AM 407 SOE Operation BIT XXXIII 2 Goldcrest

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CON PAK M HD CRS SPD LAND . MERKNAD
18 3 19:36 SI/IM//LR

• F/O Tovell E J Pilot
• F/O Chillibeek Nav
• P/O STRONG B/A
• P/O McALLAN W/op
• F/S ELSDON R A/G
• Sergeant GIANNOTTI G F/eng

When in circuit, port and starboard inner generators u/s.

AIR-27-2587 p43

A planned operation to Norway was cancelled on the night of the 24th due to weather.
It was a short reprieve, Norway was chalked on the briefing board on the 25th, but the squadron would provide just four crews on three separate S.O.E drops.

Flying Officer Tovell suffered a generator malfunction aboard 5G-F and failed to take-off, and BIT33 to Slettefjell with 5G-F was unsucessful.

The only success was achieved by the crew at 5G-A LK254 of F/O J.E Nichol on at 'Bit 23' an isolated DZ "Breskemyr" miles from the nearest village of Sylling, in the county of Viken, Norway. Arriving over the DZ at 2:06 hrs, the crew spent the next 11 minutes dropping the containers and packages 'dead on the DZ'. The only opposition was on the route home, when at 23:05 hours a flak ship made its presence known producing a colourful array of tracer fire.

Flight Sergeant Cross and crew on 5G-E LJ844 were on their first operation since arriving on the squadron. They orbited 'Bit 31' for 27 minutes hoping for a signal from below. It was a risky activity given the German defences but resulted in failure.

New Zealander W/O Brown RNZAF did not receive any reception over his DZ. What he did observe was reported to the Intelligence Officer on return, ' Blazing aircraft apparently trying to hold height, eventually crashing into the deck at 21:34 hours\53 and BIT13 for 5G-I LJ874 - was unsucessful.

#Se "Smith, Steve C "Dropping Hope From The Sky No. 299...."

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