Lancaster I ME726 - Gamtofte                                                               Updated:  10 NOV 2011

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
a003005.htm Abramson M L F/O RCAF 576 p314.htm LAN ME726 Minelaying Gamtofte d160544 b160544 c003.htm Assens
a003006.htm Ashcroft C F/O RAF 576 p314.htm LAN ME726 Minelaying Gamtofte d160544 b160544 c003.htm Assens
a003007.htm Hudson B J F/Sgt RAF 576 p314.htm LAN ME726 Minelaying Gamtofte d160544 b160544 c003.htm Assens
a003008.htm Knapp A W Sgt RAF 576 p314.htm LAN ME726 Minelaying Gamtofte d160544 b160544 c003.htm Assens
a003009.htm Leatham R E F/Sgt RAF 576 p314.htm LAN ME726 Minelaying Gamtofte d160544 b160544 c003.htm Assens
a003010.htm Presland E J F/Lt RAF 576 p314.htm LAN ME726 Minelaying Gamtofte d160544 b160544 c003.htm Assens
a003011.htm Slade A E P/O RAF 576 p314.htm LAN ME726 Minelaying Gamtofte d160544 b160544 c003.htm Assens
a003012.htm Wright A G Sgt RAF 576 p314.htm LAN ME726 Minelaying Gamtofte d160544 b160544 c003.htm Assens


Den 16. maj 1944 blev LAN ME726 skudt ned over Gamtofte her på vej til mineudlægning i Kiel Bugt her. Da RAF ikke havde andre større operationer den nat
blev formationen hurtigt sporet af det tyske radarsystem, og 3 Lancasters blev skudt ned over dansk område. De 2 andre var LAN LL963 ved Avernakø og
LAN LL984 i Nordsøen. (Kilde: FT 86-66-33) Se Minelægningsområder.

"Et "Lancaster" fly på mineudlægningsoperation blev den 16. maj 1944 kort efter midnat skudt ned over Syd-Fyn. Flyets last af miner eksploderede, da det ramte
jorden ved sydsiden af en lille dam i præstegårdshaven i Gamtofte. Præstegården, kirken og en del ejendomme i byen blev stærkt beskadiget, i hvert fald præste-
gården i en sådan grad, at en ny måtte bygges. Hele flyets besætning blev dræbt. De omkomne blev begravet den 16. maj 1944, tilsyneladende af den tyske
værnemagt.

Sognets beboere rejste en mindesten ved nedstyrtningsstedet i Gamtofte." (FAF) Se Smuk indvielse af flyvermindesmærket i Gamtofte 16. maj 1950.
Se artikel Den nat himlen faldt ned af Lone Theils i Berlingske Tidende.  Se Foto af Ernest James Presland.
Avisartikler på engelsk og dansk gav kontakter med Elisabeth Ege Olsen som anker på dansk side, så familiemedlemmer besøgte Fyn i 2004 og i 2005.
Se  Besøget 2004 * Doris Hendrick * Faldne engelske flyvere mindes * Assens i engelsk avis * Propellen * Gamtofte 16. maj 2004 * Besøg fra Canada 2005.
Lancaster fotos. 8 flyvere.

On 16 May 1944 LAN ME726 was shot down over Gamtofte here on its way to Kiel Bay here on a minelaying mission. The formation was quickly traced by the German radar system, as the RAF had no other greater operations that night, and 3 Lancasters were shot down over Danish territory. The 2 others were LAN LL963
at Avernakø and LAN LL984 in the North Sea. (Source: FT 86-66-33) See Minelaying areas.

"Shortly after midnight on 16 May 1944 a Lancaster on a minelaying operation was shot down over South Funen. The bomb load of mines exploded when the plane
hit the ground at the south side of a small pond in the garden of the rectory in Gamtofte. The rectory, the church and a number of houses in the village were severely damaged - at least the rectory so much that a new house had to be built. All of the crew were killed. The perished were buried on 16 May 1944, apparently by the
German Wehrmacht.

The residents of the parish of Gamtofte erected a memorial stone at the crash site in Gamtofte." (FAF)
See Beautiful dedication of memorial to airmen in Gamtofte and Danes seek to honour relatives of war crash RAF crew.
See article Den nat himlen faldt ned (The night the sky came down) by Lone Theils in Berlingske Tidende. See Photo of Ernest James Presland.

Articles in English and Danish gave contacts with Elisabeth Ege Olsen as the Danish anchor, so relatives of the airmen visited Funen in 2004 and in 2005.
See The visit 2004 * Doris Hendrick * Programme * After 60 years families visit aircrew´s graves * The propeller * Gamtofte 16 May 2004*A visit from Canada 2005.

See Bomber Command No. 576 Squadron and The RAF Elsham Wolds Association. This Lancaster - see photos - took off from RAF Elsham Wolds. 8 airmen.