Mosquito Night Intruder Ace - Danny Burt

Bertie Rex O’Bryen Hoare was born on 6 June 1912. Having been educated at Harrow and Wye Agricultural College, ‘Sammy’, as he was often known to friends and family, entered the RAF on a short-service commission in 1936. In October 1938, whilst piloting a Fairey Battle, Bertie sustained a serious injury from a piece of loose aircraft cowling. This incident resulted in him being totally blinded in one eye. Though he was initially grounded, his determination to return to the air never diminished. The outbreak of war in September 1939 saw his wish be granted when Bertie was given permission to return to operational flying duties. Bertie was posted to 23 Squadron, which was flying Blenheims at the time. The squadron then converted to Havocs, the crews being tasked with undertaking night-time operations over Occupied Europe. Despite his restricted night vision and depth perception, Bertie went on to became one of the RAF’s leading advocates in the art of what was known as ‘intruder operations’. In the months and years that followed, Bertie served in, and then commanded, a number of RAF squadrons. By the time the war in Europe came to an end he was the Station Commander at RAF Little Snoring in Norfolk – which, at the time, was home to de Havilland Mosquitos undertaking intruder operations. Bertie opted to remain in the RAF after the war, this time being posted to 84 Squadron. However, his luck finally ran out on 26 March 1947,
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