James Alexander Summers Philson                                             Updated: 04 OCT 2021

Airman: o888293.htm Surname: Philson Init: JAS Rank: Sgt Service: RAF Sqdn: 106

P_link: p047.htm Plane: HAM AE300 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Near Hostrup

Crash_d: d120941 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

  HAM AE300 styrtede ned her 400 m sydøst for Hornum Kærvej 12, 7140 Stouby (Kilde: Stouby Lokalarkiv) Overblik her. Se fotos af stedet og flydele og
Google Map p047 Hampden AE300. Se også Om mindeceremonier 4. maj 2011 og taler af Anders Straarup i Korning, Bøgballe og Aale. Se Omkring Philson.

”Natten mellem den 11. og 12. september 1941 angreb 39 Hampdens, 12 Wellingtons og 5 Manchesters byen Rostock. Målet var Neptun skibsværftet, men på
grund af et kraftigt skydække bombede de fleste fly selve byen. Kun en Hampden gik tabt, og det var AE300. Efter et veludført angreb blev flyet angrebet af en tysk natjager over Store Bælt (omkring her). Maskinen blev ramt agterude, uden at nogle af besætningsmedlemmerne blev ramt. Skaden virkede minimal, men efter et
stykke tid udbrød brand, og i den stærke blæst var den ikke til at bekæmpe. Over østkysten af Jylland forlod de fire flyvere det brændende fly - navigatøren,
telegrafisten, agterskytten og ca. fire minutter senere piloten, Sgt. Jack Arthur Bannister, der var på sit 28. togt.
(Se vigtig note med mere. Der var ingen brand, men tab af brændstof gjorde hjemturen over Nordsøen umulig. 80 km vest for Sild vendte de om!)

Den sidste flyver var telegrafisten, Sgt. James Alexander Summers Philson, der landede ved Belle (omkring her). En større eftersøgning blev iværksat af den tyske værnemagt og dansk politi i fællesskab. Man gik grundigt til værks. På et tidspunkt blev seks ekstra hundepatruljer rekvireret fra Arhus, således at den samlede
danske styrke den 14. september bestod af 41 betjente, 16 hunde og 10 biler, der afsøgte samtlige bygninger i velafgrænsede områder. Om natten blev opstillet vejspærringer ved krydsene i Bredal, Hedensted, Dagnæs, Bjerre og Hornumkær, og alle forbipasserende blev standset, deres papirer undersøgt og biler og vogne blev gennemsøgt. Underlige lysglimt blev rapporteret, og folk blev angivet og afhørt, men uden resultat. Endelig den 16. september kl. 10.30 blev Sgt. Philson opdaget i bremsehuset på en godsvogn holdende på Daugård station (her). (Se mere i næste citat!) Det danske politi strømmede til Daugård kro (her) for at bese den lille
skotte, der i over tre dage kun havde levet af rabarberstilke, og som havde drevet gæk med den store politistyrke.

Efter krigen blev Philson præst i Skotland, og han besøgte i 1952 og 1980 Vejleegnen, hvor han blandt andet besøgte politimester Høybye i Horsens.” (FT 90-44-2)
Den 23. november 2010 sendte han i en alder af 90 år indirekte korrektioner til www.airmen.dk, se vigtig note med mere!

Jernbanemanden ringede til politiet, og dermed var den flugt slut.

Inden de mange politifolk skulle hjem arrangeredes middag på Daugård Kro. Til denne middag inviterede den ledende politimand politikommissær Palle Høybye, nu
den netop tilfangetagne flyver. Han sagde tak. Da alle var bænket i krosalen, herunder også folk fra byen, som gerne ville se den sjældne gæst, blev Philson ført ind
af politikommissæren, mens alle rejste sig. Flyveren fik hæderspladsen midt for bordet. Menuen var risengrød og rødspætter.

Under middagen blev der holdt 3 taler. Først satte politikommissæren Philson ind i det danske politis situation og gjorde ham klart, hvor de tilstedeværendes sympati
lå. (Palle Høybye var senere meget aktiv i modstandsbevægelsen.) Derpå rejste den stoute overbetjent Hybschmann fra Christianfeld sig. Han, der under 1. verdenskrig havde siddet flere år i engelsk fangenskab, sluttede med at sige: »Nu skal du glæde dig over een ting, selv om det er trist at være fange, og det er, at du da har reddet livet«. (Christianfeld her var under tysk styre 1864-1920)

Sidste mand i talernes række var flyveren. Han havde lånt blyant og papir, hvorpå nogle linier hurtigt blev skrevet ned. Se foto af hans manuskript. Hvad sagde nu en
britisk flyver i den situation? Philson sagde: »Thank you, all my friends for your Godly kindness to me. My mother and father would indeed be happy if only they could know just how kind you are. I cannot speak your tongue, but my heart is very tender to see how you love our cause. May God Bless you all and keep you safe and
happy until this horrible war is over«.

Derpå ønskede man Philson lykke på rejsen, hvorefter sammenkomsten sluttede med at forsamlingen stående sang »Der er et yndigt land«.
Derpå blev flyveren afhentet af en tysk major.” (FAF) Flyverne blev ført til Tyske krigsfangelejre. 4 flyvere. 

HAM AE300 crashed here 400 m southeast of Hornum Kærvej 12, 7140 Stouby (Source: Stouby Lokalarkiv) Overview here. See photos of crash site and parts
and Google Map p047 Hampden AE300. See also About memorial ceremonies and speeches by Anders Straarup in Korning*Bøgballe*Aale. Around Philson.

"On the night between 11 and 12 September 1941 39 Hampdens, 12 Wellingtons, and 5 Manchesters attacked the town of Rostock. The target was the Neptun shipyard, but because of heavy clouds most planes bombed the town itself. Only one Hampden was lost, and that was AE 300. After a successful attack the plane
was attacked by a German night fighter over the Great Belt (about here). The plane was hit near the stern, but none of the crew members was hurt. The damage
seemed minimal, but after some time fire broke out and in the strong wind it couldn't be fought. Over the east coast of Jutland the four airmen left the burning plane -
the navigator, the wireless operator, the rear gunner, and about four minutes later the pilot, Sgt. Jack Arthur Bannister who was on his 28th mission.
(See important note with more. There was no fire, but loss of fuel made the return flight across the North Sea impossible. 50 miles west of Sylt they turned around!)

The last airman was Sgt. James Alexander Summers Philson, the wireless operator, who landed near Belle (about here). A comprehensive search was initiated by
the German Wehrmacht together with the Danish police. The search was thorough. At one time six extra dog patrols were ordered from Århus so that on 14 September the total Danish force consisted of 41 policemen, 16 dogs, and 10 cars searching all buildings in well-defined areas. In the night road blocks were deployed at the crossings in Bredal, Hedensted, Dagnæs, Bjerre, and Hornumkær, and all passers-by were stopped, their papers examined, and cars and carts were searched.
Strange gleams of light were reported, people were denounced and interrogated, but without result. Finally on 16 September at 10.30 am Sgt. Philson was found in the brake compartment of a goods van which was standing at Daugård railway station (here). (See more in the next quotation!)
The Danish police flocked to Daugård inn (here) in order to see the small Scotchman who for more than three days had lived exclusively on rhubarb stalks, and who
had fooled the large police force.

After the war Philson became a minister in Scotland, and in 1952 and 1980 he visited the area around Vejle where among others he also called on Chief Constable Høybye in Horsens." (FT 90-44-2 - translated by KK) On 23 November 2010 at the age of 90 he indirectly sent corrections to www.airmen.dk, see important note with more!

"The railwayman called the police, and that was the end of the escape.
Before the many policemen were to go home, a dinner was arranged at Daugård inn. Police Superintendent Palle Høybye, the leading police officer, invited the newly-caught airman to this dinner. He accepted.
When all were seated in the tap-room, among others also people from the town who wanted to see the rare guest, Philson was guided in by the Police Superintendent while everybody rose. The airman got the seat of honour at the middle of the table, and the menu consisted of rice boiled in milk and fried plaice.

There were three speeches at the dinner. First the Police Superintendent explained the situation of the Danish police to Philson and made it clear to him where the sympathy of those present lay. (Palle Høybye later became a very active member of the Danish resistance movement.) Then the burly Police Sergeant Hybschmann
from Christiansfeld stood up. He who had spent several years in British captivity during the First World War, ended by saying,"Now you must rejoice over one thing although it is depressing to be a prisoner, and that is that you have survived." (Christiansfeld here was under German rule 1864-1920).

The last of the speakers was the airman. He had borrowed pencil and paper on which a few lines were quickly jotted down. See photo of his manuscript. Now what did
a British airman say in that situation? Philson said,"Thank you, all my friends for your Godly kindness to me. My mother and father would indeed be happy if only they could know just how kind you are. I cannot speak your tongue, but my heart is very tender to see how you love our cause. May God bless you all and keep you safe
and happy until this horrible war is over."

After that people wished Philson good luck on his journey, and then the assembly ended the gathering by standing up and singing "Der er et yndigt land" (the Danish national anthem). Subsequently the airman was fetched by a German major." (FAF - translated by KK) The airmen were taken to German POW-Camps.

Hampden I AE300 took off from RAF Coningsby at 2140 hours on 11 SEP 1941. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.)
See RAF Coningsby at RAF-Lincolnshire-info and RAF Coningsby 2018. See also p047MACR with report of J.A. Bannister.
See No. 106 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia. See No. 106 Squadron (RAF) during the Second World War. See Google Map RAF-Coningsby. 4 airmen.