Mosquitos from 608 Squadron played a key role in attacking German ports during the final months of the Second World War in Europe. They also have the distinction of dropping the last bombs on Germany, as Andrew Thomas describes.
Based at Downham Market, Norfolk, 608 Squadron formed part of the Light (later Fast) Night Striking Force of 8 (PFF) Group of Bomber Command that was largely used for harassing raids on Germany. Under Wg Cdr Walter Scott, the LNSF began operations with Canadian-built Mosquito XXs in early August 1944, flying 78 sorties against various German cities during the month. Ports such as Hamburg, Emden and Kiel were to feature regularly as targets and 608 visited Kiel for the first time on the night of 13 August when two aircraft preceded a heavy bomber attack dropping ‘window’ to confuse the defences. (‘Window’ was bundles of aluminium strips that dispersed over a wide area after release from an aircraft and saturated enemy radar. The modern day equivalent is known as chaff.) The same night KB273/6T-E flown by Plt Off Wilkinson and Flt Sgt Dale successfully struck Bremen with 4,500lb (2,040kg) of bombs, dropping from 24,000ft, matched by Flt Sgt McLean and Sgt Tansley in KB197/6T-O.
