The Mitchell II Mission
June 24th 1943 is a hot day, with good visibility ; in Foulsham where N°98 squadron is based briefing takes place at 09.30hrs ; 6 Mitchell II bombers are detailed for operations and, together with an extra one to be used as reserve, are dispatched to Portreath in Cornwall to await further orders, to re-fuel and to have a final briefing with their comrades from Fighter Command. The target is Guipavas Aerodrome and the bomb load is 8 x 500lb ; in Portreath the reserve aircraft took the place of Mitchell FL. 176 which became unserviceable and Sgt. Moore D. returned with bomb load to base. The aircraft took off at 15.49hrs, S/Ldr Pitcairn leading the box of 6 aircraft; his Mitchell II FL.683 flew N°1, of course, and F/O Toeg‘s Mitchell IIFL.216 flew N°4.
The aircraft climbed gently accompanied by their fighter escorts and the trip across the Channel was uneventful until approaching the target area where they were met by heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire. Turning gently onto the final bombing run, bomb doors were open on the leaders initiative as the Flak was increasing in intensity coupled with increased accuracy. Suddenly Mitchell FL 216 took a direct hit and exploded; its starboard engine very nearly missed hitting the aircraft flying N°5 and the aircraft flying at N°6 started losing height but it eventually managed to join the formation.
Mitchell aircraft FL.216 disintegrated but the rest of the aircraft landed back home safely at 17.20hrs.
Pieces from the aircraft and the bodies of the four crew members fell in the fields around Lanfézic, a small hamlet where Gouesnou, Plabennec and Guipavas meet. The Occupying Forces retrieved the bodies and put them in four different coffins that were left piled in the corner of a field near the crash site: it was only when P/O Thompson was killed that the decision was taken to bury them in Gouesnou churchyard; they were given full military honours.
Sadly, F/Sgt Reed, the observe, killed with F/O Toeg’s crew was replacing the regular observer, F/Sgt Tanne, who had reported sick.
F/O Joseph Philip TOEG ( b. 22.05.1919), the pilot. A Jewish gentleman from Shanghai where his father worked as a broker at the stock exchange; he was educated at Clifton College, Bristol and at the age of 17 and a half went up to Exeter College at the University of Oxford where he obtained an Honours Degree in Jurisprudence and also a post graduate degree of Bachelor of Civil Law ; Ottoman by birth – his father was born in Baghdad – he became a British citizen and joined the RAF on 25.10.1940. Shanghai being occupied by the Japanese, it was only at the end of the war that Mr.Solomon Toeg heard the sad news about his son. Grave 3
Sgt. REED (b. 16.09.1916), the observer. He came from Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire. He worked as a printer in a newspaper. He had a son from a W.A.A.F and the child was born 9 months after his father’s death in Gouesnou; the boy was adopted and changed his name from Reed to Stock ; tracing him back was quite a job but eventually in 1992 Leslie Stock came to Gouesnou and on August 18th he met the Mayor who gave him the medal of Gouesnou. Grave 2
Sgt. ELLIS, the wireless operator ; he was 34 in 1943, so born in 1909.. Grave 4
Sgt. GLOVER (b.02.08.1921), the air gunner. Born into a large family with a mining background, he came from Thurnscoe East in Yorkshire ; He worked at the head of a pit in what is called the ‘lamp Room’ and joined the RAF on June 6th 1941. On May 23rd 2009 Mrs Leatt and her sister Mrs. Doreen Mourant came to Gouesnou to visit their uncle’s grave. They met our Mayor at the Town Hall and were also given the medal of Gouesnou…
Le Patrimoine de Gouesnou 
