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Stirling IV LK238 crash landed near Vemb 7/10-1944
The aircraft belonged to RAF 161 Sqn Bomber Command and was coded MA-X.
To Tempsford 22:29. OP: SOE mission to Tablejam 104 (Hornslet)
and Tablejam 26B (Kaathede southeast of Hobro) in Jylland.
When LK238 approached the west coast of the Jylland peninsula at 300 feet it was
attacked by a German night fighter. The JU 88 night fighter is believed to have
been piloted by Hauptmann Johann Dreher of 6./ NJG 3 and is believed to be
operating out of Fliegerhorst Grove.
The Stirling was hit in both right hand engines and the wing started burning.
Bombardier P/O Ross F. Philp RAAF was hit by bullets from the night fighter and
died.
(Andrew Moloney)
Pilot S/Ldr G. E. Abecassis made a good belly landing in a field north west of Vemb and all except Philp hurried out of the burning aircraft. Flt. Engr. P/O
Lesley N. Flower and Navigator F/Lt Richard R. Gee were both suffering from burns.
(Via David Abecassis)
S/Ldr G E Abecassis, DFC
(Gørding Sognehus)
Bombardier P/O Ross F. Philp RAAF
The crew split up in two teams. One team were Abecassis and W/Op F/O K. H. Walker,
while the other team were Flower, Gee, Air Gnr. P/O Patrich J. Moloney and Air Gnr. F/O Samuel C. Woodham.
(Andrew Moloney)
P/O Patrich J. Moloney
(Jane Fleming nee Gee)
Navigator F/Lt Richard R. Gee
Abecassis and Walker managed to get across Jylland in 4-5 days by the help of a
truck driver after having asked for help in different places. When they tried to
cross a bridge in Randers they were arrested by a German officer. They were
placed in a cell for a few days before they were picked up by two Luftwaffe
sergeants and taken by train to Stalag Luft for interrogation before they were
sent to Stalag Luft III Sagan.
Here they spent about three month before they and the other prisoners were given
a Red Cross parcel and sent on a march that lasted several days and would
eventually take them to Kotbus station where they were put on a train in cattle
trucks. There were 55 men to a truck, which meant that only half of the
prisoners could sit down.
The train ride lasted two or three days and ended at Luckenwalde south of Berlin. Here they stayed until they were liberated by the
advancing Russian troops.
The other team had more luck and got in contact with people who had contact to
the resistance. Flt. Engr. P/O Lesley. N. Flower and Navigator F/Lt Richard. R. Gee
were treated by Doctor Holger Thomsen, Hornslet before they were sent to Grenå
and on to Sweden.
Flower was sent to Sweden on 26/10, and on 30/10 Moloney, Woodham and Gee were
sailed over to Sweden.
The Germans buried Philp in a weapon container near a hedge a few metres from
the crash site. His remains were disinterred and laid to rest in Gørding
cemetery on 15/6 1945. Vicar C. Andersen, Vemb officiated at the graveside
ceremony and the British field priest Perkins spoke afterwards. A detachment of
Canadian soldiers fired a salute of honour.
A Danish grave stone can be found at
the place where he was first buried as well as on his grave at the cemetery, and
his picture is found in the church.
(Hostebro Museum og lokalhistorisk arkiv)
(Hostebro Museum og lokalhistorisk arkiv)
(Hostebro Museum og lokalhistorisk arkiv)
(Hostebro Museum og lokalhistorisk arkiv)
(Michael Hviid)
(Michael Hviid)
This cross was locally made by Danes and placed at the initial grave. It is now
kept by the church.
The place where Ross Philp was initially buried
(Via Theo Boiten)
Johann Dreher
Johann Dreher (To the right) visiting Radar Station "Hyäne" at Nørre Lyngby,
Denmark August-September 1944.
Hauptmann Johann Dreher died on the night of 3 rd March 1945 close to Elvington
Airfield near York while taken part in Operation Gisela. Drehers aircraft
clipped a tree and crashed into a farmhouse killing the crew of four plus three
people living in the farmhouse. What exactly happened is not quite clear as some
sources claims that the JU 88 was hit by flak while other states that it was
flying too low. Dreher and his crew rest in Cannock Chase cemetery. Apart from
Hauptmann Johann Dreher it were Feldwebel Gustav Schmutz, Oberfeldwebel Hugo
Böker and Feldwebel Martin Bechter.
Sources : Abecassis via OK, LBUK, OK, DFEV, CWGC, TW , AIR 27/1068, ”Danske
lægememoirer”, FAF, WO 208/3324, Clive Ellis.
Back to 1944
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