- Contributed by听
- Jonathan Wallen
- People in story:听
- Pilot Officer J.V.F.Saunders,Warrant Officer A.H.A. Morris and Pilot Officer C.G.Wallen
- Location of story:听
- South Coast of Norway
- Background to story:听
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:听
- A4847727
- Contributed on:听
- 07 August 2005
Air crew of 42sqdn. shortly before the attack on Prinz Eugen 17th May 1942 front left flt.sgt. Charles Wallen (my father) front right P.O. John Saunders
Both my father and my mother's first husband were WO/AG on Bristol Beauforts during the war. They were stationed at Leuchers near St. Andrews famous golf course. Both men survived "Operation Cerberus" ( The Channel Dash ) and both took part in the attack on the German Battle Cruiser Prinz Eugen on 17th May 1942. My mother's first husband Pilot Officer John Saunders's aircraft was shot down and he sadly died of his wounds. However, his body was recovered to be buried in a Comonwealth War Grave in the picturesque village of Vanse in South West Norway, not far from Lyster Fyr where the attack took place. The air observer (navigator) Warrant Officer Allen Morris of the RCAF. is buried beside him.
My father, Pilot officer Charles Wallen survived the attack, making it back to Leuchers in the by this time quite seriously damaged Beaufort.
Shortly afterwards 42 Sqdn. was posted to the far east and ended up fighting the Japanese in India and Burma.
My father met my mother quite by coincidence at the end of the war, when he walked into a hotel where she was working as a receptionist.
Sadly my father died of a brain tumor in 1974.
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