CHRISTIE, Werner Hosewinckel (#165)

Alan Pollock’s Rough Notes:

A work in progress – the fuller biographies will emerge in due course: please sign up to the Newsletter (bottom of the page) and we’ll let you know when we’ve done more justice in writing up our extraordinary signatories.

RNoAF & RAF destroyed more than 9 aircraft, mostly FW190s. Signed in memory of his Pathfinder brother Squadron Leader Johann CHRISTIE DSO DFC  who served in Bomber Command, and representing Norway’s Aircrew and 332 Sqn.

‘Born in Vang, with a Scots great grandfather, Werner studied in Berlin 1936-38 before joining the Norwegian Army Air Force.  In 1940, after the German occupation, he escaped via Sweden, USSR, Japan and the USA to Canada, where he trained at the ‘Little Norway’ Toronto camp.  He joined 332 Sqn and flew their Spitfire Vs and IXs, led by Norwegians after its formation in Jan42, becoming a Flt Cdr in Nov42 and awarded DFC in 1943.

Major Christie would also command 332 Sqn from Jan-Jun 1944 initially on Ramrod missions, and then Army Co-operation, before dive-bombing ops against rail and radar targets ahead of D-Day. When patrolling the beachhead, 332 shot down quite a few FW-190 and Br-109 aircraft. After resting in Plans at 11 Group, he commanded 234 Sqn’s Mustangs on Bomber Escort operations, and became Wg Ldr 150 Mustang Wing in Feb45 and the Hunsdon Wing in Mar45, and later became a POW for a few days having baled out over Germany after destroying a FW190 NE of Berlin on 16Apr45 and award of DSO.

Later in post-war Norway, and a short period with Scandinavian Airlines, Werner returned to the RNoAF as an Air Attaché in Stockholm, Training Branch Chief and then as Wg Cdr Flying at Gardermoen. Gen Christie became Commandant of the RNoAF Staff College and was NATO’s Cdr Allied TAF North Norway in Jan68 and Cdr AAF South Norway in May71.’ [ARP]

Werner Christie (left) instructing fellow Norwegian pilots Erik Hagen and Bjørn Ræder at RAF Catterick in 1942. (Public domain)