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Dear all.
Thank you for accept myself on your website. With the agreement of the French Underwater Archeology department (DRASSM), supervised by the responsible of the Southern France Arles'archeologic Museum, M. David Jaouï, I will work at the end of Spring 2024 on the loss of the Mosquito Mk IX who crashed on 13 May 1944 in the Aulnes'lake (étang des Aulnes in French), between Marseille and the Rhône'river on the French Riviera.
I'am specialised as underwater searcher, author of few books on the Air War in southern France, and the man who identified the wreckage of the Lightning F-5B # 42-68223 of our War Hero, missing in action on 31 July 1944, the Commander Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
By this message I would like know if someone among your readers, will have more inforamtions on the crew, and maybe a picture of the luckless MM.256.
The brave crew of two, were reported killed in action in the crash, and their bodies were found floating in the Aulnes'Lake, the same day for the pilot, Lt Wentzel C. Joubert, and few weeks later for the navigator/photographer, the Lt Gordon Mervis. Both are today buried in the Commonwealth war military cemetery of Mazargues, South of Marseille, French Riviera.
By that we know, the "Moss" took off at 12:40 for Photo-Recco'mission to 14 points in Southern France, including Montpellier, Orange, Salon, Toulouse, Valence, Aix, Avignon and Marseille, on 13 May 1944. The twin engines was attacked by a pair of Bf 109 belonged at the Jagdgruppe Süd (later Jg. 200) based at Orange-Caritat in the Rône Valley. In the ensuing fight the 109 Werk-Nummer 140324, flown by Fw Erhard Riedel, enter in collision (cause unknow) with the already hit Mosquito, severing one of its wings. The Mosquito MM256 crashed into the Aulnes'lake, near Saint-Martin-de-Crau in the Camargues county. The Bf 109 crashed not so far the Aulnes, against a farm nearby, killing his pilot. The second Bf 109 was piloted by the Sgt Horst Rippert who fdid back home safety. Quickly, the German soldiers drag the lake and recover one of the bodies, described like that : tall of 1.80 m, brown hair and mustache, wearing a khaki uniform without insignia with the precision of that the airman saw his impeccable dress and his hands were of a touching cleanliness and finesse. Later, as I argued above, another body (the navigator) was recovered floating to the surface. The German raised his tall as 1.75 m, with red hair receding hairline, khaki uniform. On his clothes was, and most important, the name "Mervis" for identification.
Thank you for the help you will can give to me,
Philippe
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