RAOC Gazette - page 59
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1977 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1977 |
| Late date | 1977 |
| Transcription |
THE D E A T H 4 S OF A CONDOR AMF(L) (X)MPANY UNCOVER A STORY OF WORM) WAR TWO ()N the evening of the 31st December 1942. a German Luftwaffe aircraft droned over the mountains of Southern Norway heading back to its base at Flesland airfield, near Bergen. Looking forward expectantly to the New Year cele- brations that night, the crew of four men were jubilant that vet another monotonous patrol was safely over. With low \.\md the pilot brought his mighty Fockewulff 200, a four- L gined maritime reconnaissance aircraft, swooping down over ;ie mountains near Voss, just fifteen minutes flying time from base. Suddenly, with a shuddering crunch and with no warning, the aeroplane hit the peak of a 5000 foot mountain, [n a slow catapulting motion the great grey-green machine rose into the air, flipping over onto its back and finally coming to rest, miraculously almost intact, upside down and facing the direction it had been coming, nearly one hundred and fifty yards from where it had first struck the mountain. Part of what was once the giant wing of the four Fockewwulff 2 . engined shovels and mine-detectors. The story that the Germans had laid mines around the area posed a sufficient threat, whether true or not, that they should take no chances. The mine- detectors were therefore used in a dual role—to ensure that there were no mines, and to assist in finding pieces of the wreckage. After several days hard work, breaking up the ice and shovelling aside the snow, large sections of the aeroplane were uncovered. Virtually unrecognisable as a result of the Germans' explosives the Fockewulff was a sorry sight—a sad reminder of a German pilot's carelessness and, who knows, perhaps a lesson to would-be revellers on New Year's Eve whose thoughts are far away from the job in hand* Major Joe West, Commander of 2 Flight Army A i r Corps, who rediscovered the aircraft on a 5000 foot mountain near Voss, Hordaland, in South Norway. Three of the crew were killed instantly by the shock and ::npact. The fourth, badly injured, took two days to crawl down ihe mountain to Voss where he raised the alarm with the local German garrison. In the meantime members of the Norwegian Resistance took five days avoiding German patrols to ski up the mountain to the site of the wreck whence they recovered the guns and ammunition from the aircraft. The Germans shortly afterwards arrived at the scene and, realising that there was still a con- siderable amount of material which, if salvaged, could be of ' -lue to the Resistance movement, blew the 'plane up with •plosives. The wreckage was scattered over some five hundred Suare yards and, to ensure that nobody else attempted to retrieve anything, they planted mines all around the area. Whilst on Exercise Hard fall in the Voss area Major Joe West, Officer Commanding 2 Flight, Army Air Corps, heard the story and decided to try and find the wreckage. Speaking to some of the old Resistance men still living in the area Major West was able to pinpoint the exact location of the aircraft. Taking a Gazelle helicopter he flew to the area and despite h he deep snow and ice on the summit of the Hangur moun- *-in and its surrounds, he was almost immediately able to find •••at he was looking for Landing the helicopter he was able to detect roughly where the major assemblies were located. A few days later he returned with a party from 48 Company complete with picks, '•y - : " •• %;•••' — ••—.: . . . " •' " . \-.:--v •••"•'• . - . . . . . • ; • - ••••:. • • " • I I K ' •i.£rT^ • '"* ••.";; ,:;•, • * ' « • i . ; : : : i - * y f ••*J^K^-"'" < 'V- : &ft^-%<. : >£ " ' - i V K : -lit":- • ; * - "•••••-.:.-; -:. . •- '- •< .: :T « - - J ' . ,• • "•••J r > i * i •.:; a M ' f i - . . - m H P •••• •' . I .£•'-•-••&^s&^d -'• ?'y' 1 . •ill ;^-..::." *£ fci»» •.••.-••tvK .?r^' : ;: -, fay &-*%..$ -! : J ! » ^ ; > ;,:••. : ';"i F : '"i :?aSI«^.™ jiis |: : i|ai;;i sir wtiwiii HI i Men of 48 Company having just discovered part of the tail plane of the aircraft. Most of the aeroplane is scattered over 500 square yards and is buried deep in solid ice and snow, Despite the height of the mountain the temperature hovered around + 8°C whilst 5 feet below in the valleys t h e temperature was less than — 1 ° C . 37 — |
| Book number | R0246 |