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Lancaster I ME650 crashed at Sønder Grene near Skarrild
27/8 1944.
The aircraft belonged to RAF 630 Sqn. Bomber Command and was coded LE-B.
T/o 19:58 East Kirkby. OP: Königsberg.
On the return flight ME650 was attacked by a night fighter and at 04:15 hours it
crashed in a field belonging to Farmer Peter Petersen, Sønder Grene with the
loss of all onboard.
(Skarrild Lokalarkiv)
(Skarrild Lokalarkiv)
(Skarrild Lokalarkiv)
(Skarrild Lokalarkiv)
(Skarrild Lokalarkiv)
Wreckage
Six bodies were found in the burning wreck and one dead flyer was found in a
field a couple of hundred metres away.
The Wehrmacht left the bodies in the field until 14:30 hours on the afternoon of
29/8 when four labourers from Fliegerhorst Vandel started digging a whole at the
side of the field to dump the flyers in.
Constable Egon Christensen approached the officer in command and persuaded him
in letting Christensen arrange for the bodies to be buried at Skarrild cemetery.
The Germans accepted on the basis that there would be no expenses for the
Wehrmacht to pay.
Christensen borrowed a horse drawn carriage at the nearby “Clasonborg” manor and
placed the bodies on it and covered them with the Danish flag.
In the Skarrild cemetery a grave had been prepared and two large coffins had
been placed in it. The carriage was parked next to it and Constable Christensen
climbed down in the grave. One at a time the seven bodies were handed down to
him and placed in the coffins. When this was done, Vicar Henrik Ingerslev
officiated at the graveside ceremony. The Germans allowed the 40-50 attending
Danes to sing one hymn. Before the end of the day the grave was covered with
flowers.
(Via Ole Kraul)
(Via Ole Kraul)
(Via Ole Kraul)
(Skarrild Lokalarkiv)
Skarrild cemetery
The flyers were: Pilot F/Lt Evelyn G.W. Bowers, Navigator P/O Wilfred J.
Fingland RCAF, Air bomber P/O Burton McLauchlin RCAF, Flt. Engr. Sgt Guy R.
Stott, W/Op-Air Gnr. Sgt Leslie Thompson, Air Gnr. Sgt Alan A. M. Langbridge and
W/O William J. Carrier RAAF.
(Skarrild Lokalarkiv)
Rear: Stott, Langbridge, Carrier, Thompson
Front: McLauchlin, Bowers, Fingland
(Skarrild Lokalarkiv)
W/O William J. Carrier RAAF
Air bomber P/O Burton McLauchlin RCAF
Navigator P/O Wilfred J. Fingland RCAF
Each year on the evening of 5/5 on the day of the liberation of
Denmark a ceremony is held at Skarrild Cemetery in honour of the flyers.
The grave as seen after the ceremony on 5/5 2005
The ceremony on 5/5 2005
The lost wingman performed by Royal Danish Airforce
Sources: CWGC, BCL, Police report Kibæk, V.V. Thomsen, LBUK.
26/27 August 1944
Lancaster I LM127 crashed in the North Sea 27/8 1944
Lancaster III PB180 crashed the in Baltic Sea 27/8
1944
Lancaster III PB302 ditched in the North Sea 27/8
1944
Lancaster III ND807 crashed in the sea off the
island of Sejrø 27/8-1944
Lancaster III LM652 crashed in the sea of Kattegat
27/8 1944
Lancaster III PB292 crashed Høgsholt near Vejle
27/8-1944
Lancaster III LM694 crashed Aastruplund 27/8 1944
Lancaster I ME650 crashed at Sønder Grene near
Skarrild 27/8 1944
Back to 1944
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