These pages are dedicated to the flying career of Geoffrey William Daggett (b.1922-1994), who flew Lancaster bomber aircraft with the RAF, during WWII, and later as a civilian airline pilot with “Skyways” and as Fleet Captain with “Ghana airways”.
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his 33 missions during WWII with bomber command.
Guy Gibson, leader of the Dam Busters, was killed on one of his missions, in 1944.
The account of Guy Gibson’s death.
The extract below was taken from BOMBER COMMANDS website at :-
http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/sep44.html
Dads Squadron : Rhodesian 44 Squadron ( Also known in following extracts as No.5 Group.)
19/20 September 1944
227 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and No 5 Groups to the twin towns of Mönchengladbach/Rheydt. 4 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito lost. Bomber Command claimed severe damage to both towns, particularly to Mönchengladbach.
The Master Bomber for this raid was Wing Commander Guy Gibson, VC, DSO, DFC flying a No 627 Squadron Mosquito from Coningsby, where he was serving as Base Operations Officer. Gibson's instructions over the target were heard throughout the raid and gave no hint of trouble, but his aircraft crashed in flames - according to a Dutch eyewitness - before crossing the coast of Holland for the homeward flight over the North Sea. There were no German fighter claims for the Mosquito; it may have been damaged by flak over the target or on the return flight, or it may have developed engine trouble. It was possibly flying too low for the crew to escape by parachute. Gibson and his navigator, Squadron Leader JB Warwick, DFC were both killed and were buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery at Steenbergen-en-Kruisland, 13km north of Bergen-op-Zoom. Theirs are the only graves of Allied servicemen in the cemetery.
Aircraft of No 100 Group flew 15 RCM and 17 Mosquito sorties without loss.
Guy Gibson, VC (1918-1944)
Leader of the Dam Busters Raid
Gibson's gravestone. Holland.
