AM 053 SOE Operation MARDONIUS

Beskrivelse

Særmelding BBC : NA
Code : Signal bakke: BLIND Signal fly: BLIND
EUREKA: NA
GEE: NA

CON PAK M HD CRS SPD LAND MERKNAD
4 2 2 04:10

Squad: RAF 138
1. S/L Gibson Christopher Francis Halifax II BB281 NF-O

Out: 19:15 DROP: Completed

Agents:
Gregers Gram
Max Manus

• Crew:
• S/L Gibson Christopher Francis ✝
• Sgt Malcolm John Hudson Flight Engineer ✝
• W/O Douglas Clark Lisson RCAF - 2 Pilot ✝
• W/0 Maurice Tellier Peter (Pete) Myers - Wireless Op / Gunner ✝
• F/Sgt John Stanley Rigden - Navigator ✝
• Sgt Harold John Sharood Gunner ✝
• F/Sgt Arthus Stokes OFM Wireless Op /Gunner ✝
• Sgt Leo Peter Ward RAFVR - Gunner ✝

Probably same crew as 14/15th of March - Shot down by flak on mission to Brno on Operation BRONZE, page 74 in Czechoslovakia.

1. Captains report

Halifax aircraft "O" 281 took off on operation MARDONIUS captained by S/L Gibson. Target Norway, operation completed. Landed base 04:10

AIR-27-956-1_1 p 123

"S/Ldr Gibson flew MARDONIUS, which was a mission mounted to Oslo harbour using local recruits and trained agents successfully damaged. e packages into the other one, attack shipping in three ships were

Flying with S/Llr Gibson's crew as rear gunner was F/Lt Putt, an elderly officer, in comparison to others on the Squadron's strength, having participated in the First World War. He was a great character and revelled under the nickname of 'Colonel. He was also a great asset to the mess and, indeed, to W/Cdr Pickard when he bogged his Hudson in France during February! He must have had great powers of persuasion too, flying operationally at this time of his life.

However, MARDONIUS was to be a blind drop. Gibson flying in clear skies and good visibility, via Cromer- Jomfruland-Tyrifjord-Kjeller- Enebakk - Target. A route which is difficult to trace, with the exception of Tyrifjord which is approximately 35km NW of Oslo and Enebakk. The target co-ordinates puts it roughly 15km to the SE of Oslo, which they identified as 'being by a large lake east of target (probably Oreren), Here they dropped two agents, four containers and two packages from 600 feet. One of the agents was Max Manus, famous in the annals of Norwegian SOE operations for his underwater activities. Gibson flew home by the same route but when 8 lkm from the Norwegian coast two medium heavy guns firing explosive shells, opened fire on them at 800 feet. They had been 8.55 hours in the air when they landed at Tempsford."

Fra Agent by Moonlight, Freddie Clark - p 141

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