Lancaster R5724 LAN R5724 on AirmenDK * Photos from Bill Corry: Side * Nose * Inside * Total * More Updated: 23 FEB 2016

Ved  LAN R5679 citerer jeg fra FT 90-46-6 Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift teksten om Lancasteren ved Grønhøj, men jeg udelod fortsættelsen:

"En anden episode denne nat giver en god beskrivelse af de engelske bombeflys problemer denne nat. Lancaster R5724 kastede sine miner i Fehmarn Bælt (her),
og på hjemturen blev flyet ca. kl. 02.00 beskudt af tysk flak fra et område nær Viborg (som er her nord for Grønhøj). Flyet blev ramt ved bageste bombelem og brød øjeblikkelig i brand. Flyets næse blev også ramt, alt glas i cockpittet blev trykket ind, og kort og papirer blev suget ud af flyet. Umiddelbart efter angreb to tyske
natjagere og de to skytter, Sgt. S. Smith og Sgt. S. J. Thompson, blev såret. Flyet stallede, men det lykkedes piloten, F/Sgt. P. Campbell, og 2nd piloten,
Sgt. L. D. Gunnell, at få kontrol over flyet i nogle skyer i ca. 4.000 fods højde.

De to tyske natjagere var forsvundet, men problemerne var langt fra løst. Efter et stykke tid fik besætningen slukket branden, og uden instrumenter og kort fortsatte
den lange og kolde tur hjem til England. Kl. 04.30 foretog de to piloter en perfekt mavelanding på Wittering flyvepladsen. R5724 måtte afskrives, men Sgt. Campbell
blev med øjeblikkelig virkning forfremmet til Pilot Officer, og hele besætningen modtog et DFM.

Natten til den 11. november 1942 fløj 12 Lancasters på mineringsopgaver langs den franske kyst. I mellemtiden sænkede tågen sig over de engelske flyvepladser,
og på hjemturen ramte Lancaster W4244 en bakke ved Exeter. P/O P. Campbell og hans besætning blev dræbt."

Se også pdf-fil 5,28 MB på engelsk fra Mike Brewser 15. december 2013 Accounts of R5724 and R5679 og teksten til højre på Lancaster R5679, 25 SEP 1942.

On LAN R5679 I quote from FT 90-46-6 (Danish) Aviation Historical Review the text about the Grønhøj Lancaster, but I left out the continuation:

"Another episode that night gives a good description of problems for the British bombers that night. Lancaster R5724 dropped its mines in the Fehmarn Belt (here)
and on the return flight it was shot at by German flak from an area near Viborg (which is here north of Grønhøj) at about 0200 hours. The plane was hit at the bomb
door to the rear and immediately burst in flames. The nose of the plane was also hit, all glass in the cockpit was pressed in, and maps and papers were sucked out
of the plane. Immediately after that two German night fighters attacked, and the two Air Gunners Sgt S. Smith and Sgt S.J. Thompson were wounded. The plane
stalled, but Pilot F/Sgt P. Campbell and 2nd Pilot Sgt L.D. Gunnell managed to regain control over the aircraft in some clouds at an altitude of about 4,000 feet.
 

The two German night fighters had disappeared, but the problems were far from solved. After some time the crew managed to extinguish the fire, and without
instruments and maps the long and cold flight back to England continued. At 0430 hours the two pilots made a perfect belly landing at RAF Wittering. R5724 had
to be given up, but Sgt Campbell was immediately promoted Pilot Officer and all of the crew were awarded the DFM.

On the night before 11 November 1942 12 Lancasters flew on minelaying operations along the coast of France. In the meantime fog descended over the airfields in England, and on the return flight Lancaster W4244 hit a hill near Exeter. P/O P. Campbell and his crew were killed."

See also a pdf-file 5.28 MB from Mike Brewser on 15 DEC 2013 Accounts of R5724 and R5679 and the text on the right side of Lancaster R5679, 25 SEP 1942.
Aircrew Remembered has this.