October & November 1943

October 1943

From mid October 43 to May 44, 404 flew alongside the Torbeaus of 144 Sqn as 18 Groups main strike force operating from Wick against the Norwegian coast. 144 Squadron had just returned from a Mediterranean deployment and had been re-equipped with the Beaufighter TFX, a torpedo-carrying variant. For the next several months 404 and 144 Squadrons were to be 18 Group's main strike force, sometimes referred to as the Wick Wing. 404 was to fly with the 3-inch 25-pound armour-piercing RP (AP RP), and act as anti-flak on most missions, but during some sorties the Buffaloes would also act as strike aircraft.

October started with the squadron putting up with the dull weather and little flying. However, by 14 October 404 was back in action. On this particular day, WO2 JW Adamson and WO2 RH Prest in 'V' LZ190 took off for a Norwegian patrol and they failed to return. Although a formation of six aircraft took off to look for the missing airmen, nothing was found. It is possible that German pilot Lt. Prewzler shot down this plane. "They flew over our coast west of Alesund and two FW.190 (were) airborne from Gossen, and shot them down near Svinoy Lighthouse. "

F/O PA 'Pappy' Powell (PL 19438)

On 16 October, five aircraft took off on a rover patrol and once again German aim was impressive. Hit by flak, F/O Hodson's aircraft was forced to make a belly landing at the aerodrome with a severed hydraulic line. "...an enemy shell struck it and blew a hole in the fuselage between the pilot and Observer as big as your head and cut the hydraulic lines. This breaking of the hydraulic lines prevented the undercarriage from being lowered and thus the crash landing. " Although there were no further injuries from such a rough landing, the navigator, P/O Powell had received wounds in his thigh and leg from shell splinters.

On 20 October, two squadron Beaufighters were tasked from Wick to proceed to Leuchars in preparation for a convoy escort. Enroute the weather worsened and F/O Shulemson and F/O Bassett along with his second, Art French, had to look for an emergency airfield. "French got down at a short RN strip at East Haven, but Shulemson had an engine failure on final approach and pranged. He got out with his nav, but the plane burned, and among Shulemson's losses was his original logbook (which he was carrying since they were going out on a detachment)."

November 1943

On 1 November, LAC CF Champion (left; PL 28089), while on detachment at Leuchars, was working on a Beaufighter when another aircraft started up nearby for test purposes. After the test, the aircraft was left standing ready for operations. LAC Champion detected fumes from burning insulation and when he glanced over at the other Beaufighter he discovered that the starboard engine was on fire. He quickly proceeded to the aircraft and without thought of personal danger removed the bottom cowlings from the engine and then climbed up on the wing to remove the top cowlings. He then proceeded to extinguish the fire. As noted in the daily log, "the alertness and presence of mind of this airman undoubtedly prevented the loss or serious damage to this aircraft and possibly the loss of aircraft dispersed nearby."

Flying operations continued into the month with everything going well until 16 November. The squadron had just commenced night flying exercises when there was a fatal accident. F/O RJ McCruden and Sgt JD Owens were killed when Beaufighter 'H' for Harry crashed soon after take off. According to witnesses, everything appeared to be normal until they reached approximately 200 feet. The port engine appeared to catch fire and the aircraft then continued to lose altitude until it struck the ground.

This mishap was followed on the 17 November by the loss of another aircraft and crew during a training flight. Six aircraft were on a fighter affiliation with Spitfires when one of the Beaufighters, 'R' for Robert, was seen to go into a spin to the right at approximately 5000 feet. It never recovered and struck the ground killing F/O NE Long and F/O JHG Horne.

Despite these setbacks as part of the Wick Wing, the squadron continued to hunt the enemy and on 22 November they found them.

Eight 404 Beaus were sent aloft in the morning to provide flak suppression for six 144 Squadron Torbeaus on a Rover Patrol when they sighted three vessels off of Stadtlandet, including the Norwegian steam ship Arcturus of 1,651 tons. The aircraft of both units quickly attacked and although numerous cannon hits were noted, the torpedoes that were launched passed harmlessly below the ships. The vessel was left on fire by the strike, and she was later taken under tow towards Alesund. While being towed, the Arcturus was fatally torpedoed by the Norwegian submarine Ula. She sank in 20 seconds.

F/S J Beaudet and F/O J Hebert (PL 19446)

During the engagement against the Arcturus and her escorts, Beaufighter 'C' for Charlie crewed by the 'Fighting Frenchmen' F/S J Beaudet and F/O J Hebert, sustained damage to the starboard main plane, Gowler stated that the flak hole was 'as big as one's head'. An unusual incident happened to another 404 aircraft, this one piloted by F/O W Wilkie with F/O WL Evans as navigator. They had just started their second run on their targets and were overhead one of the ships when the main hatch of the aircraft flew open. P/O Wilkie's field service cap and Irvine jacket floated down squarely on the deck of the enemy ship. As the Squadron log put it 'It is unfortunate that it was not a 500 pound bomb'. On the way back to the base, one of the 144 Squadron aircraft ditched and the survivor of the impact managed to make it into a dinghy. S/L de la Haye and F/S CS Smith circled the raft in their Beaufighter until relieved by an Anson. They timed it perfectly and landed with just enough petrol to make it back to the aerodrome.

A second sortie of five Beaus with four 144 Squadron aircraft was airborne later in the afternoon to do a Rover patrol to Lister. A Ju.88 was sighted enroute that immediately sought cloud cover. Later, a B&V.138 was sighted and chased into the clouds by F/L JG Rowand and F/L DS Knights, as well as Lt F Guyott and F/O ST Faithful. Due to the weather being too clear off the Norwegian coast, the 144 aircraft returned to base. Rowand and Guyott did sight a convoy in the patrol area and reported it by radio.

It is noted that on 25 November that four of the squadron's navigators were sent on GEE training. GEE was a code word used for a radio navigation device that was designed, primarily, to aid the aircraft of Bomber Command to locate themselves while flying at night or in cloud. Coastal Command aircraft, which often had to fly in miserable conditions or at night, would also be able to make use of this Top Secret device.

The crew of de la Haye and Smith was involved in another mission on 28 November when they had to deal with a most unexpected problem. While returning from a patrol off Stavanger, S/L de la Haye was nearly overcome by the fumes due to alcohol pouring from a leaking windscreen de-icer. F/S Smith, the navigator, went forward and de la Haye proceeded to give him instructions on flying the aircraft in case he had to land it. The pilot was able to maintain consciousness and landed the aircraft safely. The next day there was another incident involving alcohol fumes when F/L Rowand was nearly overcome. W/C Willis immediately gave the order to ground the aircraft and have the alcohol removed.

F/O SS 'Sid' Shulemson (PL 19436). (S/L Shulemson ended the war with a DSO and DFC, and was the most decorated Jewish airman in the RCAF.)

On 30 November, five squadron Beaufighters piloted by F/L Page in LZ296, P/O Miller in LZ466, F/S French, F/O Shulemson in LZ291and F/O Decloux were involved in a mission to engage merchantmen in the company of three escort vessels in Sogne Fjord, Norway. The flak was heavy from both the escort vessels and shore batteries. P/O KS Miller and P/O J Young in 'L' spotted the convoy first and immediately attacked. Their aircraft was hit by flak just above the port wing root and it rendered the electrical systems inoperable, completely removing communications. F/O SS Shulemson and F/O PR Bassett in 'S' had followed Miller in the attack and their aircraft sustained a hit on the starboard side of the fuselage. The cannon shell had entered just under the navigator seat, ripping a hole in the navigator bag. Another shell had damaged the starboard engine, punching a hole in the bottom cylinder. "His trim control was shot away. Now the Beau became very heavy on the controls, and it took all the muscle that he and Bassett had to hold the aircraft steady for the two-hour return-to-base ". The engine continued to operate on 13 cylinders and the aircraft was able to keep up with the rest of the formation. Amazingly enough, no squadron aircrew were injured in this attack. Two German vessels, the 3,941-ton tanker Tiger and the 2,713-ton merchant vessel Hartmut were damaged by RP hits to their hulls near Sognesjoen.