|
Lancaster I W4945 crashed 29/4 1943 at Remmerstrand.
The aircraft belonged to RAF 207 Sqn. Bomber Command and was coded EM-Z.
T/o 20:55 Langar. OP: Gardening.
On the return flight W4945 passed over the Oddesund bridge from where 3. Batteri
Flak Abt. 742 opend fire on the Lancaster. It was hit and the pilot W/O Kenneth
R. Rees tried to belly land the aircraft which ended up in the water 100 metres
off Remmerstrand at 01:29 hours.
The aircraft broke into three parts and a fire erupted. All onboard died.
The German Wehrmacht found the dead body of the Pilot W/O Kenneth R. Rees in the
wreck and brought it ashore.
Flt. Engr. Sgt. George Tyler RCAF was found washed ashore at nine o`clock in the
morning 3 kilometres east of the crash site.
Air Bomber Sgt. Thomas E. Ellingsham and W/Op-Air Gnr. F/O Leonard Foulds were
found not far from each other at 12:30 hours.
A dead flyer that was only identified in 1998 as Air Gnr. Sgt. Alexander W.
Cochrane was later on the same day found by a local fisherman when he attended
to his fish traps. The flyer had survived the crash and had
managed to pull himself out of the water by means of a fishing stake to
which he had fasten himself by fishing net. Sadly he had frozen to dead.
(Via N. E. Stampe)
Air Gnr. Sgt. Alexander W. Cochrane
Navigator P/O Patrick A.K. Mockford was found drifted ashore on Remmerstrand
beach on 16/5.
On 29/5 a flyer was found washed ashore near Humlum. In 1998 he was identified
as being Air. Gnr. Sgt Stanley W. Cowham.
They were all laid to rest in Lemvig cemetery. Rees, Tyler, Foulds, Ellingham and
Cochrane on 5/5-1943, Mockford on 20/5 and Cowham on 4/6-1943.
For some years a four Danes known as “The Danish Team” had researched the crash
and were able to convince “The Commenwealt War Graves Commision” about the
identity of those two flyers who had initially been laid to rest as Unknown.
On 18/9-1998 a ceremony was held at Lemvig cemetery when new headstones were
erected carriend the names of Sgt. S.W. Cowham and Sgt. A. W. Cochrane.
Salvaging the wreck
Sources: LBUK, CWGC, RL 19/456,NES, Report Lemvig, Humlum, Bækmarksbro Police.
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
Stirling I serial number R9290 crashed in the
Langelandsbælt near Vesternæs of Lolland 29/4 1943
Back to 1943
Top of page
|
