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This story is in memory of the crew of LJ 888 who took of on the night of 30/31 March 1945, for a highly secret operation planned for a special equipment drop for the Norwegian resistance movement (MILORG) in order to obtain information as to the German progress with the development of the atomic bomb at the heavy water plant at the town of RJUKAN in TELEMARK.

The code name for this operation was 'SNAFFLE 6' - only the pilot and navigator were told of the target, the dropping zone and the type of the equipment carried. This was an SOE1 Special Operations Executivemission.

Aircraft LJ888 took of at approx 21.30hrs for S.E. Norway for the dropping zone BIT (59.20N - 09.56E), with 10 containers and 12 packets. On the night of the operation it was a brilliant moonlit night with no cloud cover and the aircraft were easy targets for the German JU 88s who had superior speed and armament. The JU88s were armed with 20mm cannons and the Stirlings only had 7mm Brownings, which were no match, and the speed of the Stirlings was 190mph against the JUs 300mph, which clearly indicates that they were sitting targets without a chance. Furthermore, the Germans had located a radar station at Risor and a night fighter station at Kristiansundon the south east coast of Norway.

The Stirling LJ 888 from 196 Squdron was shot down over Arendal with the loss of the whole crew.

F/Sgt D V Catteral l- Pilot (21)
F/Sgt G S Reed - Navigator (30)
Sgt P M Myres - Flight Eng (20)
F/Sgt R S Harding - Bomber (21)
F/Sgt T L Rrunton - W/O Air Gunner (22)
F/Sgt J. R. Cross - Air Gunner (20)

All the crew were buried in a comunal grave in Arendal Cemetary

L J 888 flew out of Shepherds Grove, Norfolk

Leslie Kemp

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Originally submitted to www.hullwebs.co.uk
Transcribed by Alan Brigham

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