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Stirling I BF447 shot down near Vrønding on 29/4
1943.
The aircraft belonged to RAF 218 Sqn Bomber Command and was coded HA-F.
T/O 21:04 Downham Market OP: Gardening Sweet Pea (Fehmern belt)
Homeward bound the Stirling was attacked by a German night fighter piloted by
Leutnant Günter Holtfreiter of 11/NJG 3 with the crew of Unteroffizier Mehler
and Obergefreiter Gödicke.
At 00:16 hours the Stirling crashed by Kjærgaard in
Vrønding, west of Horsens.
Before the crash, two men had managed to get out of
the Stirling.
The remaining airmen died. The deceased airmen were Pilot P/O
Dennis J.Brown, Navigator Sgt Thomas Rich, W/Op F/O John W.Scott, Air bomber Sgt
William T.Jones and Air Gnr. Sgt George Sutton.
Luftwaffe soldiers from Ry
airfield brought them to Esbjerg, where they were laid to rest in Fovrfelt
cemetery on 7/5 1943.
Browne, Jones, Sutton, Turner, Lowery, Rich,
Pardrige.
On this trip Scott participated instead of Pardrige
Flt Engr Sgt Walter Lowery was the first to leave the aircraft, and he landed
safely in parachute at Bisgaard farm in Vrønding. He hid in several barns during
the next days, until he on May 14 at 19:00 hours was found by a smallholder in a
barn at Lund mark. The smallholder’s daughter was sent to a neighbouring farm to
phone the police.
Lowery sensed that something was wrong and when the Danish
police arrived, he had left. The same evening at 21:00 hours he was spotted by
the police when he walked down Vestergade street in Horsens. He was taken to the
police station.
On May 15 at 00:20 hours he was picked up by Luftwaffe soldiers
from Ry airfield under command of Feldwebel Welge. Feldwebel Welge duly signed a
recipe when Lowery was handed over.
Air Gnr.Sgt Leslie Turner left the Stirling after Lowery and landed near Korup.
He was the very same day arrested by the Danish police at 11:00 hours in Vrønding. A farmer had called the police after having seen Turner on the loft in
his outhouse. Turner was brought to the police station in Horsens, and was at
13:30 hours handed over to the German Commandant of Ry airfield, Major v.Stetten.
All above pictures via Ole Kraul
A memorial stone has been erected at the crash site.
Sources : Police report, LBUK, BE, AS 37-65, RL 19/455+456.
Minelaying on the night of 28/29 April 1943
Lancaster I W4898 crashed in the
southern part of Kattegat
29/4-1943
Stirling III BK807 crashed in Langelands Belt on
29/4 1943
Wellington X HE395 crashed at Over Jersdal on 29/4
1943
Stirling I BF447 shot down near Vrønding on 29/4
1943
Stirling III BF467 crashed in Langelands Belt near
Kappel on 29/4 1943
Stirling III BF515 shot down by Taagerup on 29/4
1943
Wellington X HE170 tried to crash land near
Bjerndrup 29/4 1943
Wellington X HZ278 crashed Esbjerg on 29/4 1943
Lancaster I W4945 crashed 29/4 1943 at Remmerstrand
Stirling I EF356 shot down near Aadum on 29/4 1943
Lancaster III ED733 crashed at Jordrup on 29/4-1943
Back to 1943
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