Wilhelm Mohr

Wilhelm Mohr. On World War II
against the clear night sky. In this serious situation the Wing waited to
be transferred while a landing strip was being prepared. At a ceremony
the next morning, no field priest could have experienced more attentive
Norwegians.
The strain thus far had been significant work pressure, often with lack
of sufficient sleep. There were sporadic German attacks here and there,
but the Wing’s airfield had not yet come under attack. The increased
tension could probably best be recognized by increased concentration
and silence, even among those who normally were outspoken and lively.
This was mixed with anticipation and the inspiration of being allowed
to participate in the forthcoming events.
Even from the initial phase of the invasion, the Norwegian aircraft
stretched their area of operations deep into northern France, although
the ground crews could not be transferred to the Continent until 16
August. Then, vehicles and equipment were phased through the gathering
area, shipped in on amphibious ships and transferred over the
Channel. Before the transfer, the Wing had moved several times, from
Bognor to Tangmere and then from there to Funtington, all in southern
England. These movements naturally represented a burden in themselves,
but at the same time they represented something close to a drill.
During the movements the squadrons needed both to operate constantly
and be ensured of the necessary technical support.
The transfer to the Continent was delayed due to German resistance
at the city of Caen. This was because the Wing’s allocated airstrip B16
lay just north of the city. Finally the ground crews were underway, and
the journey itself provided the personnel with a much-needed breathing
space, although it was not without drama, as mines were still a real
threat. This may have been witnessed with their own eyes as a large
cargo vessel went down in the immediate vicinity of the troops. Uncertainty
of a different nature related to their final destination. Caen had
been taken on 9 July after 450 heavy bombers had been put to work,
but the German 21st Panzer Division and parts of the 12th SS Panzer
still represented a threat. We knew that the Canadian forces were still
consolidating in the area. The Wing needed to be prepared for selfdefence
and base defence.
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