333 Sqn 11 Jun 44

[Chris Goss]

Can anyone tell me if a Mosquito was lost to friendly fire on this date?

[rafcommands]

Hi Chris

HR133

Lt. Engebrigtsen RNorNAS
Lt. O G Jonassen RNorNAS

On a transit flight between Wick and Sumburgh the Mosquito was attacked by Spitfires and shot down into Auskerry Sound, near Stronsay, Orkney. The crew were thrown clear by the impact and Lt. Engebrigtsen grabbed the injured navigator but could not keep him afloat and was forced to let him go under. Eventually the pilot was rescued by an air sea rescue launch.
Code may be N.

Regards
Ross

[Chris Goss]

Many thanks-so my man (FS Bodden 118 Sqn) did shoot down the Mossie and then was shot down himself by American fighters a year later

[andy bird]

Hi Chris,

Believe there was a mention of this incident in Coastal Command Review for 1944 I'll mail you tomorrow to confirm, as my wife has suffered a stroke and I'm currently at home today.

Kind Regards

Andy Bird

[Chris Goss]

Andy: Thanks and sorry to hear that. Hope all gets better
Chris

[Brian]

Hi Andy

Our thoughts are with you and your wife.

Brian

[paal naess]

Hans Hagbart Engebrigtsen with E is his name, should be no doubt about that. He published a book about his war experiences in 1991.

[Tom Semenza]

Paal,

Many thanks for that clarification. Would you happen to know his date and place of birth and/or his service number?

Cheers,
Tom

[paal naess]

According to a book about 333, Engebrigtsen's service no. was 7160. He appears to be born in 1916, I cannot find anything more than that. He survived the war, went on to study law. For many years he worked for NORAD (not the US defence thingy but the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, in Sri Lanka. He wrote his book Seirens bitre frukter (lit. The bitter fruits of victory), an anti war book, in 1991. It goes into this incident in detail. Regarding a comment above that Jonassen went down with the plane; that is NOT correct. Jonassen was alive and floating with Engebrigtsen, but must have drifted away. When Engebrigtsen was rescued, he remembers saying he was right next to him, but the rescuers could not find him. According to the book, the court martial was 8 weeks after the incident. The Spitfire pilot was a New Zealander, and had been in stockade since the shooting. He lost rank and was sent back to NZ.

Odd Gjestrum Jonassen's service no. was 0040, according to the 333 book. He was born October 3. 1918 in Larvik. When they were shot down, they were flying their 26. mission together, according to Engebrigtsen.

[Chris Goss]

Thanks all in respect of my initial query as it would now appear that it was not Bodden