Stirling IV LK143 lost without trace 3/12-1944

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Stirling IV LK143 lost without trace 3/12-1944

The aircraft belonged to 138 Sqn and was coded NF-B
T/O Tempsford 00:35* OP: Tablejam 169 & 177 in Denmark

The Stirling took off on a mission to drop supplies to the Danish resistance movement at Tablejam 169 which was located 9½ km N of Kolind / 6 1/4 km S of Fjellerup and Tablejam 177 which was located 15½ km NE of Randers / 5 km N of Mellerup. The aircraft carried 12 containers and 1 package for each drop zone.

The crew was: Pilot F/O George Frederick Nichols, Flight Engineer Sgt Arthur Cecil “Taffy” Butler, F/S Joseph Albert Golding, F/S John George Harris, F/S Leslie William Poulson RAAF, Sgt Frederick Albert Walter Filer and Air Gunner F/S Charles Edward Terrell.

A report from the Danish resistance stated that the aircraft did not reach any of the dropzones and that they had no news whatsoever about it.

The aircraft was lost without trace and the crew is commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial in the United Kingdom.

In German files it is recorded that Oberfeldwebel Herbert Giesecke of 3./ NJG 3 claimed a Stirling in Planquadrat MQ-19 at 04:49 hrs. The Stirling was flying at 30 meters when shot down. (It was quite normal for aircrafts of 138 and 161 Squadron to drop to that height when approaching the Danish coast to avoid being picked up on radar).

German Planquadrat Map

Based on the facts gathered here the owner of this site believes that Ofw Giesecke claimed Stirling LK143.

NOTE:

* For one or another reason it was not recorded in the ORB when Stirling LK143 took off, but as the other 9 aircrafts operating that night from 138 and 161 Sqn took off between 23:55 hrs and 0:40 hrs is can be assumed that LK143 took off in the same span of time +- a few minutes. This have afterwards been confirmed from papers from the file of F/S Leslie William Poulson RAAF at the Australian National Archive.

* Those aircrafts that made it to their dropzones in Denmark arrived there between 02:56 and 04:02 and landed back in England between 06:30 and 07:39.

* Two did not make it to Denmark. One due to weather and one were struck by lightning.

(Paul Hamer)

Air Gunner F/S Charles Edward Terrell.

(Paul Hamer)

Air Gunner F/S Charles Edward Terrell with wife and child.

(Paul Hamer)

Click on image to enlarge (Link will open in a new window)

Sources: NAA Kew: HS 8/146, AIR 20/8280, AIR 20/8314, AIR 20/8363 // Historisk Samling fra Besættelsestiden: Toldstrup file // BCL // TW //

To Theo Boiten and Huub van Sabben: Thanks for helping me remember what I had forgotten.

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