Airwar over Denmark

Airwar over Denmark

 By Søren C. Flensted

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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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