The memorial for Australian aviators who attacked German
ships during the war
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Brackground
The last two wars Germany was an urgent need to transfer supplies to the
Continent. Any suitable vessel was put into this transit. Convoy sailed
at night and hid themselves in the Norwegian fjords during the day. The
Allies set when the aircraft to stop this shipment. The Australian Air
Force, RAAF, was also involved in this, and it would cost a lot, many
young men lost their lives. On 5 December 1944 lay two German cargo ship
("Albert Janus" and "Radbod") and a
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gunship in the ørsta fjords when they were affected by
Allied aircraft Mon Australian crew. Under this attack was a plane shot
down, and the pilots Austin Chin Wild and navigator Fredric Gordon
Sides, both from Australia, losing their lives. In 1947, parents and
sister to Sides of Ørsta, and they were then erected a memorial of the
two fallen on Lianeset in Ørsta. It has gradually become a tradition to
hold a ceremony of this support every 17 May. Norwegian
Reserveoffiserers Association (NROF) members of the Ørsta / Volda stands
for the ceremony and public meetings to honor the fallen.
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Family
Australiaren Neil R. Smith was a squadron leader during
the attack. He visited the Ørsta first time 17 May 2001. Later he
returned in 2003 to take part in the selection of monument. Despite the
severe illness he planned to come back in 2004, but unfortunately he did
not do that, he died in November 2003. But one of the daughters, Shellie
Peardon, came along with daughter daughter and her husband in addition
to James Chin Wild, nephew of the deceased James Flygare Austin Chin
Wild. An additional reason why so many did this year was that it had
unveiled a plaque of Neil R. Smith. |
Pictures from
17 mai 2010
Ten Beaufighters of
Australian 455 Sqdn, together with five from (New Zealand) 489 Sqdn, took
off from Dallachy to attack shipping in Ørstafjord. They were supported by
five Mustangs of 315 Sqdn RAF as protection against the JG 5 fighters at
Gossen. Their target were the three merchant ships M/S "Radbod", M/S"Albert
Janus" and Norwegian "Cygnus". They were protected by V 6805. Two more
beaufighters were lost when returning from this raid. Robert Dunn had to
make a forced landing with UB-X at Sumburgh,
Shetland.Both crew were unhurt. UB-M had to ditch in
the North sea. A Winther and C J Dunshea were picked up by a rescue boat.
Parts of UV-B was
raised from the fjord in 1947. Sides' parents and sister visited the crash
site the same year and erected this memorial at Lianeset
Source: "Alarm i
nordvest" by Ove Røv. ISBN 82-992544-1-8
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