John Frederick Peak  Photo: Knud Riis     Updated: 10 OCT 2021
                                                           
Airman: a033002.htm Surname: Peak Init: J F Rank: P/O Service: RCAF Sqdn: 427

P_link: p394.htm Plane: HAL MZ355 Operation: Minelaying Crash_site: Near Knaplund

Crash_d: d140245 Buried_d: b140245 C_link: c033.htm At_Next: 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)
Begravet på kirkegården 12 DEC 1945! 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.

Pilot Officer (Air Gunner) John Frederick Peak, 26 år, var søn af Frederick E. og
Aileen Peak, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Kilde: CWGC) 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)
Buried in the churchyard on 12 DEC 1945! See Canadian airmen Canadiske krigsflyvere (pdf 13 MB) in Danish, but with a number of photos.

Pilot Officer (Air Gunner) John Frederick Peak, 26, was the son of Frederick E. and Aileen Peak, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Source: CWGC)
His name is engraved on the Memorial Wall at the BC Museum of Canada. The Canadian Virtual War Memorial has this.
He is remembered on The Walls of Names at the International Bomber Command Centre, Phase 2, Panel 224.

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.