James Gibson Connor                                                                           Updated:  22 OCT 2011

Airman: e777120.htm Surname: Connor Init: J G Rank: F/O Service: RCAF Sqdn: 51

P_link: p230.htm Plane: HAL LW287 Operation: Minelaying Crash_site: Off Bornholm

Crash_d: d031043 Buried_d: e777 C_link: e777.htm At_Next: NO KNOWN

HAL LW287 styrtede ned omkring her nord for Rønne den 3. oktober 1943 i forbindelse med minelægning ved Sassnitz (omkring her).

"294 Lancasters bombede München denne nat, medens samtidig 117 bombefly minerede kystområdet fra de franske havne til Østersøen. Fly fra
No. 51 Bomb Squadron skulle minere ved Sassnitz, hvor dog en let tåge forhindrede nøjagtig navigation. Omkring midnat passerede et ukendt
4 motorers bombefly Rønne havn, hvor tyskerne straks åbnede ild. Flyet blev ramt, men fortsatte i nordlig retning ud over havet, hvor der kort efter
skete en eksplosion. Halifax LW287 var eneste RAF-tab denne nat, og der er aldrig fundet spor efter de 7 besætningsmedlemmer.
Vragdele er fundet i området så sent som både i 1983 og 1986." (FT 87-92-2)

Flying Officer James Gibson Connor, 33 år, canadisk statsborger, var søn af James og Annie Connor; gift med Celia Connor, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.
Hans navn er på Panel 173 på the Runnymede Memorial blandt mere end 20.000 navne på flyvere, der ikke har en kendt grav. (Kilde: CWGC)
Han var en af de mange Amerikanske flyvere, der var gået ind i RCAF. Se Americans In The RCAF.
379 af dem mistede livet - 8 af dem ses i www.airmen.dk + R.J. Dillon!
7 flyvere. Se Google Map 51 Squadron og Halifax bombefly.

HAL LW287 crashed about here north of Rønne on October 1943 in connection with a minelaying operation at Sassnitz (about here).

"294 Lancasters bombed Munich this night, while 117 bombers at the same time mined the coastal areas from the French harbours to the Baltic Sea.
Planes from No. 51 Bomb Squadron were to drop mines at Sassnitz. However, a slight fog prevented accurate navigation. About midnight an unknown
bomber with four engines passed the harbour of Rønne, where the Germans immediately opened fire. The plane was hit, but carried on north over the
sea, where an explosion happened shortly afterwards. Halifax LW287 was the only loss of the RAF this night, and no trace of the 7 crew members
has ever been found. Wreckage has been found in the area as late as both 1983 and 1986." (FT 87-92-2)

Flying Officer James Gibson Connor, 33, a Canadian citizen, was the son of James and Annie Connor, and the husband of Celia Connor, of Cleveland,
Ohio, U.S.A. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 173, among more than 20,000 airmen who have no known grave. (Source: CWGC)
He was one of many American airmen who had joined the RCAF. See Americans In The RCAF.
379 of them lost their lives - 8 of them are seen on www.airmen.dk + R.J. Dillon!

See RAF - Handley Page Halifax and Bomber Command No. 51 Squadron. This Halifax from 51 Squadron took off from RAF Snaith, see also former RAF Snaith.
7 airmen. Lost Bombers has this. See Google Map 51 Squadron.