R9454 MP-S from 76 Squadron
On 30th March 1942, the crew of Halifax R9454 MP-S from 76 Squadron took off at 1816 hrs from RAF Tain 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.
On arriving in the target area they found 10/10ths low cloud which obscured the landscape below, however, they bombed flak and searchlight positions in the target area which appeared to have some effect as the flak and searchlights stopped after being bombed. The aircraft and crew returned safely to RAF Tain landing at 0145 hrs on 31st March 1942. The pilot of this aircraft, Sgt Harwood, and some of the crew onboard also flew on an operation against Tirpitz on 30/31st January 1942. On the return journey from the January raid their aircraft ran out of fuel and ditched in the North Sea four miles off Greg Ness, near Aberdeen. Two of the crew were slightly injured in the ditching, but they all managed to take to the life raft and were safely rescued by patrol boats that were in the area. |
Rank
|
Name
|
Force | Crew Position | Age |
Home Town
|
Fate |
Sgt | HARWOOD | Pilot | Returned | |||
Sgt | WOOD | 2nd Pilot | Returned | |||
F/Sgt | SCOTT | Navigator | Returned | |||
F/Sgt | ROCHE | W/Op Air Gunner | Returned | |||
Sgt | POTTS A | W/Op Air Gunner | Returned | |||
Sgt | PETCH | Tail Gunner | Returned | |||
Sgt | GLOVER | Flight Engineer | Returned |
Rank
|
Name
|
Force | Crew Position | Age |
Home Town
|
Fate |
Sgt | HARWOOD | Pilot | Returned | |||
F/Sgt | SCOTT | Navigator | Returned | |||
Sgt | POTTS A | W/Op Air Gunner | Returned | |||
Sgt | LYTHGOE | W/Op Air Gunner | Returned | |||
Sgt | YOUNG | Tail Gunner | Returned | |||
Sgt | PETCH | Flight Engineer | Returned |
Rank
|
Name
|
Force | Crew Position | Age |
Home Town
|
Fate |
Sgt | HARWOOD | Pilot | Returned | |||
F/Sgt | SCOTT | Navigator | Returned | |||
Sgt | POTTS A | W/Op Air Gunner | Returned | |||
Sgt | LYTHGOE | W/Op Air Gunner | Returned | |||
Sgt | YOUNG | Tail Gunner | Returned | |||
Sgt | PETCH | Flight Engineer | Returned |