This photo was taken on February 21st, 1944. It shows what’s left of Mosquito FB Mk. VI fighter-bomber MM401, marked ‘SB-J’, of 464 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force.
The previous night, SB-J had departed 464’s base at Hunsdon, north of London, to strike V1 launch sites in the Pas de Calais area of Northern France. She was flown by a crew from Melbourne – Squadron Leader Arthur Geoffrey Oxlade of Box Hill and his navigator Flight Lieutenant Donald McKenzie Shanks of Toorak. They were aged 24 and 35 respectively. During their attack, the aircraft was hit by a brace of German anti-aircraft artillery and one shell blew most of the starboard outer wing to pieces. But that’s not all.
Once you’re done staring open-mouthed at the starboard wing, shift your attention to the obscured left side. You’ll notice the port propeller blades and spinner are gone, and that the aircraft is resting on the caterpillar track used to move it off the runway. A second flak shell had shattered the port engine and destroyed the left landing gear in the rear of the nacelle. Perhaps the simultaneous and opposing losses of lift and power helped to hold the Mosquito on an even keel – but somehow, Oxlade managed to recover his aircraft and nurse it back across a frigid English Channel to Friston. He then set the plane down on the grass gently enough to walk away.
For a while, the Mosquito was even set to be repaired and returned to service. It was only after a more detailed damage assessment that it was written off.
No kidding!
