Now there's a phenomenal and very active career. To have survived a tour on Blenheims over Occupied Europe is certainly something but then to follow it up with a squadron like 464. RIP - a fine man and a fine pilot. Certainly is. He was flying a Mossie over the Normandy beaches at the same time as Kenneth, Owen. I'll check my 464 book and a couple of others for references to some of his trips.
From The Gestapo Hunters - 464 Squadron RAAF 1942-45 by Mark Lax and Leon Kane-Maguire: McPhee and Atkins flew Mosquito SB-V on the Amiens raid. There is a photo of the aircraft being bombed up on page 119 and of it (MM403) and F/O Kingsley Monaghan's MM410:SB-U at ultra-low level across the Channel. They would not be 25 metres up. Page 142: On the 15th, (Andy - April 1944) six Squadron Mosquitoes attacked the rail yards at St Ghislain, near Mons in Belgium. Goods stores and wagon repair shops were attacked although the lead and his number two missed the target due to wrong track-keeping. Squadron Leader Tom McPhee in MM403:SB-V and Flying Officer Bill Henderson in MM407:SB-Y brought their bombs back, but the remaining aircraft bombed successfully. They were back at Hunsdon in under two hours, well pleased with their afternoon's work as described by Eric Ramsey in his diary: Daylight low level on Mons marshalling yards. Wizard trip. Down on the deck all the way, with John Farrally following [our No 2] - it was his first daylight op. The weather this side was bad and sometimes we were in cloud at 300 feet! Things were better over the target and we pranged the target well and truly. From the footnotes - F/L G.W. Atkins DFC...[was one of] two lead navigators. It is interesting to note the navigational error by a very experienced nav - proof of the difficulty of high-speed low-level naviagation at any time let alone over enemy territory! The final reference relates to McPhee's immediate DFC. Pages 155-156, 11/12 June, 1944: In response to an Army request to bomb petrol tankers in the rail yards at Chatellerault, six Mosquitoes, three each from 487 and 464 Squadrons, quickly briefed and were airborne within 30 minutes of notice. They were followed by six from 107 Squadron about 45 minutes later. Led by their respective COs, Wing Commander 'Black' Smith was first airborne, the route planning being done on the way. Wing Commander Smith recalled the story of getting there: We set course in cloud in formation at 1,000 ft and made the whole trip between 6-8,000 ft using Gee as the only navigation aid. We broke cloud 40 miles from Le Mans and then flew along the base of cloud until we went off our map. We then went down on the deck and flew two courses which my navigator had been able to scribble down on a piece of paper. On the run-up to the target, I flew seven degrees further north across the main double track railway leading south from Tours. I intended to find the line and fly along it to the first big town, then find the marshalling yards. This would have been Chatellerault. Twenty miles from target, No 3 got a definite pin point and took over the lead. He then flew a course only two degrees different to the one we were steering and attacked from 100-150 ft...We then flew out on a reciprocal, climbed to 7-8,000 ft and returned in cloud. Bob Iredale followed Smith's trio in and continued the story: We reached the target and attacked from the south. I saw 487's successful attack and I cannoned a goods train at the south end of the rail junction and bombed trains in the station, but could not identify whether they were petrol tankers. After bombing I decided to reconnoitre this very long railway line at low level until it was too dark to do so. Between the target and Chateaudun many trains were attacked, mostly troop trains stationary in small sidings. Both Smith's and Iredale's sections were attacked by a lone Messerschmitt Bf-109 known as a 'snapper', but the German's aim was poor and no hits were recorded. Although all 13 aircraft made it home, NS893:SB-J flown by F/L ST Sharpe and F/O A Mercer swung and crashed on landing at Tangmere and both crew members were taken to St Richards Hospital, Chichester. Squadron Leader Tom McPhee who was OC 'B' Flight at the time was awarded an immediate DFC for this sortie. If you ever see this book for sale, grab it, it is phenomenal.
