By way of a reply to Swiss Mustangs’ question,,, apparently Cheshire decided that in light of the successes he was having target marking with a Mosquito,, then it followed that something even faster and smaller, i.e. a Mustang, would achieve even better results. Instead of going through the proper channels, he approached a friend in the USAF and asked if he could “borrow” an aircraft. They, with typical US style, agreed immediately, gave him a few minutes instruction on the cockpit drills and sent him on his way. If my information is correct, he then learnt to fly, navigate etc., on his way to the target,,, marked it “dead centre” and then worried about how he was going to land on his way back!
Incidentally,, J.B. Tait even used himself as the aiming point on one aborted raid, by waggling his wings to make the light glint off them and getting the circling bomb aimers to aim at him. It didn’t work!!! Personally I don’t think I’d relish being underneath several Tallboy’s all whistling their way directly at me????