I´ve got two photographs of a B35 Mosquito taken in Iceland, probably post war. Both of them are taken at the front of the aircraft so any chance of reading a serial are nil, unfortunately. The aircraft does, however, have the crest of Transport Command on the right hand side of the nose.
Since it is impossible to read the serial of the aircraft, I wonder if anyone on here knows the approximate time frame of Mosquito usage by Transport Command – it would help me to time the photo.
I would also like to know, what on earth Transport Command was using Mosquitoes for and what it could have been doing in Iceland post war.
By: wieesso - 12th December 2011 at 05:16
Vampiredave,
Thank you very much for the suggestion about the aircraft being PR34. After careful studying of the photographs, I can make out the camera port in the starboard bomb bay door.
Mosquito PR34 – also mentioned in the article:
‘How the Vampires crossed’
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1948/1948%20-%201135.html?search=atlantic%20crossing
By: galdri - 11th December 2011 at 23:58
Vampiredave,
Thank you very much for the suggestion about the aircraft being PR34. After careful studying of the photographs, I can make out the camera port in the starboard bomb bay door.
By: galdri - 11th December 2011 at 23:41
Thank you for that guys
By: farnboroughrob - 10th December 2011 at 10:29
Although maybe nothing to do with this particular mossie Transport command did use Mossies in 1945-47. They were used for high speed courier runs to supply the European occupation forces .
From my own research on 162 sqn it became part of Transport Command in December 1944 at Bourn. In June 45 they moved to Blackbushe to work on the ADLS (Air Despatch Letter Service) the service also supplied daily British newspapers. Initial route flown was to Brussels and Wiesbaden and then a second route to Oslo via East Fortune. Some flights required a landing but others( mainly to German bases) involved dropping of panniers from the bomb bay via parachute. The squadron ranged as far as Athens, Prague, Vienna and Berlin, but no mention of Iceland. The squadron disbanded in July 1946.
By: vampiredave - 10th December 2011 at 08:21
Post War use of Mosquitos by Transport Command
Would these have been Mosquito PR.34s, PF620, PF621 and PF623 of No.1 Transport Command Ferry Unit?
By: wieesso - 9th December 2011 at 23:37
In
FLY PAST MAGAZINE 1998 AUGUST
is an article about the 1948 Vampire Atlantic Crossing.
Maybe there is an information about the serials of the Mosquitos
By: galdri - 9th December 2011 at 22:51
Martin,
Thanks an awful lot for this. I think we might have a winner! Post war landing of Mosquitoes in Iceland can not have been that common.
By: wieesso - 9th December 2011 at 22:06
Second attempt – maybe there is trace of your Mosquitos in Keflavik
http://www.3bktj.co.uk/wood10.htm
The First Jet Crossing of the Atlantic (1948) Odiham-Stornoway-Keflavik-Bluie West 1-Goose Bay-Trenton
…
The support aircraft required for the trip were to be as follows:
a) Three de Havilland Mosquitos. One was to act as the convoy leader and as the navigation aircraft. The second was to be shepherd to the Vampires and a back-up navigator. The third, as previously mentioned, was to provide meteor- ological information on the route, recorded at least two hours in advance of the convoy.
By: galdri - 9th December 2011 at 21:44
Oh, and by the way. I´m pretty sure the pictures I´ve got are taken at Keflavik
By: galdri - 9th December 2011 at 21:42
Stirling,
I´m hesitant about posting the photos, as I´ve not got the owners approval to post them. I´ll be in touch with him sometime next week, and I´ll ask about the posting of the pictures. I got them to identify the aircraft, or, failing that, get a time frame for it.
Wieesso,
No, that is not the one, as far as I can tell. The one I´ve got pictures of does not have the underwing droptanks. Agreed, they could have been added at a later date, but I doubt it.
Regards,
Sig.
By: avion ancien - 9th December 2011 at 21:41
How do you do it, Martin?
By: wieesso - 9th December 2011 at 20:49
… this one?
http://www.buskerbrian.com/planes/mosquito.jpg
RAF deHavilland Mosquito of ferry flight to UK from Canada 1946 (likely just one via Reykjavik in all of 1946!) but year could be 1945 and could then be any serial. It just does not show.
By: stirling01 - 9th December 2011 at 09:40
Can you post these photo’s, please.
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December 9, 2011 at 12:26 am