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Operation: Tirpitz
Date: 30/31st March 1942 (Monday/Tuesday)
Unit: No. 10 Squadron (4 Group)
Type: Halifax II
Serial: W1043
Code: ZA-F
Base: RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland
Location: Hemnfjorden, Norway
Pilot: Sq/Ldr. Frederick David Webster DFC. 43127 RAF Age 29. Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. Eric Archibald Hall 1200462 RAFVR Age 30. Missing believed killed
Nav: Fl/Sgt. Harold Sydney Wheatley 567428 RAF Age 24. Missing believed killed
Air/Bmr: Fl/Lt. Aubrey Charles Stevens-Fox 60772 RAFVR Age ? Missing believed killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Arnold Hague 948242 RAFVR Age ? Missing believed killed
Air/Gnr: P/O. Samuel Robert Leney 104588 RAFVR Age 22. Missing believed killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Walter Hall 1102753 RAFVR Age 27. Missing believed killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Taking off at 18:46 hrs together with 34 others aircraft to attack the Tirpitz that was moored at Fættenfjord in Norway.
Some 6 aircraft failed to return also lost on this operation from 10 Squadron:
Halifax II W1044 ZA-D Flown by 26 year old, P/O. Neil Ralph Blunden NZ/403149 RNZAF - missing believed killed with all 7 crew.
35 Squadron lost 3 crews:
Halifax II R9438 Flown by Fl/Sgt. Joseph Bryan Bushby 1057442 RAFVR - all 7 crew killed or missing.
Halifax II R9496 Flown by Fl/Sgt. William Bruce Archibald 533809 RAF - all 7 crew killed or missing.
Halifax II W1015 Flown by Fl/Sgt. George Henry Steinhauer R/70825 RCAF - all 7 crew killed or missing.
76 Squadron also lost a crew:
Halifax II R9453 Flown by Sq/Ldr. Arthur Patrick Burdett 78272 RAFVR - all 7 crew killed or missing.![]()
Most crews were unable to locate the huge Battleship as the crew had moored it next to a cliff making an air attack unlikely for the south-west. They also cut down trees to camouflage the pride of the Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine and created clouds of artificial fog created using water and chlorosulfuric acid.
Additional anti-aircraft batteries were installed around the fjord, as were anti-torpedo nets and heavy booms in the entrance to the anchorage. Life for the crew of Tirpitz was very monotonous during the deployment to Norway. Frequent fuel shortages curtailed training and kept the battleship and her escorts moored behind their protective netting. The crew was primarily occupied with maintaining the ship and continuously manning antiaircraft defences. Sports activities were organised to keep the crew occupied and physically fit. (courtesy Wikipedia)
The Tirpitz survived this and many other attack until it was finally sunk on the 12th November 1944 when bombed by 32 Lancasters - over 1,000 of her crew were lost with some 200 others surviving.
Sq/Ldr. Frederick David Webster DFC. Trondheim Cemetery (Stavne) Grave: A IV British. K.4. Son of Frederick and Rose Webster and husband of Gertrude Mary Webster, of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England.
Sgt. Eric Archibald Hall. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 84. Son of Walter and Sarah Hall, of Farnborough, Hampshire and husband of Florence Ethel Hall, of Farnborough, England.
Fl/Sgt. Harold Sydney Wheatley. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 76. Son of Ivy S. Wheatley, of Dovercourt, Essex, England.
Fl/Lt. Aubrey Charles Stevens-Fox. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 66. No further details, are you able to assist?
Sgt. Arnold Hague. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 84. No further details, are you able to assist?
P/O. Samuel Robert Leney. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 70. Son of Samuel George and Winifred Anne Leney, of Mitcham, Surrey, England.
Sgt. Walter Hall. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 84. Son of Walter and Jane Hales Hall, of East Denton, Northumberland, England.
Above: 2nd from left P/O. Samuel Robert Leney and on his left P/O. Clement Longden.
Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to sources as quoted. also to Richard Longden for some of the photographs. His father, Fl/Lt. Clement Longden 971461 RAFVR (22nd September 1919 - 25th April 2009) was a friend and trained with P/O. Samuel Robert Leney.
KTY - 16.05.2018
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Binyon
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Last Modified: 19 March 2021, 15:29