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Bleinheim IV R3895 shot down near Lomborg on 31/7 1940.
The aircraft belonged to RAF 114 Sqn. Bomber Command and was coded RT-?
T/O Horsham St. Faith OP: Aalborg airfield.
Two Blenheims of 114 Squadron were detailed to attack Aalborg West. The
weather conditions over the North Sea was 5-8/10th cloud but when approaching
the coast the cloud cover became sparce.
The Blenheims attacked Aalborg West airfield at approximately 09:20 hours with
50 kg bombs and machine guns. Five Germans were killed and one was wounded. A JU
88 was damaged 70 %.
Two Messerschmidt Bf 109E fighters from JG 77 were scrambled from
Fliegerhorst Aalborg West and pursued the Blemheim`s in a running battle towards
west.
During the battle one of the fighters was damaged by bullets from one of the
Blenheim`s and had to belly land in the fields belonging to Trabjerggaard near
Gudum.
The pilot had damaged his spine and were taken by ambulance to the hospital in
Lemvig. At approximately 09:35-09:40 hrs Blenheim R3895 ran out of luck and it
crashed in the fields belonging to Havsttor near Lomborg being shot down by Uffz
Otto Niemeyer of 5./JG 77.
The crew which consisted of Pilot S/Ldr Melville (Bush) Neil Macfadyen
Kennedy, P/O James B. P. Hanlon and Sgt George Remnant all survived even though
Remnant was wounded by a bullet thru the forearm. This was bandaged by Klara
Kristensen of a neighbour farm.
A local man called the Germans and soon after the crew were made prisoners of
war.
(Angus Kennedy)
Pilot S/Ldr M. N. Kennedy
Kennedy was sent to Dulag Luft near Frankfurt before going to Stalag Luft I
Barth. Then to Offlag XC Lübeck, Dossel Oflag VIB Mauveersseb bei Meppen, to end up in Stalag Luft III Sagen
before going to Schubin Oflag XXI B and back to Sagan East Camp and then North
Camp and finally Marlag / Milag near Bremen. On 10/4-45 the prisoners was sent
on a walk towards east until he was liberated south of Lübeck on 2/5-1945 by the
British 2nd Army.
Kennedy stayed in the RAF and flew Mosquitos in the Middle East after the
war and finally retired from RAF in 1958.
(Angus Kennedy)
Pilot S/Ldr M. N. Kennedy in POWcamp.
(Angus Kennedy)
Pilot S/Ldr M. N. Kennedy in POWcamp.
Hanlon was also sent to Dulag Luft where he stayed untill 20/8-40 when he was
sent to Stalag Luft I Barth. He stayed until March 1942 when he was moved to
Stalag Luft III Sagan. February 1944 saw him off to Stalag Luft III Belaria,
Sagan where he stayed until January 1945 when he was sent to Stalag Luft IIIA
Luckenwalde. He was liberated on 7/5 1945.
(Patrick McKee)
Due to his wound that needed operation, Remnant was sent to Hohemark hospital
near Frankfurt. On 11/11 1940 he was moved to Dulag Luft where he stayed until
1/12 1940 when he was sent to Stalag Luft I Barth. Here he stayed until 21/4-42
when he was sent to Stalag Luft III Sagan. On 13/10-42 he was sent back to Barth
where he stayed until 30/10-43 when he was sent to Stalag Luft VI Heydekrug. On
15/7-44 he was again on the move. This time to Stalag Luft IV Gross Tychow where
he was a prisoner until 28/2-45 when he returned to Stalag Lugt I Barth where he
was liberated.
(Angus Kennedy)
Sgt George Remnant.
During the running battle a Danish boy of the age of eleven was hit by a bullet
in his head and died from this wound three years later.
(Angus Kennedy)
The wreckage
(Angus Kennedy)
Back side of the picture given to Kennedy.
Sources: OLCB, KT, AD,RL, BCL, LBUK, TW, Angus Kennedy.
Back to 1930 - 1940
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