SOE 298 Squadron

Fred Wilson · Mar 29, 2014

April ? 1945 298 Sqdn RAF 1945 Halifax ?
Loss Location: Tempsford, UK

Aircraft overshot runway on attempting to land in heavy rain and crashed.

F/O Reid - Pilot
No other crew mentioned or the fate of any crew.

Presumably all A-OK.

Harrington Museum Aircraft lost on Allied Forces Special Duty Operations (pdf)
http://harringtonmuseum.org.uk/Aircraft%20lost%20on%20Allied%20Forces%20Special%20Duty%20Operations.pdf

David son of Oliver · Aug 9, 2017

Fred Wilson said: ↑

Archived Tarrant-Rushton Website Home Page
Tarrant Rushton Airfield RAF Station Diary for 196 Squadron, 298 Squadron and Heavy Glider Squadron Operational Record Books:
RAF Station Diary 1943 - 1946
196 and 298 etc Squadron Log Books: RAF Control Tower Flight Log
Tarrant-Rushton Control Tower Flight Log: RAF Control Tower Flight Log

298 Squadron SOE Losses for investigation:

Halifax Mk.III NA347 http://lostaircraft.com/database.php?mode=viewentry&e=28104

Halifax V LL293 - 8A-P http://www.teunispats.net/t4544.htm

Halifax MZ980 http://www.csn.ul.ie/~dan/war/mz980.htm

From: http://www.pegasusarchive.org/normandy/unit_R298.htm

D-Day June 6th 1944
One aircraft ‘K’ 288 piloted by Flying Officer ANDERSON failed to return from this operation. Is 288 a type for 298 Squadron?

Following the conclusion of their part towing Horsa Gliders in the D-Day Invasion, 298 Squadron flew many supply drops over France to men of the SAS
and the Special Operations Executive, and they also participated in a number of tactical bombing raids. Losses were sustained on some of these missions.

On the 16th July, one Halifax was lost and its six-man crew killed whilst flying an SOE sortie codenamed "Stationer 175".
Halifax ‘N’ of No. 298 Squadron piloted by Warrant Officer CROSSLEY failed to return from operations.

A similar mission, "Diplomat 9", took place on the 5th August 1944 and an aircraft was shot down by a German fighter; one man died but the remaining crew successfully bailed out.
Aircraft A-’Q’ of No. 298 Squadron piloted by Flying Officer ANDERSON failed to return.
The Tarrant Rushton Airfield RAF Station Diary lists, for Sept 23d 1944 that Flying Officer READER, rear gunner in Flying Officer ANDERSON’S crew of No. 298 Squadron reported missing on August 5th/6th, 1944, is now back in hospital in this country.

On the 24th August, three men died when their Halifax was shot down on "Pimento 98",
Aircraft A-’T’ of No. 298 Squadron piloted by Warrant Officer BAIN was missing from this operation.
Signal received from United States sources concerning the fate of two of the crew of Warrant Officer BAIN’s aircraft which was shot down in France on the night of August 24th/25th, 1944.
Flight Sergeant WEEKES (air gunner) died on August 27th, 1944, from cerebral concussion in No. 19 General Hospital A.E.A.F.
and Flight Lieutenant ROWALL (navigator) was also a patient in the same hospital after suffering from a fractured skull.

Warrant officer BAIN reported missing from operations on August 24th/25th, 1944, was in WROUGHTON HOSPITAL. Condition not serious.
From information received, it appears that the aircraft was shot down by friendly anti-aircraft fire killing the flight engineer, Flight Sergeant BENSLEY.
Rest of crew were believed to be safe but whereabouts unknown.

and on the 30th August another aircraft and all six crew were lost on "Osric 122".
- No mention of losses in the Tarrant Rushton Airfield RAF Station Diary.

Another SOE mission was flown on the 11th September, but the Halifax involved crashed into high ground, killing all four aboard.
http://lostaircraft.com/database.php?mode=viewentry&e=29635
- No mention of losses in the Tarrant Rushton Airfield RAF Station Diary for that day.
But on Sept 30th 1944, the Station Diaries state: Sergeant A.C. BATEY (rear gunner) from Pilot Officer OWEN K. SMITH’S crew returned to base.
This crew was missing from operations over France on September 10th/11th, 1944.
Sergeant BATEY reported that their aircraft struck the crest of MONT LES VAUX, burst into flames and segregated into three parts.
He escaped from the rear turret and found Sergeant ROYAL (flight engineer) severely burned.
The remainder of the crew were dead and were later taken by the French to EPINAC where on September 13th, 1944, a requiem mass was held in the church.
They were buried in one grave, Sergeants BATEY and ROYAL were driven to WIGON on September 24th, 1944, by F.F.I. Commandant and proceeded by air to HESTON airfield.

Following Operation Market Garden, 298 Squadron resumed their SAS/SOE duties.

A Halifax crashed and one man was killed on the 20th September, when it ran out of fuel during landing after the successful completion of an SAS resupply mission.
The Tarrant Rushton Airfield RAF Station Diary lists, for Sept 19th 1944, Aircraft T-’S’ of No. 298 Squadron piloted by Pilot Officer BERRY crashed in a wood beside MIDDLE WALLOP airfield at 02.50 hours on return owing to shortage of fuel. Sergeant O’KEEFE (u/t wireless operator) was killed and Pilot Officer AUSTIN (flight engineer) slightly injured and three second SAS troops injured. Aircraft was completely written off.

On the following day another aircraft was lost when it flew too low on a similar mission and collided with the ground; killing three of the six crew.
The Tarrant Rushton Airfield RAF Station Diary lists, for Sept 21st 1944 Aircraft A-’M’ of No. 298 Squadron piloted by Flight Sergeant GOLDSMITH reported missing from this operation.

The Tarrant Rushton Airfield RAF Station Diary lists, for Oct 14th 1944
No. 298 Squadron sent five aircraft and No. 644 Squadron six aircraft on SOE operations over Holland. One aircraft piloted by Flying Officer W.B. TAYLOR of No. 298 Squadron is missing.

The Squadron suffered no further losses during the remainder of 1944, but two men were killed when their aircraft crashed on a navigational exercise on the 9th February 1945,
The Tarrant Rushton Airfield RAF Station Diary lists, for Feb 9th 1945 A-’U’ of No. 298 Squadron piloted by Flying Officer McGILLIVRAY was forced to ditch in DONEGAL BAY.

and on the 25th February the six man crew of a Halifax were lost when they were hit by flak during an SOE mission to Norway.
The Tarrant Rushton Airfield RAF Station Diary lists, for Feb 25th/267h 1945 Aircraft T-’M’ of No. 298 Squadron piloted by Flying Officer EDICK is missing from this operation.

In March 1945, 298 and 644 Squadrons temporarily left Tarrant Rushton for Woodbridge, a base closer to mainland Europe,
so that they might participate in Operation Varsity, the second and successful attempt to cross the Rhine, this time using the 6th Airborne Division.

On the 24th March, 298 Squadron towed twenty-four Hamilcars and five Horsas to their landing zones at Hamminkeln, during which one Halifax was brought down by flak and its six-man crew were killed.
- No mention of losses in the Tarrant Rushton Airfield RAF Station Diary.

Three days later another crew were lost when their aircraft stalled and crashed during a night-time navigational exercise.
- No mention of losses in the Tarrant Rushton Airfield RAF Station Diary.

Thereafter the Squadron reverted to its former SAS/SOE resupply role, although their field of operations was now largely concerned with only Norway and Denmark.

On the 30th March, 298 and 644 Squadrons contributed eleven aircraft to SOE resupply missions in these countries; one aircraft and six men were lost on the "Ostler 2" sortie.
- No mention of losses in the Tarrant Rushton Airfield RAF Station Diary.

Further six-man crews were lost on flights to Scandinavia on the 3rd, 13th, and 19th April.
April 3d 1945 - No mention of losses in the Tarrant Rushton Airfield RAF Station Diary.
April 12th 1945 in the Tarrant Rushton Airfield RAF Station Diary: Three aircraft were sent on SOE missions to Holland. One is missing.
April 18th 1945 in the Tarrant Rushton Airfield RAF Station Diary: Denmark was the target for ten SOE aircraft. One completed its mission and one has not yet returned.

April 23'd 1945:
Twelve aircraft were sent to SOE targets in Norway, nine being successful. Three others dropped on SOE targets in Denmark. From Norway, one aircraft landed at CARNABY and another is missing.

April 26th 1945:
Denmark was the target for 12 SOE missions, eight aircraft completed their tasks and one is missing.
Click to expand...

David son of Oliver · Aug 9, 2017

Hi, My Great Uncle Eric Innes was part of Robert Edick's crew lost the night of Feb.25/26 1945. 8T M NA103 was actually shot down by a German night fighter, as for all these years thought by ground fire. Much info has found and thanks to Andrew Wright in Dorset a big Chapter in our families life has been made clearer.Cheers

Log in or Sign up

SOE 298 Squadron

Fred Wilson "The" Rogue of Rogues

David son of Oliver New Member

David son of Oliver New Member

Share This Page

About US

Useful Links