar and damaged the machinery, used for rotating the tower, so the radar was out of order for a number of days. In return Stewart’s Mosquito was hit, but F/O Stewart managed to get back to England and make a ”safe landing”. Badley’s Mosquito was seriously damaged, but he managed to cross the North Sea and get back to England where he was directed to RAF Woodbridge. F/O Badley ordered Sgt Wilson (navigator) to bail out, but Wilson happened to release his parachute in the cockpit and Badley’s only option was to attempt a landing at RAF Woodbridge. F/O Badley landed a heavily damaged Mosquito on one engine and without using the steering wheel at 13:55 hrs. Public - Antonio - Researcher - 12 April 2024 - https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/170469