Den 27. februar 1945 styrtede
BFI NV414 i Nordsøen ud for
Peterhead. Det
var blevet ramt af flak under angreb på tyske skibe i
Nordsøen og prøvede at nå tilbage til Scotland. De to besætningsmedlemmer sprang
ud med faldskærm ved Peterhead, Scotlands østligste punkt.
F/O Brock drev ud over havet, hvor han druknede.
Den 4. juli 1945 blev hans lig fundet skyllet ind ved Rødhus Strand, omkring
her.
Han blev begravet af pastor F. Busch i Hune den 6. juli 1945.
F/Sgt Hirst landede uskadt med faldskærm på Scotland Drome, Peterhead. (Kilde:
FAF)
p399MACR (blanket om savnet fly): Særlige
bemærkninger. Lettede 18.15 26. februar. Beaufighter T.F.X. NV414 lettede med to
andre TFX-fly fra No. 455 Squadron plus 3 Rockbeaus fra No. 404 Squadron og 6
Torbeaus fra No. 489 Squadron. Flyet fløj alene til et angreb ud for Naze og mod
øst i retning mod Ple, fortsatte langs kysten
til Arendal, hvor en konvoj blev illumineret. Dette fly sigtede mod det forreste
skib, ramte en smule hen over det, men ramte sandsynligvis det andet skib. Set
senere
med bagbords motor standset i 500 fods højde. Satte kursen hjemefter kl. 20.22
(26. feb.) og nåede land syd for Peterhead. Navigatøren (Hirst) sprang ud med
faldskærm ½ mile (800 m) fra RAF Peterhead. Piloten (Brock) skulle have fulgt
efter, men intet spor af ham eller flyet blev fundet." Uddrag af ORB,
bog om operationer, No. 455 Squadron RAAF, Februar 1945,
National
Archives’
reference AIR 27/1898/26 fundet af Keith Bryers: "Nåede land
kl. 23:00 syd for Peterhead og navigatøren sprang ud med faldskærm omkring 800 m fra
RAF Peterhead og gik
usåret ind på området. Piloten, der var klar til at følge navigatøren er
endnu ikke blev fundet. Der var intet spor af ham i det nedstyrtede fly."
(Naturligvis var piloten sidste flyver til at forlade flyet. Bemærk at FAF
fastslår at F/O Brock drev ud over havet, mens MACR fastslår, at intet spor af
ham eller af
flyet blev fundet. Nedstyrtningsdatoen 27 FEB på headstone er datoen, hvor F/O
Brock afgjort ikke kom tilbage.
Det er en kendsgerning at den 4. juli 1945 blev hans lig fundet skyllet ind ved Rødhus Strand, omkring
her.
AS) Kim Nielsen-Creeley,
Launceston Church Grammar School,
sendte dette 24 NOV 2015: "Jeg
har flere detaljer, der kan interessere dig, som kom fra korrespondance fra
Det Kongelige Australske Luftvåbens afdeling for omkomne flyvere til Mrs.
Brock. Der kom et telegram om at Joe
Brock var sprunget ud med faldskærm og at en østenvind havde ført ham ud
over havet. Tre øjenvidner fulgte efter på cykel, men de "var ude af stand
til at se, hvor han styrtede ned".
2 flyvere.
On 27 February 1945
BFI NV414 crashed into the North Sea off
Peterhead. It
had been hit by flak during attack on German ships
in the North Sea and tried to get back to Scotland. The 2 crew members bailed
out at
Peterhead, the easternmost point of Scotland.
F/O Brock drifted out over the sea where he
drowned. On 4 July 1945 his body was found washed ashore on Rødhus Strand, about
here.
On 6 July 1945 Vicar F. Busch officiated at the graveside ceremony in Hune. F/Sgt Hirst was unhurt and landed in his
parachute on Scotland Drome, Peterhead. (Source: FAF)
p399MACR (Missing Air Crew Report): "Special Remarks:
Left 1815 hrs. 26th Feb.
Beaufighter T.F.X,
NV414 left with two other TFXs of squadron plus 3 Rockbeaus of
No. 404 Sqdn. and 6 Torbeaus of No. 489 Sqdn. Aircraft flew seperately to a
strike off the Naze, and eastwards towards Ple, continued coastwise to
Arendal
where convoy was illuminated. This aircraft aimed at front ship, overshooting
slightly but probably hit second ship. Seen afterwards port engine cut when at
500 feet.
Set course for home at 2022 hrs. (26th) and made landfall S. of
Peterhead.
Navigator (Hirst) baled out ½ mile from
RAF Peterhead. Pilot
(Brock) was to have
followed but no sign of him or aircraft was found."
Excerpt
from
Operational Record Book of No. 455 Squadron RAAF, February 1945, National Archives’
reference AIR 27/1898/26 page 11 found by Keith Bryers: “ 23.00 made landfall
south of Peterhead and the Navigator baled out about half a mile from
RAF
Peterhead and walked into dispersal uninjured. The pilot who was ready to
follow the navigator out has not yet been located. There was no sign of him in
the crashed aircraft.” The p399MACR
is a shorter version of this ORB. Notice that the ORB stated that the plane
was found.
(Of course the Pilot
was the last airman to abandon ship. Notice that FAF states that F/O Brock drifted out over
the sea while MACR
states that no sign of him or aircraft was found. The crash date 27 FEB on the
headstone is the date when F/O Brock definitely failed to return. It is a fact that on 4 July 1945 his body was found washed ashore on Rødhus Strand in
Denmark, about
here.
AS)
Kim Nielsen-Creeley, Launceston
Church Grammar School, sent this on 24 NOV 2015: "I
have some more details that may interest you which came through the
correspondence from the RAAF Casualty section to Mrs. Brock.
A telegram arrived reporting that Joe Brock had parachuted out and an
easterly wind carried him out to sea. Three witnesses followed on bicycles but
'were unable to locate your son'."
This
Beaufighter from
No. 455 Squadron
RAAF, Coastal
Command took off from
RAF Dallachy. More about
Rockbeaus and Torbeus. 2 airmen.
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