Operation 'Jerico'

For some reason I cannot reply to the ‘Walls came tumbling down’. or activate the quick reply, therefore I will add my comments to the forum this way.

I was a young lad at the time of the raid living under a mile from RAF Hunsdon, the base from which the Mosquito’s took off for operation ‘Jerico’.

One Mosquito coded ‘O’ was fitted out as Camera plane with an offical photographer on board to record the raid, other official photogragher’s were at the base.

I used to cycle to the barbed wire perimeter of Hunsdon to watch the Mosquitos- (of most Mks), Beaufighters — Defiants – Hurricanes – Hurri-bombers – Bostons – Havocs – Turbinlight Havocs -Typhoons – Mustangs, etc which was a delight to see, even though at that age I did not fully realise the severity of the situation.
Mostly a guard would shout out :- ‘Clear off’ — which was obeyed — only to return to another position out of his sight.

One Sunday 13 Mosquito’s in line-astern ‘Shot up’ our village, another occasion a Mosquito of the Canadian 410 Sdn. fired at a V1 Doodlebug flying a few hundred feet over our heads, luckily he missed it, but cannon fire hit the ground around our street, & did damage, — if he had hit the V1, then I would not be writing this now !!

Sights never to be seen again!

Dustyone