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Grave of |
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Grave of Flying Officer |
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NARVIK NEW CEMETERY Norway |
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Fg Off Mee with Flt Lt Jamie Jameson |
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Pilot Officer Drummond, probably taken at RAF Digby |
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The same evening Flt Sgt Shackley shot down a Me 110, his camera gun filming continually as the German went down to crash. On the 30th, the weather was too bad for any flying. The next day weather improved and the Squadron flew several missions over Harstad, Skånland, Bardufoss and Narvik. Late in the evening two patrols flew all the way south to Bodø to cover the evacuation of that town. Meanwhile orders had arrived to evacuate Narvik. On the 31st Glorious and HMS Ark Royal sailed from Scapa Flow to -cover the evacuation planned for the 2nd of June. On that same date 46 Sqn flew 17 missions without enemy contact. That day the Squadron was visited by Crown Prince Olav of Norway (later King Olav V, who presented the Squadron Standard in 1979) and Captain Ole Reistad, Acting CO of the Royal Norwegian Army Air Force. On 1st of June fog: prevented any flying. Late on the 2nd of June the weather improved and Luftwaffe bombed and destroyed most of Narvik town. 46 Sqn. flew 18 missions and made contact with the enemy. Plt Off Drummond and Sgt Taylor took off from Bardufoss at 12.30 and immediately attacked two Ju 87s. Taylor's victim smashed onto rocky around, while the Stuka hit by Drummond crash-landed to the south-cast of Narvik. Pilot Officer Jack Frost in L 1815 and Sergeant Tyler in P2632 attacked a Junkers Ju 87. Frost received a bullet in his windshield, which shattered, but stopped the bullet. The Ju 87 was lucky to escape among clouds. Pilot Officer Bunker and Sergeant Shackley engaged five BF 110s from Zerstorër Gruppe (Z.G.) 76. One of the Messerschmitts was damaged and force-landed on its return towards Trondheim. The next few days 15.000 troops evacuated Narvik. No 46 and 263 Sqn. flew cover, but most days bad weather gave the best protection. Since the Hurricanes were not equipped to land on a carrier, order came for them to be destroyed. Cross flew in a Walrus out to the carrier on the 5th and received permission to try and land the Hurricanes on Glorious instead of leaving, them as wrecks at Bardufoss. On the 6th, two Hurricanes escorted five of No 701 Squadron Walruses on a bombing sortie in the neighborhood of Sørfold. The last day at Bardufoss, the 7th of June, was hectic. Fg Off Knight and Plt Off Drummond took off at 03.40 a.m. and shortly after engaged enemy bombers over Narvik, claiming one each. Sqn Ldr Cross and Plt Off Lefevre scrambled ten minutes later and reported attacking four more Heinkel 111’s over the airfield, claiming one shared between them. Return fire damaged Cross' Hurricane, and he had to land back at Bardufoss. In his biography "Straight and Level" Cross describes that early morning: "The 7th of June started early for me. I was asleep in my tent when I was awakened by the sound of a Hurricane section taking off. It was just 3 am and I thought this was rather early for the Germans. and wondered whether the enemy had at last got wind of the evacuation. I got up. put on my flying overalls over my pajamas and walked over to the Operations Tent. Mee was the Duty Operations Officer and I asked him what the flap was all about. "Enemy aircraft in the area" he said “and the Readiness Section has gone to cover Harstad ." “Right I'll do the next Readiness. Call Peter Lefevre.” · Lefevre was my number two at this tine and he joined me as I walked over to my aircraft. I told Pete what I knew and we got aboard and taxied down the runway for take-off. I was alarmed to see a formation of 4 He 111s in a shallow dive for the airfield and only a few miles away. Pete saw them at almost the same time and, slamming the hood shut; I opened up to full throttle and took off straight towards the approaching enemy aircraft. As we became airborne, the Heinkels turned away to the south and started to climb. I put the firing button on “Fire” switched on the reflector sight |