The recent acquisition by the Collings Foundation of the remains of Mosquito FBVI RS505 for a restoration project was of special interest to one man: 99-year-old Ron Day, the navigator on that very aeroplane when it was shot down. We talked to him about that fateful sortie, and his experiences on Beaufighter attack missions during his previous tour
As we lurch towards the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, the possibility of connecting with Second World War aircrew via the news pages of Aeroplane now feels to be vanishingly rare. But late in February, former IWM Duxford restoration volunteer Dr Jonathan Swift e-mailed to say that the navigator aboard No 235 Squadron de Havilland Mosquito FBVI RS505 when it was lost in April 1945 — featured in the February edition, following acquisition of its remains by the Collings Foundation — currently lives in Seaton, Devon, and celebrated his 99th birthday on Christmas Day.
