BOAC Mosquitoes

[gas path]

Hi people …. (Gender neutral)🙄 The Mossies used by BOAC during WW2 what call sign would they use? Would it be a civvy call sign for example?

[Allan Lupton]

I think call signs were not used in time of war, probably since they had not yet been invented.

[Herod]

I would think it you were coming out of Stockholm, bound for UK, with a load of ball-bearings, the last thing you want is for the Germans to know you are airborne. Total radio-silence I expect.

[India Four Two]

with a load of ball-bearings

or a VIP in the bomb bay!

[megan]

Save for the three crew trainers used by BOAC all BOAC Mosquitos used on the run carried civil registrations.

DK292 – The first Mosquito to fly the Leuchars – Stockholm route
DZ411 – G-AGFV flew to 1945
HJ667 – G-AGKO flew to 1945
HJ680 – G-AGGC flew to 1946
HJ681 – G-AGGD crash landed Sweden 1941
HJ718 – G-AGGE flew to 1945
HJ720 – G-AGGF crashed Invernairk 1943
HJ721 – G-AGGG crashed near to Leuchars 1943
HJ723 – G-AGGH flew to 1945
LR296 – G-AGKP crashed near Leuchars 1944
HJ792 – G-AGKR lost at sea 1944
HJ898 – Crew trainer retained RAF serial flew to 1945
HJ985 – Crew trainer retained RAF serial returned to RAF 1944
LR524 – Crew trainer retained RAF serial returned to RAF 1944

[Herod]

or a VIP in the bomb bay!

Including Niels Bohr, the nuclear physicist and his son (separate flights) and I believe the wife of the British ambassador.

[gas path]

Thanks folks. I do appreciate the need for radio silence. I was thinking more of when approaching the coast of the UK, maybe even at night. Especially for the civvy reg aircraft.

[blind pew]

You could try contacting Party Pieces and asking Michael Middleton about his dad, Peter, who flew the route.

[missioncontrol]

After reading the Department of Trade report into the loss of G-AGGF at Glen Lee 17 August 1943, the report states that no procedure existed at the time if an aircraft had to return to base and abort the mission.
One of the recommendations following the crash was to transmit a specific morse letter to indicate the reason for the abort, ie technical, weather or whatever, which seems to have been subsequently adopted.

When G-AGGF returned from it's aborted flight, a QTE was requested.
The Observer corps was unable to plot and send this information to the aircraft in a timely fashion, to prevent the crew from descending into high terrain to the north-west of Leuchars..
Presumably this was done by VHF transmission?
In addition, fighter units were stationed nearby at Arbroath and Turnhouse, so one assumes that IFF may have been installed to indicate the Mossie was a friendly.
Hope this information is of some help?

[chevvron]

Originally Posted by Allan Lupton

I think call signs were not used in time of war, probably since they had not yet been invented.

Callsigns were used by operational flights so why not civil ones?
I would say they would use the callsign 'Speedbird' followed by a number; don't forget Mossies weren't the only aircraft types used on the 'ball bearing' runs.

[bean]

Originally Posted by chevvron

Callsigns were used by operational flights so why not civil ones?
I would say they would use the callsign 'Speedbird' followed by a number; don't forget Mossies weren't the only aircraft types used on the 'ball bearing' runs.

As was said earlier on the Germans would have loved that!!!!!

[chevvron]

Originally Posted by Herod

I would think it you were coming out of Stockholm, bound for UK, with a load of ball-bearings, the last thing you want is for the Germans to know you are airborne. Total radio-silence I expect.

Probably used VHF just for short range calls inbound, otherwise as you say, total radio silence. They would have changed the trip number suffix daily.
Other aircraft used were Lodestars and Dakotas; there is also mention of a black painted Liberator too.

[missioncontrol]

In addition,
The book "Blockade Runner", by Lars Nilsen and Leif Sandberg offers quite a bit of info on the communications with the Swedish operation running in the opposite direction....

A prearranged sequence of telegrams was sent with callsign, registration, crew and passengers on board, prior to departure.

Minimal VHF was used, if at all, to prevent the Germans realising what they were up to. Bromma at this time was full of spies.
Mention is made that some diversions into Dyce, Kinloss and Leuchars occurred, resulting in SOP's being devised between the Air ministry, RAF, BOAC and Swedish.
Sorry this doesn't answer the original poster's question re BOAC callsigns but the info into BOAC ops may be out there somewhere?

[GeeRam]

Originally Posted by megan

HJ681 – G-AGGD crash landed Sweden 1941

1944 not 1941.

3rd Jan 1944 to be precise.