Archie - A Pilot in RAF Bomber Command - L7572 OF-L from 97 Squadron

L7572 OF-L from 97 Squadron

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March 30/31 1942
Air Raid onTirpitz

April 27/28 1942
Air Raid on Tirpitz

April 28/29 1942
Air Raid on Tirpitz

Battleship Tirpitz

On 27th April 1942, the crew of Lancaster L7572 OF-L from 97 Squadron took off at approx 2020 hrs from RAF Lossiemouth on the North East coast of Scotland to participate in an attack on the German Battleship Tirpitz which was moored at the time in Fættenfjord in Norway.

The 97 Squadron Operations Record Book states that the aircraft was "Missing from the operation", and no further details are given

Rank	Name	Force	Crew Position	Age	Home Town	Fate
F/Lt	MACKID J G (DFC)	RAF	Pilot	28	Calgary, Alberta, Canada	Died
P/O	UNDERWOOD R B	RAFVR	2nd Pilot	31	Old Coulsdon, Surrey, England	Died
P/O	TREE T N	RAFVR	Navigator			Died
Sgt	MARSHAL W K F	RAFVR	W/Op Air Gunner	26	Edinburgh, Scotland	Died
Sgt	MCDERMOTT E	RAFVR	Front Gunner	25	Blackpool, Lancashire, England	Died
Sgt	DAY R	RAF	Mid Gunner	20	Beswick , Yorkshire, England	Died
Sgt	BENNETT F	RAF	Tail Gunner			Died

It is known that the aircraft reached the target area during the first phase of the attack on the night of the 27/28th April. Eyewitnesses watched as the aircraft was shot from the sky high above Langstein. The aircraft was totally engulfed in flames and spiralled down to earth. It crashed in the mountains near Kaldåsdammen at the western end of Ausetvatnet, with the loss of all crew onboard. The bodies of all the crew were recovered and are buried in Trondheim (Stavne) Cemetery, Norway.

Sergeant Raymond Day

Photo: A Day

Today, near the spot where the aircraft crashed there is a memorial stone which has the names of all the crewmembers from the Lancaster carved on it. The stone also remembers the crew of Halifax W1020 TL-K from 35 Squadron which crashed nearby on the same night.

Evidence of the remains of the aircraft can still be seen today at the site of the crash.

A sign made from a piece of wreckage from one of the aircraft points the way to the crash sites.

Photo: T Eggan

The Memorial Stone in Norway for the airmen from Lancaster L7572 OF-L from 97 Squadron and Halifax W1020 TL-K from 35 Squadron who died on the night of April 27/28th 1942.

Photo: T Eggan