marinens flyvevaesens pilots in UK

[robin bird]

Does anyone have the names of the pilots and co-pilots who flew the Heinkel 115 floatplanes from Norway to UK? Hakon Offerdahl, Alf Stephan Olsen and.....?


robin bird

[Resmoroh]

Robin, Hi,
If nobody comes to your rescue then you might have to look at opposite ends of the country for contacts!
My late Shetland colleague well remembered the Norwegians in Shetland in WW2. The Shetland Museum has some extensive archives.
Alternatively, the Royal Norwegian Embassy (Air/Military Attache) in London may have contacts with the RNoAF Veterans agencies?
Best I can do!
HTH
Peter Davies

[davew]

Robin

One of the pilots was named Haken Offerdal and another Hans Andreas Bugge.

See

http://www.helensburgh-heritage.co.u...ary&Itemid=462

reagrds

DaveW

[alclark]

Here is an entry from the No.8 Air Gunners School, Evanton, ORB which records the arrival of one of the He115s.

May 2nd 1940, “A Norwegian Heinkel 115 No.52 belonging to the Norwegian Air Force but which had been captured by the Germans arrived at Meikle Ferry having been stolen from the Germans by the following men:
Hakon Offendal (Norwegian)
Fenrick P Riktoen (Norwegian)
G Hangen (Norwegian)
Giles Owbridge (English)
P M Farragut (English)
They had earlier in the day managed to escape from Norway. The two Englishmen had been fighting in Finland against the Russians as volunteers and on the cessation of hostilities were making their way to England through Norway at the time of the Nazi invasion, so they again took up arms as volunteers to fight for Norway against the Germans. They brought with them a bundle of German Air Force publications and a German Officer’s diary. An Intelligence Officer took possession of these.”

[robin bird]

So there were 5 in Offerdal's Heinkel? I did not know that. I know that the MF floatplane that left with 52 never made the UK. Thanks for the feedback

[alieneyes]

http://www.network54.com/Forum/46825...285/volunteers.

I am still researching three men who were in Finalnd during the Winterwar. The were Donald Kenyon Willis, Davind 'Simpson'Bondurant and Peter Farragut, a Briton whose real name was Peter MacAlistar. I have Willi's entree form when he arrived at Tornioon, a newspaper artivle in which Bondurant tells his story and a photo of Peter Farragut/MacAlistar in Finnish AF uniform sitting on the fuselage of a Finnish monoplane. I know from Norwegean documents that the fled Finland when the Russians and Fins declared an armistice. They arrived at Honingvag Norway in Mid-April 1940. Willis and Farragut joined the Norwegian Naval Air Force. Bondurant went back to the USA. Willis fought with the Norwegians as a gunner in a Heinkel He115 under Lt Hans Andreas Bugge and flew to the Shetlands in that aircraft when Norway was about to surrender. Farragut joined the RAF and was killed as a Wellington pilot.

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/ca...PETER%20DONALD

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/ca...PETER%20DONALD

Owbridge seems to have had a colourful time post-war. Of course, this may not be the same man:

https://app.justis.com/case/r-v-gile.../c3GZnYudnYWca

Regards,

Dave

[robin bird]

Dave, I have a lot on Willis, I will follow up your reply in the morning. cheers, Thank you all for your response. robin

[robin bird]

Willis survived the war, Bugge went missing while flying and Offerdah(l) was killed in a Mosquito crash. I am following up the lives of those who flew to Helensburgh, where there was a Norwegian flight being set up once the Arado arrived but crashed. I have spoken to a son whose father escaped Norway by boat and serviced the Heinkels at Helensburgh. Also a lady, whose mother had the Norwegian crews staying in her bed and breakfast hotel. She remembers some of them pacing the bedroom floor at night while their countrymen flew the Heinkels on missions, so it seems clandestine ops were carried out from RAF Helensburgh. Several of the Norwegians were posted to Canada and some of the 'Helensburgh Heinkels' took part in clandestine ops based at Kalafrana. A bit of one was recently salvaged from the sea. Iverach also flew in one of the Heinkels according to his book. Tracing subsequent co-pilots gunners and navigators who flew in these Heinkels is difficult. Any info is appreciated.