Yesterday was spent enjoying the scenery of the south-west Rogaland area of Norway. Whilst visiting the scene of the Altmark incident at Jøssingfjord, I managed to see through the hordes of German tourists a small (and rather vandalised 😡 ) memorial citing:
“1945
Jack Brightwell, Ed Foy
R. Nugent and G Parkin
Remember these New Zealanders
They died but freedom lived”
Intrigued to find out more about how these lads died I did a quick Google when I got home and visited the excellent “Flyvrak” website, which has been mentioned in earlier threads on this forum. The following Flyvrak web page “http://home.no.net/kjellsor/jossingfjord.html” provides the following information about the loss of two Beaufighters:
489.Squadron RNZAF TF.X NT888/Y “Dallachy Strike Wing” 14.4 1945
Collided with Beaufighter TF.X RD463/A1 on a strike against shipping in Jøssingfjord. Pilot: Off John Mostyn Brightwell, age 23. Navigator: Plt Off Edgar Joseph Foy, age 24.
489.Squadron RNZAF TF.X RD463/A1 “Dallachy Strike Wing” 14.4 1945
Pilot: Fg Off Graham George Parkin, age 22. Navigator: Fg Off Royden Leslie Nugent, age 26.
20 Beaufighters from Dallachy, Morayshire 18.Group, took off at 1309, accompanied by a Mustang fighter escort and a Warwick carrying an airborne lifeboat. The Beaufighters approached the target from inland, but on climbing away as it left the fjord the two Beaufighters collided. RD463 managed a succesful ditching, but were lost without trace. The ships attacked this day was Schnellboot “Adolf Lüderitz” Tanker “Schleswig” UJ 1430 and M 496.
What struck me most about this information is that all four aircrew are still listed as MIA.
I just wondered, what with modern diving technology and all the efforts being spent by divers in Norway visiting numerous marine-based crashsites, if anyone might have further information on this incident which might lead to the remains of these men finally being recovered?
Maybe just wishful thinking…
Regards
Skipper
By: davidnzl - 29th September 2007 at 10:44
RNZAF Beaufighters in Norway
you may wish to check www.burrowes.org. for details re a recently published book on 489 Squadron RNZAF
By: Errol Martyn - 13th June 2005 at 12:29
The following excerpt (incorporating a small correction since publication) from my trilogy ‘For Your Tomorrow – A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915: Volume Two: Fates 1943-1998’ provides further details about these losses. As can be seen, at least two crew members did not go down with their aircraft.
Sat 14 Apr 1945
COASTAL COMMAND
Strike against shipping in Jossing Fjord, Norway
489 Squadron, RNZAF (Dallachy, Morayshire – 18 Group)
Beaufighter TF.X NT888/Y – took off at 1309 as part of a wing strike made up of torpedo and rocket carrying aircraft, accompanied by a Mustang fighter escort and a Warwick carrying an airborne lifeboat. The force carried out a successful attack, approaching the target from inland, but on climbing away as it left the fjord NT888 collided with Beaufighter RD463 (see next entry) and plunged into the sea. Neither of the two crew were seen to escape and they are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Pilot: NZ421497 Plt Off John Mostyn BRIGHTWELL, RNZAF – Age 23. 708hrs. 22nd op.
Navigator: NZ429048 Plt Off Edgar Joseph FOY, RNZAF – Age 24. 415hrs. 22nd op.
489 Squadron, RNZAF (Dallachy, Morayshire – 18 Group)
Beaufighter TF.X RD463/A1 – took off at 1309 and collided with NT888 as described in the previous entry. A successful ditching was carried out, both crew members getting out, walking along the wing and entering a dinghy. Called up by one of the other Beaufighters, the air-sea rescue Warwick flew overhead and dropped its lifeboat. One of the crew swam towards it, but the parachutes’ release bolts had failed on touch down, and it was carried away from him in the wind. The following day four of the Squadron’s aircraft returned to the scene. Although they located two dinghies and the lifeboat before being chased away by enemy fighters, they were found to be empty. Lost without trace, the two crew are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Pilot: NZ4214125 Fg Off Graham George PARKIN, RNZAF – Age 22. 520hrs. 14th op.
Navigator:NZ427846 Fg Off Royden Leslie NUGENT, RNZAF – Age 26. 14th op.
Although they were lost in similar circumstances, for Parkin the CWGC register gives presumed date of death as the 14th and for Nugent the 15th.
Errol
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June 13, 2005 at 10:22 am