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Hampden I AE300 crashed near Hostrup on 12/9-1941.
The aircraft belonged to RAF 106 Sqn. Bomber Command and was coded ZN-?.
T/O 21:40 Coningsby OP: Rostock.
While over the target AE300 was hit by flak which holed the starboard fuel tank.
Fuel was lost and 10 minutes out of Rostock the starboard engine stopped. When
over Denmark the other engine failed and the aircraft was abandoned at 4000 ft.
altitude.
The first to leave the aircraft was Sgt. Davies followed by Sgt. Felson and Sgt. Dunn.
The last man to leave was W/O Bannister.
At 03:25 AE300
crashed into a field belonging to farmer Herman Østergaard near Hostrup, 10
miles east north east of Vejle. When the crash was reported to the police a
search for the flyers was stated. Apart from the Danish police, German soldiers
from the Observation post “Lottrup” near Gramrode and from FLUKO Vejle under the
command of Hauptman Evers and Leutnant Hase took part.
Air Gnr. Sgt Francis William Davies.
When jettisoning the escape door Air Gnr. Sgt. Danies lost part of a finger. The
door and the finger were later found near Daugaard. He landed safely in
parachute on the estate “Rohden” 5 km south west of the crash site, and walked
around for about an hour before he knocked on a window at a house belonging to
the estate.
A farm worker then took him to the main building where Proprietor Lüttichau and his wife took good care of him. He was placed in a bed. Proprietor
Lüttichau then called the Danish police to inform them that an airman had
arrived on the estate.
The police arrived, and Head of police Palle Højbye
explained to Davies that they could not possibly help him to escape. Doctor
Heegaard, Hedensted who had been called to take care of Davies finger, had him
taken by ambulance to Hornsylt hospital to have the damaged finger bandaged.
When that had been taken care of, he was taken to Vejle by the Germans.
He was
sent to Dulag Luft and from there to Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf. At the end of war he
was located in 357 Fallingbostel.
W/Op- Air Gnr. Sgt. James Alexander Summers Philson.
W/Op Sgt. James Alexander Summers Philson landed safely in parachute in a field
to the south of Havlykke farm near Belle. He folded up his parachute and hid it
in a fence and started moving to the south. At dawn he reached Vejle fjord and
hid in some scrub. Here he spent the whole day of 12/9.
At night he started
moving to the north east navigating by the help of the North Star.
When dawn
arrived he came to the farm Røde Mølle and entered the barn and hid in the
hayloft. Here he dug himself into the hay.
Sometime during Saturday 13/9 a police
car arrived and Philson saw a policeman with a dog entering the farmhouse.
Shortly after the policeman left again without searching the place. Late in the
evening Philson left the barn and started walking.
Since he had started walking
late he had not moved very far when dawn approached. He hid in the small Spilkjær forrest near the railroad between Hedensted and Daugaard. It was
raining all day Sunday 14/9 and in the evening he followed the railroad to
Daugaard. Here he hid for the day in some scrub to the north of the station and
watched the trains. In the evening he walked over to some goods wagons and
entered a wagon with a brake hut. Here he fell asleep hoping to go on a train
ride. The hope vanished when a railwayman opened the door to unlock the brakes.
Philson at Daugaard Inn.
Philson was then at 10:45 on 16/9 taken to the Daugaard Inn for interrogation by
the Danish police. He was given food and treated very well.
Later the same day Philson was picked up by four Germans and taken to the German HQ in Vejle where
he was meet by a very fat German Major. After a day or two Philson was put in a
car and taken to Flensburg airfield where he spent two days, then on to Dulag
Luft in Oberursel near Frankfurt for interrogation. After a few days he was sent
to Stalag VIIIB, Lambsdorf near Breslau. After six months he switched identity
with a Australian to be able to go on a working party away from the camp. He
managed to escape twice, but he was captured each time after a couple of days
and given two weeks in the cooler. Early 1945 the prisoners of war were sent on
a march away from the advancing Russian troops. Near Braunschweig Philson was
liberated by the 9. American Division and a week later sent to England.
(James Philson via Finn Helmuth Pedersen)
James Alexander Summers Philson
Navigator Sgt. R. J. Dunn.
Dunn landed in his parachute near the eastern part of Bredballe town, and hid
the parachute and swimming jacket. He then started walking in a westerly
direction. On 13/9 Dunn was arrested by a Danish policeman in Grejsdalen at
14:00 hours. He was handed over to the Germans, and sent to Germany the
following day. After interrogation in Dulag Luft, he was sent to Stalag Luft VI
Heydekrug and later to Stalag 357 Thorn. He returned to England after the war.
Pilot W/O Jack Arthur Bannister.
When Pilot W/O Jack Arthur Bannister left the plane, he struck the tailplane and
fractured both legs and lost his boots. He managed to deploy his parachute and
landed in a field outside Stouby belonging to Farmer Marinus Møller and passed
out.
He was found 5 hours later by farm people. Due to Bannisters injuries the
landowner called an ambulance and Bannister was taken to the hospital in
Hornsylt where he was cared for by Dr. H. Thorborg and staff. When he arrived he
meet Davies who was taken away under escort after having his finger bandaged.
After three weeks it was found necessary to amputate Bannisters right leg and
Dr. Torborg managed to convince the German commander that Bannister should stay
in Hornsylt instead of being moved to Vejle.
After the amputation one of Bannister`s boots was found. Luckily it turned out to be the left had boot.
After four weeks in Hornsylt he was moved to the Military wing of the Hospital
in Vejle where the Germans treated him very well. He had access to English books
from Aarhus library and was even permitted to receive a visit from Miss Mejer
from Hornsylt.
After four weeks in Vejle he was transferred to Schleswig
Lazarett where he had a hard time. He was most relieved when he after nine weeks
was moved to Stadt Rhoda in January 1942. From there on to Stalag IXC Bad Sulza/Mühlhausen
and Stalag 344 Lamsdorf before he was repatriated in November 1943 due to his
bad condition. He was sent to England via Sassnitz and Trelleborg, Göteborg,
Sweden.
Sources: RL 19/453, LBUK, AS 36-41, OLCB, Philson via O. Kraul, Bannister, Ole Kraul.
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