Airwar over Denmark

Airwar over Denmark

 By Søren C. Flensted

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Allied:
1939-1940 Updated 19/10-24
1941 Updated 28/4-22
1942 Updated 14/7-24
1943 Updated 15/4-24
1944 Updated 15/9-24
1945 Updated 4/12-22


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1939
1940 New 30/11-23
1941 New 23/7-21
1942 Updated 24/7-24
1943 Updated 28/1-23
1944 Updated 23/7-23
1945 Updated 16/7-23

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Blenheim IV T1827 crashed two km. east of Kaas on 13/8-1940.

The aircraft belonged to RAF 82 Sqn. Bomber Command and was coded UX-H.
T/o 0840 Watton OP:Aalborg.

S/L Norman C. Jones tried to avoid the fighters but they seemed to be all over. The Air gunner Sgt. John Bristow fired back at the fighters but even though he believed to be firing accurate it did not seem to do any harm to them. Suddenly a stream of bullets hit the fuselage, but spared the turret. Bristow called the pilot but received no answer. Looking forward he could see Jones slumped over the controls, and seeing no trace of the Navigator P/O T.J. Cranidge, he decided to get out. When leaving thru the rear hatch his flying boot was caught up in the fuselage. He managed to pull his foot out of it and dropped towards the ground pulling the parachutes ripcord. He landed very close to F/L Ellen, from Blenheim R3802, a couple of kilometres east of Kaas .


T1827 crashed in a field not far away. A farm hand led Bristow and Ellen on borrowed bicycles to a house in what is today known as Kaas. When learning that there was no resistance movement and no escape lines, they chose to have the Danish family call the Germans. The bodies of S/L Norman C. Jones and P/O T.J. Cranidge were recovered from the wreck and laid to rest in Vadum cemetery on 16/8 1940.


On the next day Bristow was loaded into a JU 52 together with four more flyers and taken to an airfield near Hamburg where they were transferred to a truck which took them to Dulag Luft in Oberursel near Frankfurt. After interrogation Bristow was sent to Stalag Luft I Barth. He was later moved to Stalag Luft III Sagan, Stalag Luft VI Heydekrug and Stalag 357 Fallingbostel. While being in the camps Bristow became quite well known for being able to make everything out of very little. Among other things he made several radios, thus being able to boost morale by keeping his inmates informed with news from the BBC. He did this even when the POWs were sent on the infamous marches at the end of the war.

 


                     (Ole Rønnest)

S/L Norman C. Jones

 


                  (Ole Rønnest)

Navigator P/O T.J. Cranidge

 


                     (Ole Rønnest)

Air gunner Sgt. John Bristow

 



 

Sources: Ole Rønnest, Aabybro, LBUK, WD, OLCB.
 

 

Links to the other crashed aircrafts:

August 13 1940 attack on Aalborg West

Blenheim IV R1933 crashed in Restrup enge on 13/8-1940

Blenheim IV R3800 crashed in Limfjorden on 13/8-1940

Blenheim IV R2772 ditched in Limfjorden north of Egholm island on 13/8-1940

Blenheim IV R3821 crashed at Aalborg West on 13/8-1940

Blenheim IV R3829 crashed in Torpet Kær, Vadum on 13/8-1940

Blenheim IV R3904 crashed two km. east of Aabybro on 13/8-1940

Blenheim IV T1827 crashed two km. east of Kaas on 13/8-1940

Blenheim IV R3802 crashed two km. east of Kaas 13/8-1940

Blenheim IV T1934 crashed in Tranum dune plantation 13/8-1940

Blenheim IV R3913 crashed in Tranum dune plantation 13/8-1940

Blenheim IV T1889 crash landed near Vust 13/8-1940
 

 

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