Beaufighter GB 25 Squadron 1

25 RAF Sqd ZK-H for Howe R2069

Flown by F/O MJ Herrick RAF and Aircrew 1940/41

One of the first Beaus to be delivered to 25 RAF Sqd, and as such retained engine spinners and RAF Daylight Fighter Camo upto as late as March 1941 - despite being only used on Nightfighter Ops.
Flown by the Kiwi Nightfighter Ace Mike Herrick who shot down 3 Aircraft in Blenheims before being issued with this Aircraft (all at Night - see below)

Operated on this aircraft and shot down a JU88 on 22 June 1941, his only Night time Beau Victory.

Mike Herrick completed his tour and returned home to NZ where he was posted to join 15 RNZAF Sqd (Kittyhawk) and operated in the SWPA region and shot down more aircraft in this zone.

At the end of this tour, he was posted back to the UK and joined 305 PAF Sqd as the B Flight Commander (Mosquitos) during Jan 1944.
He operated on Intruder and Ranger Flights with this Sqd but failed to Survive the War.
He destroyed at least 7 Aircraft with some researchers saying more.

On 16 June 1944 his Mosquito Mk VI was operating over Denmark when it was intercepted by a FW 190 being flown by Lt Robert Spreckles of JG11 over Aalborg and it was then shot down with no survivors.
The Mosquito was NS913 Marked SM-T and his Observer was
PAF - F/O Alexander Marian Turski.

(details on the loss are further below)

Beaufighter R2069 served with 25 RAF Sqd, 68 RAF Sqd, 256 RAF Sqd and 51 OTU.
The Aircraft crashed with 51 OTU while being used as 'training aid' for a nearby USAAF Fortress Sqd.
The Beau was in the process of making a dummy attack for training the Fortress's Air Gunners when it crashed over Northamptonshire on 24 March 1944.
There was only a Pilot on board and he was Killed, F/Sgt John Henry Roberts RAF.

Loss of Mosquito NS913

Fri 16 June 1944

ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY AIR FORCE

Ranger to Denmark

305 PAF Squadron
- 138 RAF Wing 2 RAF Group 2 Tactical Air Force

Mosquito Mk VI NS913/T

Airborne RAF West Raynham at 0857 to carry out an attack on the airfield at Alborg in Denmark.
FTR from Operation, No Further Contact after Take Off.

Shot down over Denmark by a fighter, both Aircrew being killed on Abandoning at too low an Altitude, the navigator falling into woods nearby where the Mosquito crashed, near Ove, 9km WSW of Hadsund.
The pilot fell into Mariager Fjord,his body being buried at Frederikshavn two days later after washing ashore on
4 July 1944.

Both Aircrews crossed the Danish west coast at 10:34, while flying at low level and then split up.
Bob Braham continued towards København while Herrick turned north towards Aalborg flying in the clouds at a height of 600 metres according to Luftwaffe records.

Their approach had been noticed by the Germans and fighters from Aalborg Ost were given order's to scramble.

By accident Herrick was spotted as a shadow in the clouds while flying over a Fw 190 piloted by Leutnant Robert Spreckels of 10./JG 11 (survived war may still be alive now not 100% sure)
Spreckles was based at Aalborg and had been in one of those aircraft that were scrambled.

Herrick appeared to feel fairly safe in the clouds and Spreckles followed him.
When Spreckles had closed to about 10 metres he fired a short bust that set the Mosquito on fire.
Herrick turned sharply left and by doing so came out of the protection of the clouds.

Spreckles followed the Mosquito closely and saw something drop from the aircraft just before it crashed into a wood near Oue west of Hadsund.
Local people watching the aircraft also said after the war that they saw a person jump from the Mosquito moments before it crashed to earth.
The body of this person was found not far from the burning wreck ( the PAF Nav).

Alexander Turski was laid to rest in Frederikshavn cemetery on 20 June 1944.
Michael Herrick was laid to rest in Frederikshavn cemetery on 6 July 1944.

Pilot:
S/L Michael James HERRICK DFC Bar Air Medal (Postnum) (USA) RAF
- Aged 23.

Herrick’s exact number of ops is unknown, but prior to becoming ‘B’ Flight commander with 305 PAF Sqd he had flown operationally with 25 RAF Sqd (first Tour), followed by two tours in the South Pacific with 15 RNZAF Sqd, while on loan to New Zealand fighting the Japanese.

Two of his brothers Brian Henry Herrick and Dennis Trevelyan Herrick both lost their lives while serving as members of the RAF and RNZAF respectively.
Brian died on 24 November 1940 while flying with 272 RAF Sqd and Dennis on 30 June 1941 after being shot down and wounded four days earlier while flying a Blenheim with 53 RAF Sqd.
Dennis was awarded the George Medal in NZ for saving another mans life after an airplane crashed during training on 26 June 1941.
Brian was Killed after being shot down by a RN FAA Fulmar fighter flying Blenheim MK IV Z5734 XK-D while being assigned to a convoy's escort.
Dennis crashed off the coast of Brest in France flying Blenheim Mk IV V6087 PZ-O after being brought down by FLAK and died of his wounds in a Kriegsmarine Hospital at Lorient.
Dennis was aged 29 and Brian was aged 25.

Another relation their Cousin (again another similarity with my own Family this is getting FREAKY!!) Peter Gershom Herrick RAF was also Killed serving with 245 RAF Sqd on 25 Sept 1941.
His Mk II B Hurricane BD738 was involved in a Mid Air Collision with another Hurricane in low vis and bad weather conditions with both Pilots being Killed.
He was aged 20.

Full Bio

Michael James 'Mick' Herrick was one of five brothers to serve during the Second World War.
He flew with distinction during the Battle of Britain and in the Pacific before being killed on air operations over Denmark.

Herrick was born in Hastings on 5 May 1921.
Educated at Wanganui Collegiate School, he gained his pilot’s licence with the Hawkes Bay Aero Club while still at school.
In March 1939 he left New Zealand to take up a two-year cadetship at the RAF College at RAF Cranwell.
The course was shortened due to the outbreak of the war and Herrick graduated on 7 March 1940.

Posted to 25 RAF Squadron at the age of 18, Herrick flew Bristol Blenheim's on night patrols during the Battle of Britain. In September 1940 he scored the squadron’s first victories of the war – shooting down two Heinkel He 111 bombers within minutes of each other.
Herrick destroyed another bomber nine days later, meaning he personally accounted for three of the four victories achieved by RAF Fighter Command during night operations that month.

Herrick’s achievements were recognised with the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

By the end of 1941 Herrick was back in New Zealand on attachment with the RNZAF.
After spells as an instructor at Woodbourne and Ohakea he was posted to the newly formed 15 RNZAF Squadron at Whenuapai in June 1942.
Four months later 15 RNZAF Squadron sailed from Wellington to Tonga, where they took over the Curtis P-40 Warhawk fighters of the United States Army Air Force's 68 Pursuit Squadron.

By the time the squadron moved to Guadalcanal in April 1943, Herrick had assumed command,the previous CO having been killed in a flying accident.
On 6 May 1943 he and another pilot shot down a Japanese floatplane – credited as the first enemy aircraft destroyed by New Zealand fighters in the Pacific.

After leading 15 RNZAF Squadron through two operational tours and earning a Bar to his DFC, Herrick returned to the United Kingdom.
He joined 305 PAF Squadron – a Polish fighter bomber unit flying night operations against airfields and V-1 Flying Bomb launch sites in occupied Europe.

On 16 June 1944, Herrick embarked on his first daylight raid and headed toward Denmark with another Mosquito fighter bomber piloted by W/C JDR ‘Bob’ Braham DSO 2 Bars DFC 2 Bars AFC RAF (6 April 1920 – 7 February 1974).
Herrick was en route to attack the German airfield at Aalborg when his plane was intercepted and shot down by a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 flown by Lieutenant Robert Spreckels.
Although Herrick and his Polish navigator managed to bail out they were too low to survive the landing.

In a twist of fate, Bob Braham was shot down by Spreckels 11 days later.
When the two airmen met during Braham’s interrogation Spreckels informed him that Herrick had put up 'a very brave fight'.

Herrick was awarded a posthumous United States Air Medal for his service in the Pacific.
The medal was presented to his parents in Wellington in July 1944.

His death was not the only tragedy suffered by the Herrick family during the war.
Two other sons were killed – F/O Brian Herrick RAF was lost in November 1940 while flying a Blenheim bomber with 272 RAF Squadron; P/O Dennis Herrick GM RNZAF of 53 RAF Squadron died of wounds in June 1941 after being shot down off the coast of France.
Another two brothers served in the Royal Navy, while a sister – Ruth Herrick – was founding director of the Women's Royal New Zealand Naval Service from 1942 to 1946.
(RNZAF Official Profile)

NB
Mick Herrick was a New Zealander serving as a member of the RAF.
He was never a member of the RNZAF, though he was loaned to that service during 1941-1943.
Like my own Family (see my profile for more), his also suffered Grievous Losses in the war with more then one family member killed from the same family.
Also the coincidences do not end there, as like my own family the other members of the family also served with the RN and the RAF only - in my own case it was with the RAN and RAAF/RAF.

Unlike my own these 2 survived, where we had only 1 survive -

Cmdr Laurence Edward 'Larry' Herrick DSC MID Bar RN
Served on HM Ships Tigris, P34, P556, P31, Trusty and Trespasser (all subs) and the Submarine Depot Ship HMS Maidstone.
Commanded HMS P556, HMS P31, HMS Trusty, HMS Trespasser and HMS Maidstone.
Also served on HMS Indefatigable and HMNZS Pukaki and saw duty in ww2 and Korea (with the RNZN).
Married 1951, 1 Son
deceased 2010 UK.
Born 1918 NZ

Capt Terrence Desmond 'Terry' Herrick DSC Bar RN
Served on HM Ships Resolution, Shropshire, Colne, HMNZS Laburnum, HMNZS Dunedin, HM Ships Sussex, Gipsy, Decoy, Hotspur, Brecon, Cockade, Corunna and HMNZS Philomel.
Commanded HM Ships Hotspur, Brecon, Cockade, Corunna and HMNZS Philomel.
Naval ADC to the Queen 1963 and Assinst Chief of Staff RNZN
1964 - 1966.
Served ww2 and Korea.
Sunk U-79 on 22 Sept 1942
Married 1938 2 sons and 1 daughter
Deceased 2009 NZ
Born 1911 NZ

Sadly i have no details on the PAF Observer who was killed with him - if anyone can help i would love to hear from them.