AM 060 SOE operation CHAFFINCH III / SIS Operation ALGOL

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Særmelding BBC : NA
Code : Signal bakke: C-system
Signal fly:
EUREKA: NA
GEE: NA

CON PAK M HD CRS SPD LAND MERKNAD
9 1 05:45

Squad: RAF 161
1. F/O Coussens Halifax III DJ966 MA-X

Out: 21:30 DROP 01:58-02:13 C

• F/O Cussen Pilot
• F/O Richards 2 pilot
• Sgt Martin Nav
• F/O Lyver WOP
• Sgt Campbell R.gun
• Sgt Kelsto Desp
• Sgt Jenner F/Eng

1. Captains report
ORB: Not completed, No reception - pinpoint definitely identified by hills and Lake Seljord.
1) Algol- 5958N/0910E 2) Chaffinch III - 593530/084555E
Halifax DJ996 "X" took off 21:30 , ***** ****at Hunstanton Flekkefjord a/c for ALGOL. Target area located at 01:41 by grounbnd detail,, lakes, reception follllowed OK. Dropped 1 agent 2 containers. Proceeded to next target whiich was definitely identified but no reception. Leaflets weredropped between MELAN - FORDAL, arrived back to base at 05:45 hrs. It wass reported that on drop beeing made itt was ***** **** the parachute failed to open so that it is presumed that agent was killed.

Odd Wichstrøm Nielsen, hoppet ved Rollag i Numedal, mistet livet da skjermen ikke åpnet seg.

Se kartet for turen:

Etterretningstjenesten i Norge 1940-45. 3 : Nettet strammes : ALGOL til Oslo-området 20.4. 1943. Operatøren Odd Wichstrøm Nielsen hoppet ut fra fly ovenfor Rollag i Numedal. Mistet livet da fallskjermen ikke åpnet seg.

Robert Body Runaways to Freedom:

Sadly, not all drops went smoothly and without incident. A report from a Rear Gunner (Sgt Campbell) flying on operation ALGOL/CHAFFINCH 3 (to Norway) on 19 April 1943 was as follows:

"J looked for the parachutes and saw 3 containers with parachutes fully developed pass the tail. A time lag occurred and the agent was seen going to earth with his parachute strung out but not developed, (i.e. similar to those seen hanging in a parachute drying room) technically known as a "Roman Candle". The agent himself was seen to struggle and appeared to be trying to assist himself. I watched him all the way until he eventually hit the ground and lay motionless. Visibility was exceptionally good owing to the fact that the ground was snow covered and the moon full with no cloud."

Freddy Clarke "Agents by the Moonlight":

The night of the 19/20th saw two flights to Norway. A 161 Squadron Halifax flown by F/O Cussen flying operation ALGOL & CHAFFINCH 3. ALGOL was an SIS operation. They crossed the Norwegian coast at 5,000 feet recognising Flekkefjord in clear skies and good visibility. From here they went to Tinnsjo Lake and thence to the target which was all of 75km west of Oslo. Picking up an isosceles triangle of red lights with one white flashing 'K' from a height of 500 feet they dropped their agent. The despatcher reported although the passenger made a clean exit his parachute was not seen to open. He was seen to be struggling during his descent as if to free his parachute and then seen to hit the ground.
S/Ldr Hodges wrote on the report that 'there seems to be no apparent reason why the parachute failed to open'. The bag was examined and there was no sign of any defect'. Two containers were dropped with him. The wind at the pinpoint was estimated to be well under 20 mph. Cussen then moved onto CHAFFINCH 3 but without reception failed to drop the remaining nine containers. The flight took 8.15 hours.

Air-27-1068-1-2 p. 34
HS 132 s 205

Flyturen

Les ellers hele historien i Rørholt: Usynlige soldater under, om de som ventet på han og de som tok seg av han.

En agent til var på Tempsford 19. og 20. april 1943, samme natten som jeg hoppet. Hans navn var Evensen (Leif Evensen, dekknavn for Odd Wicstrøm Nilsen) og kanskje en av de beste British Secret Service hadde hatt i Norge på den tiden. Han ble sloppet på et vann i nærheten av Tinnsjøen i Telemark; også der var det temmelig hard vind den natten. Mottagelseskomitéen som lå klar, fikk bare se en bylt som kom ned fra flyet; fallskjermen hadde ikke
åpnet seg ordentlig.
«Ukrutt forgår ikke så lett," er det noe som heter, og det er jeg redd var aktuelt på alle fronter under krigen. En kunne i hvert fall se, hvorledes kanskje de beste av våre flygere og sjøfolk, de beste fra spesialavdelingene innen hæren og marinen ble borte - og hvorledes likedan hjemmefronten kunne miste kremen innen sine rekker.

Les mere i Contact: På hemmelig oppdrag under.

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