Natten til den 17. september 1943 blev HAL JD156  skudt i brand af en tysk natjager. Det var på SOE flyvning med forsyninger til den polske modstandsbevægelse -
"Flat 5" siger Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift. Flyet gik i havet ca. 7 km ud for Norsminde syd for Århus, måske omkring her.

"Liget af F/O James Reid Bradley drev lørdag den 2. oktober 1943 i land ved Særbæk på Helgenæs og blev begravet på Nordre Kirkegård i Randers mandag den 4. oktober 1943. Radiooperatøren, Sgt. Henry Johnston blev i november 1943 fundet drivende i Kattegat (ud for Norsminde, siger FAF) og ført til Frederikshavn, hvor han blev begravet lørdag den 13. november. Den ene skytte, F/Sgt. G.E. Snook savnes. Han ligger muligvis begravet i Frederikshavn, idet to engelske flyvere fra denne periode blev fundet i havet, den ene søndag den 19. september og den anden i oktober." (FT 90-64-16) Det kunne være denne flyver eller denne skytte.

"Fire besætningsmedlemmer, hvoraf den ene var såret, blev reddet i land af fire danskere, der var taget ud i en fiskerbåd. Flyverne var meget forkomne efter at have drevet om i deres redningsveste. I Norsminde blev de ført til kroen, hvor de blev gæstfrit beværtet. Kort tid efter blev de afhentet af tyskerne." (FT 90-64-16) De blev ført til
Tyske krigsfangelejre som angivet i Lost Bombers: "Sgt S.Francis blev interneret i lejrene L6/357 med F/S G.T.Jones. F/S D.R.Quinlivan i lejrene L6/L4.
F/S L.A.Trotter i lejr 4B. Rapporteret som 'forbrændt'. " Lost Bombers har en anderledes historie om redningen: "De overlevende blev reddet fra deres redningsflåde efter at have drevet om i 2 timer."

1 flyver fra HAL JD156 blev begravet i Randers og 1 i Frederikshavn. 1 flyver forsvandt i havet. 4 blev reddet og taget til fange. (Kilde: FAF)  7 flyvere. 

On the night before 17 September 1943 HAL JD156 was hit by a German night fighter, so that it caught fire. It was on an SOE operation with supplies for the
Polish resistance - "Flat 5" says (Danish) Aviation Historical Review (FT). The plane ditched in the sea about 7 km off Norsminde south of Århus, maybe about here.

"On Saturday 2 October 1943 the body of F/O James Reid Bradley drifted ashore at Særbæk, Helgenæs. He was buried in Randers North Cemetery on Monday 4 October 1943. Wireless Operator Sgt Henry Johnston was found drifting in the Kattegat (off Norsminde, FAF says) and taken to Frederikshavn, where he was buried on Saturday 13 November 1943. Air Gunner G. E. Snook is missing. Possibly he is buried in Frederikshavn, as 2 British airmen from this period were found at sea, one of them on Sunday 19 September and the other in October. " (FT 90-64-16) It might be this airman or this air gunner.

"Four crew members, one of them injured, were rescued at sea by four Danes in a fishing boat. The airmen were perished with cold, as they had been drifting in their life jackets. In Norsminde they were taken to the inn, where they were welcomed with great hospitality. Shortly after they were fetched by the Germans." (FT 90-64-16)
They were taken to German POW-Camps as told in Lost Bombers: "Sgt S. Francis was interned in Camps L6/357, with F/S G.T.Jones. F/S D.R.Quinlivan in Camps L6/L4. F/S L.A.Trotter in Camp 4B. Reported as 'burnt'." Lost Bombers has a different story of the rescue: "The survivors were rescued from their dinghy after two hours adrift."

1 airman from HAL JD156 was buried in Randers and 1 in Frederikshavn. 1 airman disappeared at sea. 4 were rescued and captured. (Source: FAF)

See Bomber Command No. 138 (Special) Squadron * No. 138 Squadron * RAF - Handley Page Halifax * This Halifax took off from RAF Tempsford
See also  Tempsford Special Duties Squadrons * A History of RAF Tempsford * The Tempsford Airfield Pages *  Roll of Honour, Tempsford
7 airmen. Lost Bombers has this.