Operation Catechism
12 November 1944 — Tromsø
- Date
- 12 November 1944
- Target
- Tromsø, Norway
- Force dispatched
- 32 aircraft
Narrative
Final sinking of the battleship Tirpitz at her mooring near Tromsø, by 617 and 9 Squadrons using Tallboy bombs.
Squadrons: No. 9 Squadron · No. 617 Squadron (Dambusters)
Sortie details (which aircraft from which squadron, which crew flew, the outcome) will populate this page once the TNA AIR 27 squadron-diary importer arrives.
The fallen
20 airmen in this archive died on 12 November 1944 or the day that followed. For a raid of this kind these are overwhelmingly the night's losses, though a death-date match is not by itself proof an individual flew this operation.
- Flying Officer Charles Alfred Bardwell (21)
- Flying Officer Gordon Leslie Bland (27)
- Flying Officer George Daniel Boyd (22)
- Lieutenant John R Brydone (22)
- Corporal Percy Reginald Constable (25)
- Flying Officer Arthur Keelinge Deakin (27)
- Flying Officer Maxwell Raymond Delaney (23)
- Flying Officer Douglas Ronald Hardy
- Flying Officer John Brine Johnson (21)
- Flight Lieutenant Philip Alan Macdonald (42)
- Flight Sergeant Hugh Eugene McDonald (22)
- Corporal Alan Minshull (25)
- Sergeant Bernard Maurice O'Keeffe (26)
- Aircraftman 2nd Class Alfred Ernest Pearson (21)
- Flight Sergeant John David Pratt (19)
- Warrant Officer Ronald Richards (25)
- Pilot Officer Edward Bruce Ross (22)
- Warrant Officer Egbert Smith (21)
- Lieutenant Thompson (29)
- Aircraftman 1st Class Robert Walter Willson (29)