Operation Musketoon

Operation Musketoon: The Anglo-Norwegian raid between September 11-21 1942 by No.2 Commando mounted against the German-held Glomfjord power plant in Norway.

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2nd in command, Joseph Houghton MC.13 January 1911 – 23 October 1942. Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders & No 2 Commando

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1st in Command, Captain Graeme Black DSO MC. 19 May 1911 – 23 October 1942. South Lancashire Regiment & No.2 Commando

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HMS Thunderbolt, the 3rd escorting #submarine on Operation Musketoon

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HMS Tigris of the Operation Musketoon Commandos escort through British territorial waters

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HMS Sturgeon, one of three submarines escorting the Commandos aboard the Free French Submarine, Junon.

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The Free French Submarine, Junon, was escorted across British waters by HMS Sturgeon, HMS Tigris & HMS Thunderbolt before making her own way

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Free French Submarine, Junon, which took the Commandos across the North Sea to Norway http://t.co/KKFcqfYssg

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Contemporary view of the power station - the pipes, the secondary objective - can be clearly seen behind the building

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Mission Target: Hydro Electrical Power Station near Glomfjord, Norway - supplying power to an Auminium smelting plant

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"Reached Trondheim after dark. Taken to prison barracks. Always alone." EC

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"Wednesday, 23.09.42 Landed at 5 hrs at Moesjoem and loaded onto train at 8 hrs. Alone in wagon." EC

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"Tuesday, 22.09.42 Held on my own all day. Interrogated. 17:00 to ship, well fed and together (with the others)." EC

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"Taken to Glomfjord, fed and sleeping alone. No belts." EC

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"Capt H. and Priv. E. wounded, unit splits up, our group of six is found at 18.30 hrs, and captured by fifty enemies." EC

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"Monday, 21.09.42 At 0:10 the first explosion, at 0:40 the biggest explosion. Engage enemy at 2 hrs." EC

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Over the next few days we see the journey taken by the captured Commandos through the words of Pte Eric Curtis, who kept a diary of events.

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Over the course of the next month we discover how they either made their way back to Britain or how they fared in the hands of their captors

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20th September 1942, 70 years ago today, the Commandos were either evading capture or had been taken prisoner.

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Trapped and surrounded they were forced to surrender.

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The second group were discovered by the Germans who opened fire, wounding Captain Houghton in the right arm.