49 Squadron Association

28/29 September, 1941; FRANKFURT:

With a gap of nearly two weeks since the previous operation, 49 Squadron was asked to provide 14 Hampdens for a small scale attack on Frankfurt. 4 aircraft were scrubbed from the trip, and just before take-off a fifth suffered tail wheel collapse at the taxiing point. At 22.50hrs the squadron started to launch the first of 9 aircraft. Of the aircraft that reached the target area, 4 bombed successfully and 2 had to abort their attempts. Of the 30 Hampdens and 14 Wellingtons dispatched on the raid, 1 Wellington and 1 Hampden failed to return; the missing Hampden was that piloted by F/Lt Mundy DFC (AD733) from 49 Squadron. Their Hampden was hit by Flak and crashed near Karbach (Kreis St Goar) at 04.15hrs but happily the crew survived to become POWs.

Hampden AD 733
F/L J.D. Mundy DFC Pilot (P.o.W.)
Sgt P.C. Darwin Pilot (P.o.W.)
Sgt A. Winton W/AG (P.o.W.)
F/S F. Hibbert DFM W/AG (P.o.W.)

An image taken at Stalag 383 with Peter Darwin standing in the middle of the back row.
Following an appeal through a Facebook group he was identified by his son.

The rear of the photograph is marked as shown above.

The photograph was kindly sent to the Association by Francesca Whynacht.

Francesca describes.........My mother, an amazing woman, died last year at 103. I thought 49 Squadron might like a copy of this photo I found in her possessions if they don’t already have one.  It was sent to my mother, Joan Cattle, when she was a sergeant in charge of a team of plotters at RAF Digby during the war.