From the diary of 49 Squadron

BEWARE OF THE DOG AT WAR is an Operational Diary of 49 Squadron, spanning 49 Years 1916 - 1965. It was written by John Ward.
49 Squadron was a front line unit of the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command. The diary records the Squadron's History including all known details of members of the Squadron who died in action, photographs of many of the aircraft and crews, their operational bases and an abundance of stories and anecdotes from the survivors The next picture is on the cover, it is an original oil painting by the author, which depicts Lincoln Cathedral with the Hampden, Manchester, Lancaster, Lincoln and Valiant bombers as operated by 49 Squadron. Next to it, the part of the diary concerning the Hampden that crashed in Berkhout.

8/9 November, 1941; ESSEN/INTRUDER: At 10.00hrs, 5 of the squadron's aircraft were detailed for operations against Essen; 3 on bombing sorties and 2 for searchlight-suppression and intruder attacks. The two intruders took off just after 17.14hrs, followed by just one bomber, piloted by Sgt Freeman (L4125) and crew. Bomber Command had dispatched 54 aircraft on the bombing raid assisted by 8 Hampden intruders. Large fires were started in the target area but the cost was high with 3 Wellingtons, 2 Whitleys and 1 Hampden reported missing. One Hampden failed to return from the intruder operations and it unfortunately came from 49 Squadron: W/O Christopher Saunders DFM (P1206) and crew were shot down by a German night fighter flown by Ofw Ney of II/NJG 2. The aircraft was hit over the Dutch coast and set on fire; it was seen to circle before crashing at Berkhout, south west of Hoorn in Holland. The wreckage sank deep into the marshy ground and the bodies of Sgt John Kehoe (of Eire) and Sgt Stanley Mullenger have never been recovered. The pilot and navigator, Sgt James D'arcy are both buried in Bergen General Cemetery. FTR P1206 W/O C.A. Saunders DFM Pilot (Killed) (EA-Z) Sgt J.M. D'arcy NAV (Killed) Sgt J.E. Kehoe W/AG (Missing) Sgt S.G. Mullenger W/AG (Missing)

The whole diary can be downloaded from the internet for free (Site 49 Squadron).