Halifax II MZ355 - Near Knaplund                       RKSK                              Updated: 10 OCT 2021

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
o888443.htm Brittain W B S/Ldr RCAF 427 p394.htm HAL MZ355 Minelaying Near Knaplund d140245 o888 o888.htm POW
o888445.htm Dallin R V P/O RCAF 427 p394.htm HAL MZ355 Minelaying Near Knaplund d140245 o888 o888.htm POW
o888444.htm de Metz P Sgt RAF 427 p394.htm HAL MZ355 Minelaying Near Knaplund d140245 o888 o888.htm POW
o888446.htm Driscoll C J F/O RCAF 427 p394.htm HAL MZ355 Minelaying Near Knaplund d140245 o888 o888.htm POW
a033001.htm Ford E M P/O RCAF 427 p394.htm HAL MZ355 Minelaying Near Knaplund d140245 b140245 c033.htm Hoven
o888447.htm McKay H F/O RCAF 427 p394.htm HAL MZ355 Minelaying Near Knaplund d140245 o888 o888.htm POW
a033002.htm Peak J F P/O RCAF 427 p394.htm HAL MZ355 Minelaying Near Knaplund d140245 b140245 c033.htm Hoven


Den 14. februar 1945 kl. 22.30 styrtede HAL MZ355 ned ved Knaplund 20 km SØ for Skjern efter mineudlægning i Kadetrenden (her). Se Minelægningsområder ved Sweetpeas og p394MACR.
Nedstyrtningsstedet var omkring her ca. 100 m øst for Gammelagervej 7, 6880 Tarm, omkring 3 km N for Hoven. (Kilde: Kaj Kristensen) Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift skriver:
"Denne nat fløj 30 Lancasters og 24 Halifaxes over Danmark for at kaste miner i Østersøen. Atter lykkedes det de tyske natjagere at opspore den lille formation, og
fem Halifaxes og en Lancaster blev skudt ned over Danmark og de danske farvande. Under hjemturen blev MZ355 ført af S/L William Bruce Brittain skudt ned. Flyet
ramte jorden ved Dyrvig mark, to km vest for Knaplund, men forinden var det lykkedes fem besætningsmedlemmer at forlade det brændende fly med faldskærm. De
blev dog hurtigt fundet og taget til fange af tyskerne. Begge skytterne omkom og blev kort efter begravet på Hoven kirkegård." (FT 91-8-44)
Se Canadiske krigsflyvere (pdf 13 MB) fra bogen Niels Aage Thomsen: HOVEN KIRKE - historiske fortællinger udgivet af Hoven Lokalarkiv 2014, modtaget fra
forfatteren 2017. Sidste linjer med hovedtal om flyvere - se også Flyvere 1946.

"S/L W. B. Brittain RCAF, F/O R. V. Dallin, F/O C. J. Driscoll, F/O H. McKay og Sgt De Metz blev sendt på hospital grundet deres sår frem til befrielsen. De vendte tilbage til England den 8. maj 1945 " (Lost Bombers) Se Halifax Print * folk bag en Halifax klar til en mission * p394MACR. 7 flyvere. 

On 14 February 1945 at 22.30 hours HAL MZ355 crashed at Knaplund 20 km SE of Skjern here) after minelaying in the Cadet Channel (here). See Minelaying areas at Sweetpeas and p394MACR.
The crash site was about here about 100 m east of Gammelagervej 7, 6880 Tarm, about 3 km north of Hoven. (Source: Kaj Kristensen)
(Danish) Aviation Historical Review writes:
"This night 30 Lancasters and 24 Halifaxes flew over Denmark to drop mines into the Baltic Sea. Again the German night fighters succeeded in tracing the small formation. 5 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster were shot down over Denmark and Danish waters. MZ355 piloted by S/L William Bruce Brittain was shot down on the return
flight. The plane hit the ground at Dyrvig Mark, 2 km west of Knaplund, but before that 5 crew members managed to bail out from the burning plane. However, they
were found rather quickly and taken captive by the Germans. Both of the air gunners perished and shortly after they were buried in Hoven Churchyard." (FT 91-8-44)
See Canadian airmen Canadiske krigsflyvere (pdf 13 MB) in Danish, but with a number of photos.

"S/L W. B. Brittain RCAF, F/O R. V. Dallin, F/O C. J. Driscoll, F/O H. McKay and Sgt De Metz were confined in Hospital due injuries until Liberation.
Returned to England 8 May 1945 " (Lost Bombers)

See No. 6 Group and the Canadian Squadrons * No. 427 (Lion) Squadron * 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron - Wikipedia
Halifax*Halifax Print*Halifax - BC Museum of Canada *Halifax - Bless 'Em All. See also 427 Squadron Association with Casualties 14 FEB 1945 - including this crew.
Halifax II MZ355 ZL-W took off from RAF Leeming at 18.01 hrs on 14 FEB 1945. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.) See p394MACR.  7 airmen.