Mosquito Bomber KB161

de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito

de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft with a two-man crew that served during World War II and the postwar era. The Mosquito was one of the few operational front-line aircraft of the World War II era to be constructed almost entirely of wood and, as such, was nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder". To its crews it was simply the "Mossie". Originally conceived as an unarmed fast bomber, the Mosquito was adapted to many other roles during the air war, including low- to medium-altitude daytime tactical bomber, high-altitude night bomber, pathfinder, day or night fighter, fighter-bomber, intruder, maritime strike aircraft, and fast photo-reconnaissance aircraft.

The Windsor Mosquito Bomber Group

In 2002 in Papakura, New Zealand. Glyn Powell had spent 10 years of his life building fuselage moulds for the Mosquito aircraft and the first tryout skins were close to being finished. The Mosquito Bomber Group had committed to accepting this first fuselage in return for payment and machine jigs, to be built in Windsor. They returned from New Zealand with the fuselage and moved their operation to #7 E.F.T.S., becoming part of the Canadian Aviation Museum.

The original Mosquito KB16 was a Mosquito Mk XX manufactured by de Havilland's Canadian subsidiary in Downsview, Ontario. The first five Canadian-built Mosquitoes arrived in Hatfield, England in the middle of August 1943. KB161, "Vancouver", was one of the first to land on English soil. KB161 took part in its first raid on 2 Dec 1943, an attack on Berlin and was flown by Canadian pilot G.W. Salter. The aircraft was allocated to 139 Squadron flying from RAF Wyton until Feb 44 and then RAF Upwood airfield, Huntingdonshire. On the 11th of May 1944, the squadron was involved in bombing operations at Mannheim and Ludwigshaven, where the target was the I.G. Farben chemical works. It was piloted by F/O G.W. Lewis and Navigator F/O A.J.A. Woollard. KB161 (Sqn code XD-H) was tasked to drop a pattern of Target Indicator flares. On returning from the mission, it was found that one flare had not dropped correctly and was lodged in the bomb-bay. It ignited and caught fire to the belly of the aircraft. F/O Woollard was able to bale out with the help of Pilot Lewis, who was himself not able to escape. The aircraft soon crashed. KB161 had also become the first Canadian-built Mosquito to be destroyed in Bomber Command service. In 1976, excavations by the Anglian Aeronautical Preservation Society recovered remains of the aircraft, including part of the wooden frame, one engine and an armoured seat.