Operation Fuller ('Channel Dash')

Date: 12th February 1942

Unit: No. 217 Squadron (Coastal Command) (motto: 'Woe to the unwary'') 16 Group

Type: Bristol Beaufort II

Serial: AW278

Code: MW-F

Base: RAF St. Eval, Portsmouth

Location: Off the coast of Schouwen, Holland

Pilot: Fl/Lt Arthur John Heneage Finch DFC. MiD. 39937 RAF Age 28. Missing - believed killed

Obs: Fl/Sgt Albert Henry Leeds Jackson NZ/403778 RNZAF Age 31. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt David Yule Fyfe 749346 RAFVR Age 27. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt Thomas McNeill 1355426 RAFVR Age ? Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

First sortie:

Leaving St. Eval at 13:33 hrs Beaufort L4458 MW-V flown by P/O Aldridge - Beaufort AW235 MW-M flown by Fl/Sgt Banning - Beaufort AW275 MW-Q flown by Fl/Sgt Lee. Beaufort L4457 MW-S flown by P/O Carson took off at 13:30 hrs made contact with a different warship, believed to be the German cruiser Prinz Eugen, but their torpedoes missed. They all arrived safely back at Base by 20:00 hrs.

Taking off at 14:20 hrs from RAF Thorney Island to join the others, Beaufort AW275 MW-L flown by P/O Stewart - Beaufort unidentified serial number MW-X flown by Sgt Rout to intercept the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau as they fled from their safe haven at Brest, making the daring Channel Dash for Germany.

217 Squadron had a detachment of four Beauforts that were ideally placed at RAF Thorney Island, near Portsmouth. Their main Base was at St. Eval. On their first sortie, two aircraft on their second sortie, the same pair found the Scharnhorst but their torpedoes missed again. The other two Beauforts reached the French coast, after misdirection due to a mix-up over radio frequencies. A later sortie by the remaining aircraft from RAF St. Eval only found four small minesweepers.

In the final sortie:

Beaufort I AW252 MW-R flown by P/O Etheridge - Beaufort I AW6535 MW-T flown by Sgt Robinson - Beaufort AW9878 MW-T flown by Sgt Vickers - Beaufort I L9877 MW-Z flown by Fl/Lt White.

From the 217 squadron ORB (Operational Record Book):

'Terrific flap to-day. Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen are out of Brest and heading up towards the North Sea. How they managed to get as far as this without detection is one more mystery of this war. Late that evening we were still in a muddle but finally sorted things out with the following result.

Sgt Rout and crew landed at RAF Manston with Sgt Rout wounded in the hand by a shell fragment, his W/Op/Air gunner with a bullet in his arm and leg, his rear gunner wounded in the eye by perspex splinters. The aircraft had a number of holes.

P/O Stewart and crew were set on by fighters as they went in to attack but Sgt Bower fought back with his two GOs (Vickers GO machine guns) and Stewart made his attack when he was again set on by fighters. Again Sgt Bower fought them off, claiming one down and one damaged.

P/O Etheridge had his hydraulic gear shot away and was forced to crash land at Horsham St. Faith using his torpedo as an undercarriage. His rear gunner was injured in this landing, conflicting reports were received as to the extent of his injuries, being cleared up about a week later, when we were told that he had never been on the seriously ill list.

F/Sgt Bunning and crew landed here when we considered them lost, having done two sorties, about which we knew nothing until later.

Fl/Sgt Finch and crew failed to return and their fate is unknown - the other members of this crew were Sgt Jackson, Sgt Wilson and Sgt McNeill. A second aircraft was lost but this crew was from 22 Squadron.

News today that Sq/Ldr Boal DFC is to be our new C.O. Sq/Ldr Boal (1) left us about a year ago and went to Chivenor for a rest. He was at that time very popular with all ranks and we are very pleased to have him back with us again.

Operation 'Fuller' had been a failure, and a bitter disappointment, given the anticipation which had built up over nearly a year. 3,400 tons of bombs had been dropped on Brest harbour in the months before the ships even set out and with the loss of 127 aircraft. Mines which had been laid off the Frisian Islands during recent nights were ineffective against the armour of the warships. The RAF had failed to prevent the ships from reaching Germany, and for the first time in 300 years, enemy ships had sailed within 18 miles of the southern coast of England.

Churchill was furious and ordered an official enquiry into what he called 'the War's Greatest Blunder'- but no blame was really attached to anyone. As is in the nature of such things, when everyone had had their say, the ultimate blame for failure was on account of previous decisions made at the highest level of command!

Also, it was a classic case of 'too little - too late'. Apart from the 11 aircraft sent from 217 Squadron, Coastal Command could only provide another 9 Lockheed Hudsons from 59 and 407 squadrons.

The eventual end for all three warships was ignominious:

A year later, Gneisenau was bombed in Kiel (N Germany) harbour so badly that it burned for 3 days. It was moved to the Polish port of Gdynia for possible repair but the work was never completed and it was eventually scuttled there on the 27th March 1945. But technically, it outlived Scharnhorst because Gneisenau was salvaged for scrap from 1947 until 1951.

Scharnhorst was eventually sunk in the Barents sea by the Duke of York on Christmas Day 1943.

Prinz Eugen was the only major warship still afloat at the end of the war. She served in the Battics before being scuttled at Copenhagen in April 1945.

Burial together with other details:

Fl/Lt Arthur John Heneage Finch DFC MiD. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 65. Born on the 23rd June 1914 in Naivasha. Son of John Douglas (in WW1 a captain in the Kings African Regiment, joined Kenya Branch of British Legion in 1933 - died on the 23rd June 1952, age 72) and Jesse Finch (née Wallis - died on the 23rd October 1963, age 70), brother of Beryl Mary Edith, twins Bernard Douglas and Dudley Guy of Naivasha, Nakuru, Kenya. Due to WWI his father sent his wife and children to the safety of Britain. His father initially took up farming at Naivasha, and after the war moved to Kima, where he undertook contracts for supplying sand and fuel. Later he moved with his family to Nairobi where he practised as an advocate. He had been married previously to Marguerite Lilian Milson.

DFC Citation 09th January 1942:

Flight Lieutenant Arthur John Heneage Finch (39937), Reserve of Air Force Officers, No. 217 Squadron.
Pilot Officer Arthur Harold Aldridge (89819), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 217 Squadron. (shown right)

'One day in December, 1941, Flight Lieutenant Finch and Pilot Officer Aldridge participated in an attack on an enemy convoy of 8 ships escorted by 2 armed vessels off the Dutch coast. Skilfully approaching the largest ship, Flight Lieutenant Finch flew in to the attack at an extremely low level. Evading the ship's defensive fire, he machinegunned the bridge and, flying across the vessel at mast height, released a stick of 4 bombs; it is estimated that 3 direct hits were obtained. Pilot Officer Aldridge followed his leader's example with great determination and, as the target vessel was obscured amidships by the smoke caused by the explosions of his leader's bombs, he skilfully aimed his bombs nearer the bows of the ship and obtained several hits. In accomplishing this, Pilot Officer Aldridge flew so low that the wing tip of his aircraft was severed by the bracing wires of a mast. Throughout, both these officers showed great courage, combined with rare skill and judgment.'

MiD (Mentioned in dispatches) awarded on the 11th June 1942. A member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy is described.

Fl/Sgt Albert Henry Leeds Jackson. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 117. Also remembered on baily grave at Hillsborough Cemetery, Hillsborough, Auckland, New Zealand and on the Memorial at Auckland Boys Grammar School. Born on the 09th September 1910 at Matakaua, Aukland. Education at the Auckland Grammar School, Auckland Technical College and the Auckland University College to study Accountancy. Employed by the New Zealand Insurance Company in the Trust Department, Auckland. Enlisted in aircrew at the Initial Training Wing, Levin, on the 29th September 1940, then embarked for Canada on the HMT Awatea (Note) on the 5th November under the Empire Air Training Scheme.Trained at No.4 Air Observers School, London, Ontario, where on Anson aircraft and thence on the 17th February, 1941, to No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School, Fingal, Ontario. Awarded Observer Wings and promoted to sergeant on the 29th March 1941. Meanwhile, on the 31st March, 1941, he had proceeded to No. 1 Air Navigation School, Rivers, Manitoba, and to No. 1 'Y' Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the 1st May for embarkation to the United Kingdom. Posted on the 11th July to No. 2 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit, Catfoss, Yorkshire, where he crewed-up and completed his training as Navigator of Blenheim aircraft. On the 15th October he was posted to 217 Squadron at St. Eval, Cornwall, and afterwards to the Torpedo Training Unit, Thorney Island, Hampshire and Abbotsinch, Scotland. A total of 183 hours logged as an observer.

Son of William (died 07th September 1946, age 73) and Millicent Lawrence Jackson (née Leeds - died 20th September 1930, age 48). Brother of Millicent Emma Kate Jackson (later Rutherford - died 11th June 1991, age 84) of 2 Halifax Avenue, Epson, Auckland.

Letter to the family of Fl/Sgt Jackson:

'An aircraft left (censored) at 2.30 on the 12th of Feb. together with others to attack the Sharnhors Gusneau (Spelling?) and Prince Eugen (I gathered that Albert's target was the last one). They were unable to remain in formation long because of bad visibility. (it must have been lousy) and nothing further was heard of this plane and it has been presumed it was shot down over the target. Flight Lt Fife (mistake - it was Finch) was the Pilot and there were also a Sgt Wireless op. and a Sgt Air gunner on board. The plane was a Beaufort and they were carrying a torpedo. Theta all. They have had no further news of these chaps and they have now been officially presumed killed. They don't get much information as to whether they are missing but never the less we can still hope'.

Sgt. David Yule Fyfe. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 83. Son of Charles Fyfe (died 09th December 1944, age 63) and Helen Symon (née Smith - died 25th May 1939, age 57), of Dundee, Scotland.

Sgt. Thomas McNeill. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 89. No further details, are you able to assist?

(1) Later Wing Commander Samuel Mccaughey Boal listed as missing believed killed with one other (two crew PoW) as a result of the shooting down of his Beaufort I AW196. The aircraft crashed into the sea after coming under attack over the Skaggerak Strait between Denmark and Norway

(Note) HMT Awatea (shown below) was a trans-Tasman steam ocean liner built for the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand that was launched in 1936. In 1939 she was converted into a Royal Navy troopship.
Awatea is a Māori word meaning 'eye of the dawn'. She was ordered to deliver No. 6 Commando to North Africa for Operation Torch in November 1942. She was attacked on the 11th November 1942 by the Luftwaffe with torpedo's and sank after the crew had abandoned the ship.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, New Zealand Cenotaph, Weekly News of New Zealand, Air Museum of New Zealand, Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland, National Archive, Kew. AIR-27-1341/26. AIR-27-1341-25, Chris Finch MD, Jack Albrecht MD and Roy Wilcox senior editor Aircrew Remembered for their extensive work on the 'Channel Dash', Adrienne Miller on Fl/Sgt. Albert Henry Leeds Jackson

Other sources as quoted below:

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
All site material (except as noted elsewhere) is owned or managed by Aircrew Remembered and should not be used without prior permission.
© Aircrew Remembered 2012 - 2025 Last Modified: 20 January 2025, 05:50