“Natten til den 17. september 1943 var Halifax BB309 på en SOE-mission til Polen, hvor 2 faldskærmsfolk og containere med våben blev nedkastet.

Under returflyvningen blev flyet skudt i brand over Sjælland af en tysk natjager og måtte kort før kl. 5 om morgenen foretage en nødlanding. Herunder tørnede flyet mod arbejdsmand L. Christensens hus, Stockholtevejen, Slaglille Mark, der brød i brand. L. Christensen, hans kone og mor samt to børn omkom i huset. Familiens øvrige børn reddede sig ud af huset.

Af flyets rent polske besætning omkom 4 flyvere i flammerne, mens 2 overførtes til Ringsted sygehus. Her døde Sgt Kasprzak samme dag af sine stærke forbrændinger.

Ved 3-tiden natten til den 18. september 1943 begravede tyske soldater de 5 dræbte flyvere på kirkegården, idet graver Chr. Hansen i nattens mulm og mørke var blevet befalet til at udpege et egnet gravsted.

Sognepræst Svend Jacobsen blev bestyrtet, da graveren om morgenen meddelte ham, hvad der var passeret. Han skrev omgående et brev til Sjællands biskop og klagede. Af hensyn til kirkebogsføringen ville sognepræsten gerne have oplyst, hvem der var blevet begravet på sognets kirkegård.

Søndag den 19. september samledes menigheden ved graven, hvor sognepræsten læste en engelsk og en romersk bøn, hvorpå han foretog jordpåkastelsen på den blomstersmykkede grav.

Efter at sognepræsten, graveren og endnu 2 mænd fra sognet den 30. september havde åbnet graven og ordnet den, blev flyvernes lig den 8. november taget op og lagt i kister. De nedsattes derpå i normal dybde. Denne begravelse blev bekostet af skibsreder A.P. Møller.

Fra Sjællands biskop fik sognepræsten i december 1943 navnene på de 5 begravede polske flyvere. Også de omkomne danskere ligger begravet på kirkegården.

En overlevende flyver blev taget til fange i nærheden af nedstyrtningsstedet. Den anden indlagte flyver derimod blev hjulpet til flugt fra Ringsted sygehus og nåede velbeholdent til Sverige.” (FAF)

Huset lå Stokholtsvej 3, 4173 Fjenneslev her 1 km nordøst for Slaglille Kirke. Personerne i stueetagen omkom, mens de personer, som var på 1. sal overlevede. Huset blev genopført og ligger stadig på samme adresse. Det går under navnet "flyverhuset". (Kilde: Per Damsbo Andersen, Lokalhistorisk Arkiv for Sorø og Omegn)
Se familien Christensens gravsted på Slaglille Kirkegård.

Fra HAL BB309 er 5 flyvere begravet i Slaglille. 1 flyver blev krigsfange og 1 flyver blev hjulpet til Sverige. 7 flyvere.

”On the night before 17 September, 1943 Halifax BB309 was on a SOE-operation to Poland, where 2 agents and containers with weapons were dropped.

During the return flight the plane was hit by a German night fighter and caught fire over Zealand. A little before 5 a.m. it had to make an emergency landing. It crashed against unskilled labourer L. Christensen´s house, Stockholtevejen, Slaglille Mark, which caught fire. L. Christensen, his wife and mother and two children perished in the house. The rest of the children of the family managed to get out of the house.

Of the totally Polish crew 4 airmen perished in the flames, while 2 were transferred to Ringsted Hospital. Here Sgt Kasprzk died the same day from his severe burns.

At about 3 a.m. in the night to 18 September, 1943 German soldiers buried the 5 killed airmen in the churchyard. In the dead of night gravedigger Chr. Hansen had been ordered to point out a suitable plot.

Vicar Svend Jacobsen was appalled, when the gravedigger in the morning told him what had happened. Immediately he wrote a complaint to the bishop of Zealand. To keep the parish register correct the vicar would like to be informed about who had been buried in the parish churchyard.

On Sunday 19 September the congregation gathered at the grave, where the vicar read an English and a Roman prayer, after which he sprinkled earth on the flower-decked grave.

After the vicar, the gravedigger and 2 other men from the parish had opened and tidied the grave on 30 September, the airmen´s bodies were taken up on 8 November and laid in coffins. Then they were placed in the normal depth. This burial was paid for by shipowner A. P. Møller.

The vicar got the names of the 5 buried Polish airmen in December from the bishop of Zealand. Also the Danes who perished are buried in the churchyard.

A surviving airman was taken prisoner near the crash site. The other hospitalized airman was helped to evade from Ringsted Hospital and reached Sweden safe and sound.” (FAF)

The house was on Stokholtsvej 3, DK-4173 Fjenneslev here 1 km north east of Slaglille Church. The persons in the ground level perished, while those on the 1st floor survived. The house was rebuilt on the site and with the same address as before. Popular name: The Airmen´s House. (Source: Local Archives, Sorø)
See the Christensens in Slaglille Churchyard.

5 airmen from HAL BB309 are buried in Slaglille. 1 airman became a POW and 1 was helped to evade to Sweden.
See Bomber Command No. 138(Special) Squadron * RAF - Handley Page Halifax * Tempsford Special Duties Squadrons. Lost Bombers has this.
See also No. 138 Squadron * RAF Tempsford * A History of RAF Tempsford * The Tempsford Airfield Pages *  Roll of Honour, Tempsford.  7 airmen.