STI LK567
nødlandede omkring
her den 27. april 1945 nær det
monument, der blev rejst i 1995.
Adskillige RAF-våbenfly fløj med våbenforsyninger
til Danmark denne nat.
STI LK567 så ingen lys fra den nedkastningsplads ved
Faaborg (her), som flyet cirklede over. Flyet påbegyndte hjemturen og passerede
Vandel Flyveplads (her). Pludselig åbnede flakskyts ild, og de to inderste
motorer samt benzintankene blev ramt, og en voldsom brand brød ud.
Efter en nødlanding lykkedes det F/Sgt (Flight Engineer) Ronald Francis Day og
F/Sgt (Rear Gunner) Edward Tate at komme fri af flyet. På trods af at Day havde
beskadiget sin hånd, lykkedes det dem at trække den hårdt sårede F/Sgt (Bomb
Aimer) John Ayers ud af flammerne, men de var nødt til at skynde sig væk, da
tyskerne hurtigt nærmede sig. Ved Vorbasse (her) kom de i kontakt med
venligtsindede danskere, og senere blev de flyttet til Vejle, hvor de oplevede
befrielsen. F/Sgt Ayres blev ført til det
tyske lazaret i Fredericia (her) hvor han døde den 30. april. (Se mere ved
Ayers
om hans begravelse.)
W/O (Pilot) Edward A. Dax, F/Sgt (Navigator)
Thomas Jones og F/Sgt (Wireless Operator) Frank William Fuller kom også fri af
flyet, men til modsat side. De troede at de andre var omkommet i flammerne, og
de forsvandt ud over markerne. Via Vorbasse kom de til Bække (her)
hvor de var med til at fejre befrielsen. (Kilde: FT 91-10-55) Den tyske
overgivelse blev oplyst i radioen fra BBC kl. 20.35 den 4. maj 1945.
Se
også Skudt ned, overlevet og gift i 70 år (pdf
7.4 MB) af N.M. Schaiffel-Nielsen 10. december 2016.
6 flyvere.
STI LK567 made a forced landing about
here
on 27 April 1945 near the
monument which was erected in 1995.
This night several planes from the RAF flew with
supplies of weapons to Denmark.
STI LK567 saw no lights from the drop zone at
Faaborg (here)
over which the plane circled. The plane started the return flight and passed
Vandel Airfield (here).
Suddenly flak opened fire and the two inner engines and the fuel tanks were hit
causing a vehement fire.
After the forced landing
F/Sgt (Flight Engineer) Ronald Francis Day and
F/Sgt (Rear Gunner) Edward Tate managed to get out of the plane. Day had hurt a
hand, but they managed to pull the severely injured F/Sgt (Bomb
Aimer) John Ayers out of the flame. They had to hurry away, however, as the Germans
were approaching fast. F/Sgt Ayers was taken to the German Army hospital in
Fredericia (here)
where he died on 30 April. (More at Ayers about his
funeral.)
W/O (Pilot) Edward A. Dax, F/Sgt (Navigator)
Thomas Jones and F/Sgt (Wireless Operator) Frank William Fuller also got out of
the plane, but at the opposite side. They thought that the others had perished
in the flames, and they disappeared across the fields. Via Vorbasse they came to
Bække (here)
where they took part in the celebrations of the liberation. (Source: FT
91-10-55) The German surrender was announced in the BBC news at 20.35 on 4 May
1945.
See
No. 295
Squadron RAF. See also 295 Squadron
in Unit Histories.
This Stirling took off
from RAF Rivenhall.
6 airmen. |