Fife boating club pays tribute to former Norwegian Air Force major

Wormit Boating Club has paid tribute to its long-standing contact with the 333 Squadron Royal Norwegian Air Force.
Torbjørn visited Fife many times over 25 years.Torbjørn visited Fife many times over 25 years.
Torbjørn visited Fife many times over 25 years.

Torbjørn Haugen, who had been Wormit Boating Club’s contact with 333 Squadron Royal Norwegian Air Force since 1995, has died.

Links between Woodhaven and Norway were forged during the war while the 333 Squadron was based there from 1942 to 1945. These links were renewed in 1974 when veterans of the squadron brought the Commemorative Stone installed at Wormit Boating Club.

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Torbjørn had visited Woodhaven many times over the past 25 years, bringing groups of 333 Squadron service men and women to see and learn about the birthplace of their squadron.

The squadron flew Catalina flying boats from Woodhaven on clandestine missions to Norway and carried out reconnaissance and anti-submarine tasks until moving to Norway in 1945 to play an important role restoring communications.

The squadron has remained in continuous operation ever since.

Torbjørn worked tirelessly to develop the ties between the squadron and Fife, making many friends over the years.

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After working a few years at sea in the Norwegian Merchant Service he joined the Royal Norwegian Air Force as a navigator, rising to the rank of Major.

He commanded 333 Squadron in 1989-90.

He retired in about 2012 but continued as part of the squadron, working on their historical records and maintaining a lot of the connections abroad.

The Norwegian flag was flown by Wormit Boating Club at half-mast as a mark of respect for him and his service.

A spokesman for the squadron said: “To me it feels more important than ever that we manage to keep the bonds Torbjørn has managed to create.

“I really hope we can manage to stay in touch in the future to maintain knowledge of the squadron’s history and legacy for the future generations.”

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