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Lancaster I ME726 crashed at Gamtofte 16/5 1944.
The aircraft belonged to RAF 576 Sqn. Bomber Command and was coded UL-X2.
T/o 22:08 Elsham Wolds. OP: Gardening Kiel Bay
The Lancaster was attacked by a German night fighter over Assens and crashed in
the village of Gamtofte on the island of Fyn at 00:50 hours. The night fighter
belonged to 10./NJG 3 and was piloted by Feldwebel Günter Holtfreter.
The Lancaster fell in the garden of the vicarage and one of the mines onboard
exploded.
Part of the fuselage
Apparently the aircraft had separated in the air since the empennage and engines
and part of a wing was found up to 3 kilometres from the crash site.
The whole crew died.
The Wehrmacht collected the human remains and buried them in Assens cemetery on
16/5 1944 at 23:00 hours without ecclesiastical assistance.
The crew were Pilot F/Lt Ernest J. Presland DFC, Pilot P/O Albert E. Slade, Flt.
Engr. Sgt Alan W. Knapp, Navigator F/O Mark L. Abramson RCAF, Air Bomber F/O
Charles Ashcroft, W/Op Sgt Benjamin J. Hudson, Air Gnr. Sgt Robert E. Leatham
and Air Gnr. Sgt Arthur G. Wright DFM.
(Via Finn Buch)
Pilot F/Lt Ernest J. Presland DFC
(Kathy
Hooper)
Air Gnr. Sgt Arthur G. Wright DFM
(Library and Archives Canada RG24 vol 24714)
Navigator F/O Mark L. Abramson RCAF
(Via Ole Kraul)
Wreckage in Gamtofte
The tail
By a miracle no villagers were killed and only three were wounded. The vicarage
and the home of the Bell ringer and the home of Widow Juhl were destroyed as was
two farms belonging to the estate “Brahesborg”.
The church and eight farms were badly damaged and a number building more or less
damaged. Two farms belonging to Farmer Maren Christoffersen and Farmer
Dideriksen burden down.
At dawn the Wehrmacht found three unexploded mines 250 metres from the crash
site and disarmed these.
(Via Museet for Danmarks Frihedskamp)
An unfortunate crewmember
An unfortunate crewmember
(Via Museet for Danmarks Frihedskamp)
An unfortunate crewmember
The crashsite today
Sources: LBUK, AS 31-127, CWGC, UA, TB.
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