Date:	Saturday 30 September 1944
Time:	15:23
Type:	de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk VI
Owner/operator:	515 Sqn RAF
Registration:	NS993
MSN:	P3-T
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Dübendorf airfield. -   Switzerland
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Little Snoring, Norfolk
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Mosquito NS993: Took off at 11:55hrs for Day Offensive patrol over Munich, Linz, Vienna. 30/09/1944
Force-landed at Dübendorf after being escorted by Swiss fighters. The damaged plane was repaired and used by Swiss Air Force later. Crew Interned in Switzerland.
Two Mosquitos Jadgbombers belonging to 515 Squadron, which took off at 11:55 a.m. from the French St. Dizier airfield, 100 km west of Nancy, were tasked with fighting targets in the Munich, Linz and Vienna area as part of “Ranger Missions”. For this purpose, the Mosquitos were equipped with large additional wing tanks, each with a capacity of 756 litres The Mosquito FB MkVI piloted by Squadron Leader Henry Frederick Morley. VI, PZ440, code P3 and piloted by Flight Sergeant
Reginald Arthur Fidler was built at the De Havilland works in Hatfield and was brand new. She was delivered just a week earlier on September 23, 1944. The other crew of the second Mosquito
consisted of Flight Lieutenant AE Callard and Flight Sergeant ED Townsley.
On the way back, the Mosquito flew over the Neubiberg airfield near Munich. There were several Junkers Ju 86s there, which were also taken under fire and at least one of them was seriously damaged. In order to fly back with the little fuel, the Mosquito had to take the shortest route over Swiss areas, where it was fired upon by the Swiss flab between Lake Constance and Zurich. One of the engines was hit and had to be shut down. At the same time, four Moranes from Flieger Kompanie 14 took off from Dübendorf to intercept the Mosquito. The British crew was supposed to use tracer ammunition to force the plane to land in Dübendorf. Due to a severe loss of power from the second engine, the Mosquito FB MkVI lost its life. PZ440,
Civilians rushed to the scene and provided first aid to the crew members until they could later be taken to the hospital in Zurich.
Flt Sgt Reginald Fidler escaped from the Zurich hospital on October 13, 1944. Together with Morley he climbed the border fence near Perly on October 26, 1944, when both were surprised by Swiss soldiers. Fidler was picked up by the soldiers after three hours and taken to a schoolhouse in Geneva that had been converted into a military prison. Just one day later, another attempt to escape failed, whereupon Fidler was sent to the Wauwil military prison. On November 14th he was transferred to Arosa. Together with Flight Sergeant Townsley, Pilot Officer Millard and Flight Sergeants D P Balmer and MT Bartle, he managed to escape to France on December 22nd. Gunner Balmer and radio operator Bartle were part of the crew of the Lancaster MkIII ND759 of No. 1, which was shot down by the Swiss Flab near Steckborn on April 28, 1944. 35 Squadron. The five
interned airmen eventually returned to England thanks to the help of the French underground. Morley and Fidler lost touch for a long time until chance brought them together again. Since then, they have met once a year on September 30th to celebrate the anniversary of their involuntary detour to Switzerland.
On October 13, 1944, Fidler escaped from the hospital in Zurich and went into hiding. On October 18th Sqn Ldr Henry Morley also fled. Together they attempted to cross the border at Perly, North of Geneva, at the very tip of Switzerland, on the following December 26, 1944. However, they were surprised by a Swiss border patrol. Both fled. Flt Sgt Reginald Fidler was picked up 3 hours later.
However, Sqn Ldr Henry Morley successfully managed to escape and was brought back to England with the help of the Resistance.
After another attempt to escape on November 14, 1944, Flt Sgt Reginald Fidler was transferred to Arosa. On December 22, 1944, Filder, together with W/O John Millar (Lancaster MkI, W4355, code LS-A, XV Squadron 15./16.3.44 Golaten), F/Sgt E. Dixon Townsley (Mosquito FB MkVI, NS993, code P3-T, 515 Squadron, 30.9.44 Dübendorf), Flt Sgt Murray Bartle and Sgt David Balmer (Lancaster MkIII, ND759, code TL-R, 35 Squadron April 27/28, 1944 Steckborn) fled to neighbouring France. Like Sqn Ldr Henry Morley, the 5 men managed to escape to England with the help of the French underground.
Crew:
F/Sgt (1382994) Arthur Edward CALLARD (pilot) RAFVR - Ok /Interned (NCO:1382994 Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 18 August, 1942)
F/Sgt (1684322) Edmund Dixon TOWNSLEY (nav.) RAFVR - Ok /Interned /Fled 22/12/44

1.http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH98%20prodn%20list.txtt
2.http://raf.durham-light-infantry.ch/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=11
3.https://warbird.ch/wb-events/ranger-mission-die-zweite/
4. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
5.(The Royal Air Force Over Switzerland 1940-1945)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Sep-2012 02:43	Nepa	Added
12-Apr-2014 14:21	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative]
05-Oct-2014 19:13	Erectus	Updated [Narrative]
23-Aug-2015 09:33	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Phase, Destination airport]
27-Sep-2015 03:58	Angel dick one five	Updated [Cn]
06-May-2019 20:14	Nepa	Updated [Other fatalities, Destination airport, Narrative, Operator]
20-Jul-2020 12:19	Alpine Flight	Updated [Time, Location, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
22-Dec-2021 18:12	Nepa	Updated [Time, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Operator]
22-Dec-2021 18:57	Nepa	Updated [Location, Operator]
31-Jul-2022 17:39	Rob Davis	Updated [Source, Narrative]
19-Sep-2023 19:03	Anon.	Updated [[Source, Narrative]]