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The following is a press release from the Fleet Air arm museum at Yeovilton from some years ago. - When the press release disappeared from the Museums website I decided to preserve it here for future reference.
The control column of a Blackburn Skua was recently handed over to the aircraft's original pilot, the then Lt Alexander Beaufort Fraser Harris, at a ceremony held at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. Klas Gjolmesli and other staff from the Norwegian Aviation Museum in Bodo made a special visit to return the control column, which will be used in a reconstruction of the Skua at Yeovilton.
Telegraphist air gunners George Russell and Dickie Rolph from 803 Squadron were also on hand to witness Fraser Harris receiving the same control column which he had last seen on 25 April 1940 when he and George Russell were forced to ditch the Skua in a Norwegian fjord after a dawn raid on Trondheim Harbour.
The Skua was the first Royal Naval Monoplane fighter and the first purpose built British
dive bomber. The Fleet Air Arm had been quick to come to Norway's aid with its
carrier-borne Skua squadrons and now the Museum, which can provide information, drawings
and background on the Skua, and the Norwegian Aviation Museum - which has salvaged many of
the parts - are helping one another to rebuild two Skuas. One Skua will be kept at the
Yeovilton museum and one in Norway, and these are likely to be the only two in existence.
The original flight to Trondheim was made from HMS Glorious, which lay off the Norwegian
coast. Pilot Fraser Harris and gunner George Russell were two hours into their mission in
Skua 7G when a stream of tracer bullets struck the fuselage. Shortly afterwards the oil
pressure gauge dropped to zero and the engine cut. In view of the mountainous nature of
the country, the pilot decided to land in a small fjord. Both men swam to shore unhurt.
Local villagers witnessed the descent of the Skua and initially both pilot and gunner were
pelted with rocks as they were mistaken for Germans. When the Norwegians realised that
they were Allies, the men were rescued and taken to a nearby farmhouse to thaw out, where
they were given warm clothing and food. Disguised in Norwegian dress, the following 24
hours saw both men undertake the 69 mile trek over the mountains to escape the advancing
German forces.Melting snow made heavy work of the journey and they alternated between
walking and skis - although their efforts at this art were not very successful. After
being smuggled aboard a Norwegian fishing boat, eventually they reached Namsos harbour
where they were transferred to HMS Calcutta and shipped safely home.
