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Lancaster III PA988 crashed near Allindemagle on the
island of Sjælland 17/8 1944.
The aircraft belonged to RCAF (RAF) 405 Sqn. Bomber Command and was coded LQ-P.
T/o 21:00 Gransden Lodge. OP: Stettin.
When approaching the target PA988 was coned by searchlights and damaged by heavy
flak rendering the ailerons 60 % u/s and the port elevator broke in two. The
bomb load was dropped on Stettin by help of H2S from 18.000 ft. at 01:45 hours
and the course was set for home. A little before 02:00 hours PA988 was
approaching the 3rd turning point after target, over Denmark when it was
attacked by a German night fighter from astern below with tracers which hit the
rear turret and raked along the whole of the fuselage.
The night fighter was piloted by Lt Klaus Möller of 12/NJG 3.
The rear turret of the Lancaster was put
out of action, the port upper gun was blown out of the turret and the hydraulics
was u/s. The controls were again damaged so it was impossible to corkscrew, and
the no. 2 tank and the port inner engine and the wing between the port engines
caught fire.
(Via Helme)
In turret: Budd
Rear: Umscheid, Walter, Wiens,
Front: Durfee, Rafter, Musgrave
(Via Finn Buch)
Also Rear gunner Sgt Alfred C. D. Budd
(Via Finn Buch)
W/op WO1 Ralph H. Rafter
(Via Finn Buch)
Pilot F/O Bud H. Walter
(Via Finn Buch)
Walter and crew.
(Via Finn Buch)
Navigator F/O Ross C. Wiens
The Lancaster could not be controlled and dived to port. Pilot F/O Bud H. Walter
gave the order to bail out. First to leave from the front exit was Flt. Engr.
Sgt Jim L. Umscheid followed by Bomb aimer F/O A. Bruce Durfee, Navigator F/O
Ross C. Wiens and W/op WO1 Ralph H. Rafter. Also Rear gunner Sgt Alfred C. D. Budd
got out and landed safely while Mid upper gunner F/Sgt Phil A. Musgrave had been
killed during the attack. The last to bail out was Pilot F/O B. H. Walter who did
so at 11.000 fts.
The aircraft blew up at 8000 fts. and again at 2000 fts. before it at 01:55
hours crashed near Allindemagle on the island of Sjælland. The wreckage was
spread over several square kilometres.
(Via Helme)
(Via Helme)
(Via Helme)
The dead body of F/Sgt Musgrave was found in a turnip field belonging to Farmer
Poul Petersen about 50 metres from a five meter piece of the fuselage. The body
was placed on a door in a barn. It was later taken to the morgue at Ringsted
hospital. F/S Musgrave was laid to rest in Svinø cemetery on the very same day.
Umscheid landed in a three and was unable to get down on his own. Someone
apparently helped him down, and someone informed the police about his
whereabouts. He was arrested at “Nordgården” farm and at 11:00 hours he was
brought to the police station in Ringsted by two Danish police constables.
Present at the station was Oberfeldwebel Opitz of the German Feldgendarmerei
Gruppe Ringsted.
He ordered Umscheid to come along to the hospital to identify Musgrave. Next
Musgrave was taken back to the police station and placed in a cell.
Oberfeldwebel Opitz duly signed two recipes for Musgrave and Umscheid.
(AS 13-230)
(AS 13-230)
It is not quite clear how and where Durfee was captured, but apparently he was
captured in a field belonging to “Nordgården” farm.
Durfee and Umscheid were sent to Dulag Luft for questioning and later to POW
camps. Durfee was sent to Stalag Luft III Sagan where he stayed until29/1-45
when he was sent to Marlag Nord near Tarmstedt. He arrived on 4/2-45 and stayed
until 10/4-45 when he was sent to Lübeck where he arrived on 18/4-45.
Umscheid was sent to
Stalag Luft VII Bankau where he arrived on 30/8-44 and stayed until 19/1-45 when
he was sent to Stalag IIIA Luckwalde. He arrived on 8/2-45 and stayed until
21/5-45.
Walter landed about 159 metres from “Nordgården” farm and hid his Mae Weat and
chute under stocks.
He walked a few hundred metres away from the farm and rested for ½ an hour.
After rest he headed north to the village of Ordrup. Outside the village he dug
into a haystack and lay there resting.
At eight a`clock in the morning he approached the nearby farmhouse. He received
a warm welcome by the owners Leo and Ester Larson. Ester made him a fine
breakfast while Carl called a friend and asked him to come over right away.
After breakfast Ester attended to Walter`s leg which was hurting and then put
him to bed. After about two hours Ester came to the room yelling Nazis, Nazis
!!. Walter got out of bed and followed Leo out back and was told to hide in 200
litres drum lying in the long grass. After a while a group of German soldiers
arrived and searched the house and buildings without finding Walter. When the
Germans had left Leo motioned Walter to come to the house again. The same thing
happened several times during the day and when Leo left to meet Carl, Walter
chose to stay in the barrel until he came back. Carl spoke English and told
Walter that they would go by bicycle to Ringsted and then by train to København.
In København he was taken to a apartment belonging to Anker Jacobsen where he
was given clothes which fitted perfectly. Here he met the well known resistance
fighters Jørgen Haagen Schmidt known as “Citronen” and Bent Faurschou Hviid known
as “Flammen”.
In the afternoon he was moved to a flat belonging to Mrs. Annie Jacobsen in
Kanslergade 16 where he would stay until 20/8. On the afternoon of 18/8 Walter
was taken for a drive around town in “Citronen`s” stolen Opel Kapitän.
On 20/8 Walter was moved to another flat by “Flammen” and “Citronen” who during
the next couple of days took him around town. On the afternoon Walter was moved
to the Bomhoff mansion. On 25/8 Budd was brought to the house and after 45
minutes they were taken to the harbour and put on a coal ship.
After landing Budd hid his chute, harness and Mae West and stayed in a small
wood until daylight when he walked to Tølløse and Roskilde where he contacted a
farmer in the eastern outskirts. The farmer brought in Danish officials who took
Budd to Roskilde where he received medical attention. He stayed in a safe house
until 21/8 when he was taken by car to København where he stayed until 25/8 and
meet Walter.
On 25/8 they were escorted to the docks and put in a coal boat that should take
them to Sweden. Apparently there was something wrong with the boat and they
stayed there for another day until they were transferred to another boat where
they met with W/O Rafter.
They arrived in Malmø on 27/8 and contacted the British Consul the day after. On
29/8 they were sent to Stockholm where Wiens arrived a couple of days later.
Apparently he had walked to Helsingør where the group “Speditørerne” had taken
care of him and sent him to Sweden via København.
On 3/9 Walter and Rafter flew to Leuchars in Moscquto G-AGKO operated by B.O.A.C.
On 8/9 Budd and Wiens were sent back to England.
Sources: LBUK, Bud Walker, E&E report of Budd 79/507 + 181.001 (DZ4)Quistionaire
for returned aircrew for Durfee, Umschied,
Walter and Rafter Directorate of
History and Heritage, Department of National Defence, Canada. AS 13-230, OLCB,
TW.
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