F. Hargraves                                                                                            Updated:  12 OCT 2011

Airman: o888115.htm Surname: Hargreaves Init: F Rank: LAC Service: RAF Sqdn: 51

P_link: p005.htm Plane: WHI K9048 Operation: Attack DK Crash_site: At Hadsund

Crash_d: d240440 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

Den 24. april 1940 var WHI K9048 en af 6 Whitleys, der angreb Rødslet Flyveplads (nu Aalborg Lufthavn - her). Flyet blev ramt af flak, lige da pilot F/Lt Keith Milne havde kastet den sidste bombe i nærheden af flyvepladsen. "Venstre motor stoppede øjeblikkelig, og højre motor fik skudt oliebeholderen væk. Uden olietilførsel ville motoren hurtigt blive varm og antagelig bryde i brand. Piloten kaldte derfor de øvrige fire besætningsmedlemmer over samtaleanlægget, og man opdagede derved, at agterskytten, LAC F. Hargraves, havde forladt flyet. Han var sprunget ud med fladskærm og blev om morgenen fundet af tyskerne i bevidstløs tilstand i nærheden af Limfjorden. Piloten foretog en perfekt nødlanding på en mark ved "Fuglegård" (omkring her 6 km nordvest for Hadsund) og besætningen forsøgte at sætte ild til flyet, men det lykkedes ikke. De fire besætningsmedlemmer delte sig i to grupper.

Den 28. april kunne man i England høre Radio Hamburg og Lord Haw-Haw give følgende meddelelse: "An Armstrong Whitley bomber has been brought down and the following are prisoners of War - Milne, Hayward, Ritchie and Lyne". Fra Aalborg blev flyverne transporteret til Tyskland i en Ju52. Milne og Hayward kom til fangelejren Oflag IXA i Spangenberg." (FT 90-43-1) 5 flyvere. Se Google Map 51 Squadron.

On 24 April 1940 WHI K9048 was one of 6 Whitleys to attack Rødslet Airfield (now Aalborg Airport - here). It was hit by flak just as Pilot F/Lt Keith Milne had dropped the last bomb near the airfield. "The port engine immediately stopped, and the starboard engine had the oil tank shot away. Without supply of oil the engine would soon get hot and catch fire. Therefore the pilot called the other 4 crew members on the intercom, and it was discovered that Rear Gunner, LAC F. Hargraves had abandoned the plane. He had bailed out, and in the morning he was found unconscious near the Limfjorden. The pilot made a perfect forced landing in a field at "Fuglegård" (about here 6 km north west of Hadsund). The crew tried to set fire to the plane, but they did not succeed. The 4 crew members split up into two groups.

On 28 April 1940 in England Lord Haw-Haw was heard on Radio Hamburg giving this announcement: "An Armstrong Whitley bomber has been brought down and the following are prisoners of War - Milne, Hayward, Ritchie and Lyne". From Aalborg the airmen were taken to Germany in a Ju52. Milne and Hayward were taken to the POW camp Oflag IXA in Spangenberg." (FT 90-43-1)

This Whitley from Bomber Command No. 51 Squadron took off from RAF Dishforth. See also No. 51 Bomb Squadron and The 51 Squadron Website.
5 airmen  Lost Bombers has this. See Google Map 51 Squadron.