A blog about a RAF Mosquito squadron
This is Susan’s grandfather.
He was Ken Eastwood’s navigator.
As you should know by now, a Mosquito pilot and his navigator were a team.
George Stewart and Paul Beaudet survived the war, but Ken Eastwood and Griff Rogers did not.
Susan has a blog on her grandfather.
Jackie Curd was on a picture with Paul Beaudet. They were based in Sardinia with No. 23 Squadron.
This is all that I found on the Internet about Flight Lieutenant Jackie Curd.
23 Squadron (AIR 27/288)
16 Mosquitos on patrols.
All returned safely.
Mosquito PZ176 G/C B.R.Hoare / Fl. W. Gregory patrol Vaerloes.Two unidentified aircraft attacked and claimed as damaged. Up: 00:45. Down 06:00.
Mosquito HR201 F/S J. Weston / Sgt Francis patrol Aalborg. Uneventful. Up 02:20 Down 06:35.
Mosquito PZ178 F/L J. Curd / F/S P.H.Devlin patrol Grove. Uneventful. Up 22:50. Down 03:05.
Source: http://www.flensted.eu.com/1944119.shtml
Paul Beaudet and Jackie Curd
Do you know Jackie Curd?
Do you have more information on him?
Updated 15 October 2023
I got this comment on my blog.
My uncle flew for RAF Squadron 23 and was killed on November 26 1942 in a Mosquito fighter bomber. His name was Duncan Stuart Hutt, RCAF. This was before the move from England. My mother told me that her mother sent packages to the pilots in Malta, but the Wing Commander told her that all pilots that Stuart had flown with in England were KIA.
I found these locations of No. 23 Squadron on this site.
16 May 1938-31 May 1940: Wittering
31 May-12 September 1940: Collyweston
12 September 1940-6 August 1942: Ford
12-25 September 1940: Detachment to Middle Wallop
6-14 August 1942: Manston
14-21 August 1942: Bradwell Bay
21 August-13 October 1942: Manston
13 October-11 December 1942: Bradwell Bay
11-27 December 1942: On way to Malta
27 December 1942-7 December 1943: Luqa
3 September-5 October 1943: Detachment to Signella
5 October-1 November 1943: Detachment to Gerbini Main
1 November-7 December 1943: Detachment to Pomigliano
7 December 1943-8 May 1944: Alghero
8-19 May 1944: Blida
19 May-2 June 1944: Returning to UK
2 June 1944-25 September 1945: Little Snoring
Duncan Stuart Hutt was stationed at Bradwell Bay when he got killed.
I found this video on the Internet about No. 23 Squadron based in Italy.
If you have information on No. 23 Squadron, just write me a comment and I will get in touch just like I did with Stuart Hutt’s nephew.
This is what No. 23 Squadron pilots were flying late in the war.
George Stewart and Paul Beaudet finished their tour of operations before these versions were introduced.
George told me he piloted this version to train navigators with the new radar.
The ASH radar was an American radar found on some of their planes. The RAF used them on Mosquitos.
They just removed the nose machine guns and installed the radar.
Would you have pictures of Mosquitos that you would like to share with my readers?
Write me a comment and I will get in touch.
I have been sending George Stewart the pictures that Diane has sent me.
I was afraid to annoy George with all this as I sent him two pictures.
Hi Pierre,
Of course you’re not annoying me; it’s not unlike priming a pump, I’m enjoying it!!!
Now, I believe that we can now safely assume the identity of the navigator with his left hand on his pilot’s shoulder is F/O K.A.Stretch, and his pilot on the center bike is F/O G. B.(George) Wightman, photographed just by our Nissan Hut, down at the site where we were billeted.
This would also support the friendship with another navigator, Paul Beaudet, because of our close proximity at site 5. I also was photographed on my bike on the same occasion; likely both taken by Paul Beaudet.
The pilot on the other bike is F/O G,Austin, whose navigator was F/S J. Redwood. They started their tour on 5th of September, whereas George Wightman and his navigator had been operating for some time, possibly even in Sardinia.
On page 2, upper left, we find four airmen, L to R; Al Berry, Ken Eastwood, Paul Beaudet, and Al’s pilot, (who had just recently been promoted to Pilot Officer), Ron Neil, and they appear side by side in the photo on the right.
This is great mixing and matching!
Cheers
Remember when I talked about Ken Eastwood…
He was there all along in the picture…
Someone sent me this picture with the pilot’s name…
Ken Eastwood
Diane also had this picture but she did not know who he was…
This is Ken Eastwood.
This person wrote that Ken Eastwood and Griff Rogers took off in YP-A on September 18, 1944.
Five aircraft were detailed for the night’s operations on targets over Gutersloh, Strade, Hilde, Vechta and Ardorf.
F/O Eastwood and F/LT Rogers in aircraft “A” PZ177 failed to return.
I had this note on Kenneth Eastwood while I was searching for more information on No. 23 Squadron.
I had no idea at that time that this name would come up someday.
Flying Officer KENNETH EASTWOOD (1935-1939)
Royal Air Force
Born 20 June 1923, Kenneth entered the School as a Scholar in 1935 and after Junior School, when he joined Sloman’s House, he was twice commended as ‘best boxer’ in his class. He left School in July 1939 to join the Clan Shipping Line before volunteering for the R.A.F. in March 1941. As pilot of Mosquito PZ 177 of No.23 Squadron, Bomber Command, he took off from Little Snoring for night patrol over the Gutersloh area, east of Munster and was reported lost, presumed killed, over target on 18 September 1944.
Strange that George Stewart mentionned that name about this picture in one of his e-mail …
In the dark battledress to my right, is F/O Ken Eastwood’s navigator F/L G.T. (Griff) Rogers.
I wonder what became of F/O Ken Eastwood’s navigator F/L G.T. (Griff) Rogers.
RAF 23 Squadron 