John Francis Hayes                     Updated:    28 MAR 2009

Airman: a107002.htm Surname: Hayes Init: J F Rank: Sgt Service: RAF Sqdn: 102

P_link: p007.htm Plane: WHI N1383 Operation: Attack DK Crash_site: Vildmosen

Crash_d: d260440 Buried_d: b280440 C_link: c107.htm At_Next: Vadum

"Under et angreb på Aalborg Lufthavn natten til den 26. april 1940 blev et Whitley fly skudt ned af flak. Flyets radioforbindelse med basen ophørte kl. 02.44. Da flyet nedstyrtede på "fenne 8" i Store Vildmose dræbtes 4 af de 5 ombordværende.

Begravelsen af flyverne fandt sted den 28. april under medvirken af en tysk feltpræst. Da præsten havde bedt Fadervor, blev der affyret æressalut, og mandskabet fra den kanon, der havde skudt flyet i brand, hilste en for en de faldne modstandere." (FAF)

Sergeant (Observer) John Francis Hayes var fra United Kingdom. (Kilde: CWGC)

"Fenne 8 flyet": Nedstyrtningsstedet er her - sydvest for mindestenen for de 4 flyvere fra WHI N1383 placeret her ved Blokhusvej 2, 9440 Aabybro.

Efter nedstyrtningen i 1940 skubbede tyskere ueksploderede bomber i krateret og fyldte det med tørvejord. I 1978 udgravede danske soldater stedet og bortsprængte en 250 punds bombe og en mindre granat. Den ene af de to 12-cylindrede Rolls Royce Merlin motorer er udstillet i Bangsbo Museum i Frederikshavn. (Informationstavle ved mindestenen)

1 flyver blev taget til fange. 4 flyvere blev begravet i Vadum. 5 flyvere.

"During an attack on Aalborg Airport on the night before 26 April, 1940 a Whitley was shot down by flak. Its radio communication with its base ceased at 02.44. When the plane crashed in "fenne 8" (field number 8) in Store Vildmose 4 of the 5 on board were killed.

The burial of the airmen took place on 28 April officiated by a German army chaplain. When he had said the Lord´s Prayer a salute of honour was fired and the crew from the gun, which had hit the plane so it caught fire, saluted the fallen adversaries one by one." (FAF)

Sergeant (Observer) John Francis Hayes was from the United Kingdom. (Source: CWGC)

The crash site is here - southwest of the memorial stone to the 4 airmen from WHI N1383 placed here at Blokhusvej 2, 9440 Aabybro.

After the crash in 1940 Germans pushed unexploded bombs into the crater and filled it with peat soil.  In 1978 Danish soldiers excavated the place and blew up a 250 pound bomb and a smaller grenade. One of the two 12 cylinder Rolls Royce Merlin engines is on display in Bangsbo Museum in Frederikshavn. (Information table at the memorial stone)

See No. 102 Squadron from RAF Bomber Command 60th Anniversary. This Whitley took off from RAF Kinloss. See Wikipedia about No. 102 Squadron.
1 airman became a POW. 4 airmen were in Vadum. 5 airmen.