Airwar over Denmark

Airwar over Denmark

 By Søren C. Flensted

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Stirling I BF447 shot down near Vrønding on 29/4 1943.


The aircraft belonged to RAF 218 Sqn Bomber Command and was coded HA-F.
T/O 21:04 Downham Market OP: Gardening Sweet Pea (Fehmern belt)


Homeward bound the Stirling was attacked by a German night fighter piloted by Leutnant Günter Holtfreiter of 11/NJG 3 with the crew of Unteroffizier Mehler and Obergefreiter Gödicke.
At 00:16 hours the Stirling crashed by Kjærgaard in Vrønding, west of Horsens.
Before the crash, two men had managed to get out of the Stirling.
 

 

 


          (via Ole Kraul)

 


          (via Ole Kraul)

 


         (via Ole Kraul)

 



The remaining airmen died. The deceased airmen were Pilot P/O Dennis J. Brown, Navigator Sgt Thomas Rich, W/Op F/O John W. Scott, Air bomber Sgt William T. Jones and Air Gnr. Sgt George Sutton.
Luftwaffe soldiers from Ry airfield brought them to Esbjerg, where they were laid to rest in Fovrfelt cemetery on 7/5 1943.

 


(via Ole Kraul)

The funeral


 
Flt Engr Sgt Walter Lowery was the first to leave the aircraft, and he landed safely in parachute at Bisgaard farm in Vrønding. He hid in several barns during the next days, until he on May 14 at 19:00 hours was found by a smallholder in a barn at Lund mark. The smallholder’s daughter was sent to a neighbouring farm to phone the police.
Lowery sensed that something was wrong and when the Danish police arrived, he had left. The same evening at 21:00 hours he was spotted by the police when he walked down Vestergade street in Horsens. He was taken to the police station.
On May 15 at 00:20 hours he was picked up by Luftwaffe soldiers from Ry airfield under command of Feldwebel Welge. Feldwebel Welge duly signed a recipe when Lowery was handed over. From Ry he was sent to Oberursel near Frankfurt for interrogation. Later in May he was sent to Stalag Luft I Barth where he stayed until November 1943. Then to Stalag Luft VI Heydekrug where he stayed for 9 months. July 1944 saw him off to Stalag Luft IV Gross Tychow where he stayed until February 1945 when he and his comrades were sent on a march which lasted untill they were liberated by allied troops.

 

Brown, Jones, Sutton, Turner, Lowery, Rich, Pardrige.
On this trip Scott participated instead of Pardrige



Air Gnr.Sgt Leslie Turner left the Stirling after Lowery and landed near Korup.
He was the very same day arrested by the Danish police at 11:00 hours in Vrønding. A farmer had called the police after having seen Turner on the loft in his outhouse. Turner was brought to the police station in Horsens, and was at 13:30 hours handed over to the German Commandant of Ry airfield, Major v.Stetten. He was sent to Dulag Luft at Oberursel near Frankfurt for interrogation. He arrived on 7/5 and was passed on to Stalag Luft I Barth on 9/5. He stayed in Barth from 10/5 to 30/10 1943 when he was sent to Stalag Luft VI Heydekrug. He arrived on 2/11 and stayed until 13/7 1944. 14/7 1944 saw him in Stalag Luft 357 Thorn in Poland. He spent nearly a month here before he on 8/8 1944 was sent to Stalag 357 Fallingbostel where he stayed until 7/4 1945. On this day he and his fellow prisoners of war was sent on a march which lasted until 2/5 1945 when they were liberated by allied troops. 




A memorial stone has been erected at the crash site.

 


           (Ian Baker)

Air Gnr. Sgt Leslie Turner

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources : Police report, LBUK, BE, AS 37-65, RL 19/455+456.

 

Minelaying on the night of 28/29 April 1943

Lancaster I W4898 crashed in the southern part of Kattegat 29/4-1943

Stirling III BK807 crashed in Langelands Belt on 29/4 1943

Wellington X HE395 crashed at Over Jersdal on 29/4 1943

Stirling I BF447 shot down near Vrønding on 29/4 1943

Stirling III BF467 crashed in Langelands Belt near Kappel on 29/4 1943

Stirling III BF515 shot down by Taagerup on 29/4 1943

Wellington X HE170 tried to crash land near Bjerndrup 29/4 1943

Wellington X HZ278 crashed Esbjerg on 29/4 1943

Lancaster I W4945 crashed 29/4 1943 at Remmerstrand

Stirling I EF356 shot down near Aadum on 29/4 1943

Lancaster III ED733 crashed at Jordrup on 29/4-1943

Stirling I serial number R9290 crashed in the Langelandsbælt near Vesternæs of Lolland 29/4 1943


 

 

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