Lancaster I LL950 - HISTORIEN - THE STORY 2017                                          Updated: 23 FEB 2018 

Anders Straarup 2017: Lancaster I LL950 LE-Y   LAN LL950
styrtede ned i Danmark 22. maj 1944. Her er min udgave af begivenhederne
baseret på en række kilder. Andre kilder vil give en anden historie.
Se link til aktuel kilde.

Operationen, som LAN LL950 deltog i, var minelægning i området ved havnen i
Kiel,  kodenavn Forget-me-not (1986+1994), omkring her, se
Minelægningsområder.

Omkring 70 Lancaster-fly var involveret, heraf blev 3 meldt savnet (1986).
Dette fly og p322 LAN ND960 Ved Nakke/Emtekær på Fyn
og p323 LAN ND522 i Nordsøen nordvest for Mandø.
Kun 2 af de 21 flyvere overlevede.

LAN LL950 fra 630 Squadron lettede fra deres base RAF East Kirkby kl. 22.18
21. maj 1944 (Kilde: Aircrew Remembered has this.)
Tidspunkter angiver, at LAN LL950 blev angrebet på hjemturen (1986).

"De indtrængende blev opdaget af tyske radarenheder, og et antal natjagere blev sendt op for at afvise dem. Hauptmann Eduard Schroeder lettede fra sin base ved
Jagel, (nu Schleswig Air Base, AS) - i en Messerschmitt 110. - Han havde til januar 1944 fløjet Junkers 88'ere fra Grove i Danmark, inden han blev omskolet til Me110
og flyttede til Jagel. - Hauptmann Schroeder fik ordre til at flyve mod nord til det sydlige Danmark og patruljere i den centrale del af Jylland - . Kort før 02.00 den
22. maj sendte radar station "Fliedermus" en kontakt til natjageren og ledte ham
til hans mål Lancaster LL950."  (1994)

Se kortet Radar stationer med Fledermaus i Fitting omkring her nær Vorbasse
syd for Give og nedstyrtningsstedet nær Vesterlund, se også GMap LL950 .
Mere om Radar Würzburg Riese. Samme procedure brugt ved LAN R5679 i 1942.

Luftkampen mellem natjagere og  LAN LL950 er beskrevet i avisartikel og i  Øjenvidneskildring 1946: "Da maskinen var omkring 8 km vest for Give var der
nogle eksplosioner og maskinen brød i brand. Den vendte rundt og fløj i nøjagtigt modsatte retning indhyllet i flammer. Maskinen brød så op i to dele og de to dele styrtede ned, en del på en mark i Dørken, omkring 5 km nord for Give og den
anden på en mark i Vesterlund, omkring 5 km længere mod nord."
Se også Google Map p324 Lancaster LL950 og Information 2017.


Harry Warrer, dengang 9 år, og hans bror på 6 år cyklede fra deres hjem i
Thyregod, se 4A Harry Warrer, til nedstyrtningsstedet nær Dørken. 14. juni 2017 fortalte han, at de så 2 lig i den bageste del af flyet, der var svært medtaget.
Ligene var hele. Så kom tyskerne og afspærrede området.
Hans lillebror fik natlige mareridt.
(Information 2017).

Hvornår styrtede flyet ned? Se avisartikel: 02.00, politirapport: 02.10 og
Meldinger fra Landscentralen: 02.32. (Må være da nyheden blev modtaget et sted.
Landscentralen for Statens Civile Luftværn modtog opkald 03.06, videregav
meldingen i telefon 03.10.)

"Vejle, kl. 06.55 den 22. maj 1944: Supplement til melding herfra kl. 04.44:
En del af kroppen til den ved VESTERLUND nedstyrtede 4-motorers engelske bombemaskine er fundet brændende 1 km øst for DØRKEN BY 11 km S.Ø. for Brande. I vraget fandtes 2 forkullede lig og et lig lå på marken."
(Meldinger)

"I Dørken fandtes en ikke udfoldet faldskærm ved det ene lig." (Politirapport)
Mere om nedstyrtningsstedet ved Dørken i Information 2017.

Fantastisk at forreste del af  LAN LL950 fortsatte flere kilometer!
Se LAN R5724, der klarede sig tilbage til England trods alvorlige skader og
B17 42-37841 der mistede hele halepartiet, men den B-17 fløj tilbage til England!

Som vist på Google Map p324 Lancaster LL950 omkring fly-ikonet for
nedstyrtningen i Dørken mistede denne Lancaster en karabinhage før Dørken
og et instrumentbrædt eller lignende efter Dørken. Flyet tabte også vragstykker
syd for 5 Lindetvej 3.

Edel Jørgensen, dengang 14 år, se 5B Sejrupvej 27, fortalte 12. juni 2017, at hun vågnede op til larm fra luftkamp, og hun så det brændende fly som en ildkugle.
Der var ingen eksplosion i luften, men da det ramte jorden ved Vesterlund.
Tyskerne kom til gården et par timer senere. Alle måtte stå ved vinduerne, mens tyskerne forgæves søgte efter overlevende.
(Information 2017).

Den brændende forreste del af LAN LL950 beskrives i avisartikel og
Et dystert minde 1969. De 4 flyvere må have kæmpet til de styrtede ned.

"Ved nedstyrtningen skete der en eksplosion i maskinen, og vragdele blev spredt over et stort område. I ruinerne fandtes ligene af 4 flyvere." (Avisartikel)
"Ruinerne" - ikke bare et beskadiget fly, men et fly sprængt i mange stykker.

Sydj. Distrikts Kommando  Kl. 15.32 den 22. maj 1944: "Den bombesagkyndige
har d.d. besigtiget nedstyrtningsstedet 1 km NW for Vesterlund. Den engelske bombemaskine var styrtet ned med hovedparten af maskinen syd for jernbanen Vesterlund-Thyregod og en mindre del nord for banen. Banelegemet var ryddet
og var ikke beskadiget. - Den tyske bjergningskommando oplyser, at der ikke
findes bomber eller miner i vraget. Trafikken kan genoptages." (Meldinger)

Vejle, kl. 10.00 den 24. maj 1944: Ligene af de ved Vesterlund, 5 km øst for Thyregod, fundne flyvere, er nu fjernet af den tyske værnemagt. (Meldinger)

Flere personer nævnte i 2017 vreden fra danskere over at tyskerne ikke straks fjernede ligene. LAN PB143 styrtede ned 30. august 1944 - og da gik der 19 dage inden lokale beboere fik lov at indsamle ligdele og begrave flyverne på
Estruplund Kirkegård.

I maj 1944 blev faldne flyvere fra en stor del af Jylland begravet i Esbjerg - en af 5 centralkirkegårde med et Opofrelsens Kors. Fra udgangen af august 1944 var
den nye tyske praksis, at "terrorflyverne" skulle begraves på stedet. FAF har mere.

Tyskerne fandt J. M. Whitings ID-brik, så hans identitet blev fastslået, men de mistede det på en eller anden måde, så de begravede de 7 flyvere som ukendte. (1986 + 1946,2) Se også Tunstalls ID-brik og hvad der skete med hans lig.

Sandsynligvis satte tyskerne et trækors for de "7 unbekannte" som i Aalestrup.
Den engelske Army Graves Service lavede en foreløbig markering i Esbjerg, se
fotos 1948 + 1949. Besætningen ligger i en fællesgrav. Ingen af de 7 flyvere kan identificeres.
Hver flyver har nu sin egen gravsten, se links i LAN LL950.

I 2017 er det overraskende, at der gik så mange år inden pårørende og folk i
Danmark fik detaljer om flyet og besætningen!

Som fortalt i Et dystert minde 1969 har der altid været interesse for flyverne.
Nogle år bliver nedstyrtningen særligt mindet.
I 1994 50 år efter styrtet kom en del pårørende til Vesterlund som dokumenteret i et fotoalbum på Lokalhistorisk Arkiv på Give-Egnens Museum.


I 2014 holdt David Whiting en tale ved kranselægningshøjtideligheden.
Næste store højtidelighed bliver i 2019, 75 år efter flystyrtet.

Anders Straarup 2017: Lancaster I LL950 LE-Y   LAN LL950
crashed in Denmark 22 May 1944. This is my edition of events based on a number
of sources. Other sources will give another story.
See link to current source.

The operation in which LAN LL950  was engaged was minelaying in the area of
Kiel Harbour, code name Forget-me-not, (1986+1994) about here, see
Minelaying areas.

Altogether 70 Lancasters were involved of which 3 were reported missing  (1986).
This plane p324 and p322 LAN ND960 Near Nakke/Emtekær on the island of
Funen and p323 LAN ND522 in the North Sea NW of Mandø.
Only 2 of the 21 airmen survived.

LAN LL950 of 630 Squadron took off from their base RAF East Kirkby at 22.18
hrs. on 21 May 1944. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.)
Timings suggest that LAN LL950 was attacked on the homeward flight (1986).

"The intruders were detected by German radar units and a number of night-fighters were scrambled to intercept. Hauptmann Eduard Schroeder took off from his base
at Jagel, (now Scleswig Air Base, AS) - in a Messerschmitt 110. - He had until January 44 been flying Junkers 88's from Grove in Denmark before converting to the Me110 and moving to Jagel. - Hauptmann Schroeder was ordered to fly north into southern Denmark and patrol the central area of Jutland - . Shortly before 02.00 on 22 May the radar station "Fliedermus" passed a contact to the night fighter and guided him to his target Lancaster LL950."  (1994)

See the map Radar stations with Fledermaus in Fitting about here near Vorbasse
south of Give and the crash site near Vesterlund, see also GMap LL950 .
More about Würzburg Riese Radar. Same procedure used at LAN R5679 in 1942.

The aerial battle between night fighters and LAN LL950 are described in
newspaper article and in Eye witness account 1946: "When the machine was
about 8 kilometres west of Give some explosions occurred and the machine
caught fire. It then turned round and flew in exactly the opposite direction
enveloped in flames. The machine then split into two and the two parts crashed,
one in a field i Dørken, about 5 km north of Give and the other in a field in
Vesterlund, about 5 km further north."
See also Google Map p324 Lancaster LL950 and Information 2017.

Harry Warrer, then 9 years old, and his brother, 6 years old, cycled from their
home in Thyregod, see 4A Harry Warrer, to the crash site near Dørken. On 14
June 2017 he stated that they saw 2 bodies in the rear end of the plane that was
severely damaged. The bodies were complete. Then the Germans came and
sealed off the area. Afterwards his little brother had nightmares.
(Information 2017).

When did the plane crash? See newspaper article: 02.00, police report 02.10
and Reports about a crashed aircraft: 02.32. (Must be when the news was
received somewhere. The National Centre of the Civil Air Defence was called on
the phone at 03.06 and passed on the news in a phone call at 03.10.)

"Vejle, 06.55 hrs 22 May 1944: Addition to report from here at 04.44 hrs:
A part of the fuselage of the British 4-engined bomber crashed near
VESTERLUND has been found burning 1 km east of DØRKEN 11 km south east
of Brande. Two charred bodies were found in the wreckage and one body in the
field." (Reports)

"In Dørken an unopened parachute was found near one of the bodies."
(Police report) More about the crash site near Dørken in Information 2017.

Amazing that the front part of LAN LL950 carried on a number of kilometres!
See LAN R5724 that returned to England in a severely damaged condition and
B17 42-37841 that lost the whole tail section, but this B-17 flew back to England!

As shown on Google Map p324 Lancaster LL950 around the plane-icon for the
crash in Dørken this Lancaster lost a snaphook before Dørken and an instrument panel or something like that after Dørken. It also lost pieces of debris south of
5 Lindetvej 3.

Edel Jørgensen, then 14 years old, see 5B Sejrupvej 27, on 12 June 2017 related that she woke up to the noise from an aerial battle. She saw the burning plane like
a fire-ball. There was no explosion in the air but when it hit the ground near Vesterlund. The Germans came to the farm a couple of hours later. Everyone had
to stand at the windows while the Germans in vain searched for survivors
(Information 2017).

The burning front part of LAN LL950 is described in the newspaper article and
A gloomy memory 1969. The 4 airmen must have fought till they crashed.

 "Upon crashing, an explosion came from the aircraft and debris was scattered
over a large area. In the ruins the bodies of 4 airmen were found." (Newspaper art.) "The ruins" - not just a damaged plane, but a plane blown into many pieces.

District Command of South Jutland 15.32 hrs 22 May 1944: "Today the bomb
expert has inspected the crash site 1 km NW of VESTERLUND. The British
bomber had crashed with the main part of the aircraft south of the railway
Vesterlund-Thyregod and a smaller part north of the railway. The permanent way
was cleared and not damaged. - The German salvage commando states that
there are no bombs or mines in the wreckage. Traffic can be resumed." (Reports)

Vejle, 10.00 hrs. 24 May 1944: The bodies of the airmen found near Vesterlund,
5 km E of Thyregod, have now been removed by the German Wehrmacht. (Rep.)

In 2017 a number of persons mentioned the resentment from Danes, because the Germans did not remove the bodies at once. LAN PB143 crashed on 30 August
1944 - and then 19 days passed till local residents were allowed to collect parts
of bodies and bury the airmen in Estruplund Churchyard.

In May 1944 fallen airmen from a great part of Jutland were buried in Esbjerg - one
of 5 central cemeteries with a Cross of Sacrifice. From the end of August 1944
the new German order was to bury "Terrorflieger" on the spot. FAF has more.

The Germans found J. M. Whiting's identity disc, so his identity was established,
but they lost it somehow, so they buried the 7 airmen as unknown.
(1986 + 1946,2) See also Tunstall's ID-disc and what happened with his body.

Very likely the Germans made a wooden cross to the "7 unbekannte" like in Aalestrup. The British Army Graves Service made a temporary marking of war
graves in Esbjerg, see photos 1948 + 1949. The crew rest in a collective grave.
None of the 7 airmen can be identified.
Now each airman has his own headstone, see links on LAN LL950. 

In 2017 it is surprising that so many years passed till relatives and people in Denmark received details of the plane and its crew!

As told in A gloomy memory 1969 the airmen have always been remembered.
Some years the air crash is particularly commemorated.
In 1994 50 years after the air crash a number of relatives came to Vesterlund as documented in a photo album at the Archives of Local History at Give-Egnens Museum

In 2014 David Whiting made a speech at the wreathlaying ceremony.
Next big commemoration will be in 2019, 75 years after the air crash.