Airwar over Denmark

Airwar over Denmark

 By Søren C. Flensted

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Stirling LJ942 crashed into Roskilde Fjord inlet on 3/4 1945.


The aircraft belonged to RAF 299 Sqn 38 Group Fighter Command and was coded X9-I.
T/O 23:10 Shepherds Grove OP: SOE to Tablejam 283 (Orø island).


Together with two more Stirlings LJ942 was tasked to drop supplies to the resistance on the drop zone on the island of Orø in Issefjorden. Due to bad weather the two other Stirlings returned to base.
LJ942 approached Sjælland from the west, but had difficulties in pinpointing its position, so the Pilot P/O C. Dillon circled the aircraft over the town of Hundested.
 

 

Pilot P/O C. Dillon


German flak from Melby opened fire and LJ942 was hit in the tail. Dillon flew low level over Roskilde Fjord inlet and turned to the south. He lost control over the elevator and the aircraft hit the water surface with high speed approx. 600 meter to the north of Stenø and 100 meters from the beach.

 


        (Birger Hansen)

 


        (Birger Hansen)

Flt. Engr. F/Sgt Harold J. Farmer

 


 (Library and Archives Canada)

Air Bomber P/O Thomas A. McBeath RCAF

 

Air Bomber P/O Thomas A. McBeath RCAF was killed in the crash while Flt. Engr. F/Sgt Harold J. Farmer was knocked unconscious and suffered a brain concussion.

W/Op Cyril V. Laing broke a leg and a finger. Navigator W/O H.J. Hart who was unharmed started to help his comrades out on the wing and released the dinghy.
 
At the same time, Air Gnr. W/O A. Hills came walking through the 3 feet deep water from where the tail had been ripped off. It laid 200 meters behind the fuselage.
 
The crew sailed to the shore and made contact with fisherman Alfred Olsen.


Hills and Hart soon started moving to get out of the area, and by Gørløse got in touch with the resistance, who helped them to Sweden.

 
Dillon, Farmer and Laing were taken to the hospital in Frederikssund by ambulance. Chief physician Gejlager decided that it would be safe to relocate Dillon, and at 11:00 hours he was picked up by two armed men and taken to Over-Draaby where he spent a couple of days, before he on 10/4 was send to Sweden.
 

Dilon second from right with members of the resistance


The Germans moved Farmer and Laing to the German lazarette at Værløse. After a while Farmer was transferred to Lübeck in Germany where he was liberated by the English forces.

Laing stayed in Værløse until the liberation, when he was repatriated back to England.
 
The Germans threw the dead body of Thomas McBeath in a ditch at Værløse airfield. It was located after the war, and on June 9 1945 he was laid to rest at Værløse cemetery by the Rev. O. E. L. Christiansen in accordance with British tradition.

The wreck of LJ942 was blown away by the Wehrmacht on April 11.

 

 



Sources: LBUK, FT, FAF, CWGC, Bruno LeCaplain.

 

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