Pictures of the crew kindy provided by R.A. de G. Sewell.
the crash was probably due to icing on both the towing Halifax and the Horsa glider. The Horsa went down at Benkjafjell. A second Horsa glider(DP349) crashed at Fylgjesdal.
The Germans threw the remains in a shallow bog and covered them so badly that limbs were still protruding.They also missed to find the last crew member.He was found between some rocks by a farmer. The next spring they were reburied again at better place near by. On 21.November 1945 their remains were finally reburied at Helleland Cemetery.
Picture at the far left shows the place where they were buried the second time.
RAF W7801 B-Baker 19.11 1942
Operation Freshman. The purpose of this raid was to destroy the heavy water production plant at Vemork. Two "Horsa" gliders towed by Halifax bombers took off from from RAF Skitten. The two Halifax aircraft on Operation Freshman were on special detachment to 38 Wing. Only one Halifax (A- Apple) returned. W7801 crashed into mountain Jonsoknuten at Helleland. All the crew were killed in the crash.
Flight Lieutenant Arthur Roland Parkinson (Royal Canadian Air Force) and Pilot Officer Gerard Walter Sewell de Gency RAF(VR) as co-pilot. The other crew members were Flying Officer Arnold Thomas Hayward Haward RAF(VR), Flight Lieutenant Arthur Edwin Thomas RAF(VR), Sergeant James Falconer RAF, Flight Sergeant Albert Buckton RAF(VR) and Flight Sergeant George Mercier Edwards RAF
