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Wellington II Z8521 crash landed near Højer on 29/4-1942.
The aircraft belonged to RAF 158 Sqn. Bomber Command and was coded NP-N.
T/O 22:02 Driffield. OP: Kiel.
When approaching the Danish coast Z8521 was hit by flak from 1./ 836 located
near Esbjerg, and had to make a crash landing near Emmelev church north of Højer
at 03:30 in the morning.
The crew set fire to the aircraft and walked away. At
04:40 the Danish police in Højer reported that two flyers had been caught and
handed over to the Wehrmacht in Ribe.
At 15:00 in the afternoon two more flyers
were caught and handed over to the Wehrmacht in Ribe, and on 30/4 at 13:40 the
last crewmember was caught by the police in Harris and handed over to the
Wehrmacht in Hjerpsted.
It appears that one of the first four flyers captured
was wounded in one leg and was taken by ambulance to Esbjerg. It is believed
that this flyer was F/O W.H.Betts.
On 30/4 around noon three of the prisoners was sent by train to Kolding and
further on to Germany guarded by a Luftwaffe Feldwebel and three privates.
The
day after one more flyer followed escorted by an Unteroffizier and a private
soldier. This flyer was describes as being an officer. In both cases the German
Feldgendarmerie at Kolding railway station made a formal complaint to the Danish
police about Danes being too friendly to the prisoners.
It is believed that the
first three sent to Germany were Pilot F/S L. McKay, Sgt G.Rees and P/O
P.E.Gates who all after being interrogated in Oberursel were sent to Stalag Luft
III at Sagan. Gates stayed there for the war while Rees was transferred to
Stalag Luft VI at Heydekrug to end up in 357 Thorn / Fallingbostel at the end of
the war.
McKay was send on to Stalag Luft I at Barth from where he tried to
escape on 8/8 1943 but was caught and spent time in the cooler. Later he went to
Stalag Luft VI at Heydekrug and Stalag Luft IV at Gross Tychow.
The officer who
was sent to Germany on 30/4 is believed to be F/O W.H.Betts who was sent to
Stalag Luft III Sagan, Stalag Luft VI Heydekrug and 357 Thorn / Fallingbostel.
Apparently Sgt A.W.Abbott followed later and was sent to Stalag IXC at
Mühlhausen, Stalag Luft VI Heydekrug and Stalag Luft IV Gross Tychow.
Sources : RL 19/454+472, AS 70-89, AS 34-350, LBUK, KT, OLCB, T501.
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