Jack Lees
Updated:
06 JUN 2021 From Don´s album
"Natten
mellem den 20. og 21. april 1943 angreb 339 RAF bombefly Stettin. Vejret var
klart, og markeringen fra Pathfinders var perfekt. Ca. 40 ha af den centrale
bydel blev ramt, og 13 fabrikker og 380 huse blev totalt ødelagt. 580 personer
blev dræbt ved angrebet. Samtidig angreb 86 Stirlings Rostock. - Samtlige fly
fløj ind over Danmark ved Esbjerg.- 13 Lancasters, 8 Halifax og 9 Stirlings gik
tabt." (FT 88-32) Af dem gik 19 fly tabt over dansk område. Se Stettin +
Rostock 20 - 21 April 1943 På hjemturen fra
Stettin
her blev
STI R9261 angrebet af en
Me110 og brød i brand.
Se Korsør Avis
om flystyrt.
Det
lykkedes kun Sgt (Flight Engineer) Donald V. Smith at springe ud med faldskærm.
Efter landingen gik han tværs over Sjælland og nåede frem til Helsingør, hvor
han fik hjælp til at flygte til Sverige som den første allierede flyver under
krigen!
Se
Google Map Don's rute
og
Første flyver
til Sverige. Sergeant (Air Gunner) Jack Lees, 33 år, var søn af James H. og Hannah Lees, Stacksteads, Lancashire, United Kingdom. (Kilde: CWGC) Besætningen på STI R9261 er mindet på dette monument rejst her nær nedstyrtningsstedet. Se også mindestenen i 2010. 8 flyvere. "339 RAF bombers attacked Stettin on the night before 21 April 1943. The sky was clear, and the marking from Pathfinders was perfect. About 100 acres of the central part of the city were hit, and 13 factories and 380 houses were totally destroyed. 580 persons were killed in the attack. At the same time Rostock was attacked by 86 Stirlings. - All planes entered Danish airspace at Esbjerg. - 13 Lancasters, 8 Halifaxes and 9 Stirlings were lost." (FT 88-32) 19 of them were lost over Danish territory. See Stettin + Rostock 20 - 21 April 1943 and Google Map p149-167.
STI R9261 was attacked by a
Me110 on the return flight
from
Stettin
here
and
caught fire.
See Korsør Avis about air crashes. Only Sgt (Flight Engineer)
Donald V. Smith
managed to bail out with
his parachute.
After the landing he walked across Zealand and reached Helsingør
(Elsinore), where he was helped to evade to Sweden as the first allied airmen in
the war!
See
Google Map Don's route.
See
Links for
First Airman to Sweden
A Letter and 3 telegrams. See also Don´s Diary. Sergeant (Air Gunner) Jack Lees, 33, was
the
son of James H. and Hannah Lees, of Stacksteads, Lancashire, United Kingdom. (Source:
CWGC) The crew of
STI R9261 is commemorated on this
monument erected
here near the crash site. See also the memorial
stone in 2010. |