Den 4. oktober 1944 styrtede
HAL HR686 i havet i den
nordligste del af danske farvande et sted i Skagerrak. Robin Hudson sendte
foto og
dette til www.airmen.dk :
"Natten mellem 3. og 4. oktober 1944 lettede
Halifax GR.II, HR686, fly ‘J’ 502 Squadron fra RAF
Stornoway ført af canadierne F/O Patrick McManus og
F/O Lawrence Lyttle på
sin operative flyvning nummer 100, en patrulje mod skibe i farvande mellem
Danmark og Norge. Tyske natjagere i området tvang Halifax-flyet
til at
operere i omkring 200 fods højde for at fratage det lysten til angreb.
Imidlertid blev HR686 ved denne lejlighed mødt med kraftig beskydning fra
flak. Det blev
ramt
og slemt beskadiget af en bevæbnet damper, "Amisia". Fra
øjeblikket flyet blev ramt og til det styrtede i havet blev McManus og
Lyttle på deres poster og
klarede at
lande på
havet i en ret flad vinkel, så flyet holdt sig flydende længe nok til at
besætningen kunne komme ud. Pat McManus gjorde en enestående indsats
med at
holde den overlevende del af besætningen samlet, da redningsflåden var
blevet ødelagt. Han bandt sig til et flydende hjul fra flyet og han fik de
overlevende til
at binde
sig
sammen med ham med remme fra deres redningsveste. Sørgeligt nok savnedes 3
af de 9 mand i besætningen, og en fjerde mistede man senere.
De overlevende besætningsmedlemmer blev til sidst samlet op af skibet, der
skød dem ned, og de blev krigsfanger. Både McManus og Lyttle blev tildelt
DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) for deres tapre indsats.
Flying Officer J. A. R. L. La Palme (RCAF) blev begravet
i Norge, mens Flying Officer H. T. Conlin (RCAF), Flight Sergeant C. McLaughlin (RAF) og
Sergeant R.
G. Allen (RAF) ikke har nogen kendt grav."
Captain, Flying Officer P. J. McManus (RCAF),
2nd Pilot, Flying Officer A. L. Lyttle (RCAF) og Navigator, Flight
Lieutenant S. A. Winchester (RCAF)
blev ført til
Stalag Luft 3 (Sagan og Belaria).
Engineer, Flying Officer I. E. Osbourne (RAF) blev ført til (Stalag Luft?) 3D (Berlin-Steglitz).
Gunner, Squadron Leader (fungerende Wing Commander) C. A. Maton blev ført til
en lejr, hvis navn ikke ses i lister. (Source: Robin Hudson)
Se
Halifax Print * Halifax Mk III på
YAM 2019 *
folk bag en Halifax klar til en
mission.
1 flyver fra HAL HR686
blev begravet i Norge og 3 har ingen kendt grav. 5 flyvere blev ført til
Tyske krigsfangelejre. 9 flyvere.
On 4
October 1944 HAL HR686 crashed into the sea in the
most northerly part of Danish waters somewhere in the Skagerrak. Robin
Hudson sent a photo and this :
"On the night of 3/4 October 1944, Halifax GR.II, HR686,
aircraft ‘J’ of 502 Sqn. based at RAF Stornoway, and piloted by Canadians
F/O Patrick McManus and
F/O Lawrence Lyttle, set off on its 100th
operational sortie, a night anti-shipping patrol in the waters between
Denmark and Norway. German night-fighters in the area forced the Halifax to
operate at around 200 ft. to discourage attacks. However, on this occasion,
HR686 encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire and was hit and badly
damaged by
an armed steamer, the ‘Amisia’. From the moment the aircraft was hit, until
it crashed into the sea, McManus and Lyttle remained at their posts and
managed to ditch
in a relatively flat attitude so the aircraft remained afloat long enough
for the crew to get out. Pat McManus was outstanding in his efforts, keeping
the surviving crew together in the water as the dinghy had been destroyed.
He tied himself to a floating wheel from the aircraft and then, using the
straps from their
Mae Wests, managed
to get the survivors to tie themselves to him. Sadly, three of the nine crew
were missing, and a fourth man was later lost. The surviving crew members
were eventually picked up by the ship that shot them down, and they became
POWs. Both McManus and Lyttle were awarded the DFC for their brave
actions."
F/O J. A. R. L. La Palme (RCAF) was
buried in Norway, while F/O H. T. Conlin (RCAF), F/Sgt C. McLaughlin (RAF)
and Sgt R. G. Allen (RAF) have no known grave.
Captain, Flying Officer2 P. J. McManus (RCAF),
2nd Pilot, Flying Officer A. L. Lyttle (RCAF) and Navigator, Flight
Lieutenant S. A. Winchester (RCAF)
were
taken to Stalag Luft 3 (Sagan and Belaria).
Engineer, Flying Officer I. E. Osbourne (RAF) was taken to
Stalag Luft III-D Berlin-Steglitz.
Gunner, Squadron Leader (Acting Wing Commander) C. A. Maton was taken to a
camp. Its name does not appear in records. (Source: Robin Hudson)
1 airman from
HAL HR686 was buried in Norway and 3 have no known
grave. 5 were taken to German POW-Camps.
See
RAF Coastal Command *
No. 502 Squadron
RAF * No 500 - 520
Squadron Histories * This
Halifax from
No. 18 Group RAF
took
off from RAF Stornoway.
Handley Page
Halifax. Robin Hudson of RAFA Stornoway
sent details of airmen from HAL JP333 *HAL
JP302 *HAL JP173 *HAL PN402
*HAL JP299 *HAL JP330.
Also HAL HX224 * HAL HR686
* HAL JP336
took off from RAF
Stornoway. See Lost Airmen from RAF Stornoway. |