John Robert Tree Fotos / Photos Photo: Mogens Jeppesen Upd: 12 APR 2023
                                                                    
Airman: a113095.htm Surname: Tree Init: J R Rank: F/Sgt Service: RAAF Sqdn: 83

P_link: p258.htm Plane: LAN JB412 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Near Varnæs

Crash_d: d290144 Buried_d: b220644 C_link: c113.htm At_Next: Aabenraa, R 5-18

"Natten til den 29. januar 1944 var RAF´s bombemål i Tyskland, som så ofte før, Berlin. Ruten både ud og hjem gik over Danmark. 4 fly nedstyrtede denne nat over Sønderjylland, heraf 2 efter at være stødt sammen i luften over Als." (FAF) Det var HAL JD273 nær Kliplev, LAN JB412 nær Varnæs samt efter
kollision LAN JA967 nær Broballe her og LAN HK537 nær Mjels her.

LAN JB412 styrtede ned spredt over et stort område nordøst for Varnæs med midten her, se også kortet Flystyrt ved Varnæs.
"To besætningsmedlemmer, antagelig T.K. McCash og J.J. Martin sprang ud med faldskærm fra for lav højde og blev dræbt. De blev begravet den 2. februar 1944. J.R. Tree blev fundet druknet ved Sønderborg i juni 1944. Begravelsen fandt sted den 22. juni. Fire besætningsmedlemmer overlevede og blev taget til fange."
(FAF) PS. Liget af J.R. Tree drev ind nær Ballebro Fyr, Ballebrovej 21, 6400 Sønderborg, luftfoto her.

Flight Sergeant John Robert Tree, 21 år, var søn af Mr. og Mrs. A. W. Tree, Mitchelton, Queensland, Australia. Se Breve om John Robert Tree.

Se en personlig beretning om dette flystyrt fra Hans Brandt om Bomberen.
Dengang en vaks dreng på 11 år, i 2009 aktiv pensionist i Børkop. Død 2. januar 2017.
Google Map p258 LAN JB412 har detaljer om hvor flyverne landede fra Lorelle og andre pårørende til
J.R. Tree.

3 flyvere fra LAN JB412 blev begravet i Aabenraa og 4 blev ført til Tyske krigsfangelejre. Se Lancaster fotos.
Se p258MACR. 7 flyvere.

"On the night before 29 January, 1944, the target for a RAF bombing raid was, as so often before, Berlin. The route both out and home was over Denmark. 4 planes crashed this night over Southern Jutland, 2 of them after a collision in the air over Als." (FAF)
It was HAL JD273 near Kliplev, LAN JB412 near Varnæs and after the collision LAN JA967 near Broballe here and LAN HK537 near Mjels here.

LAN JB412 crashed over a great area north east of Varnæs with the centre here see also the map Air crash near Varnæs.
Two crew members, presumably T.K. McCash and J.J. Martin bailed out with their parachutes too near the ground and were killed. They were buried in Aabenraa on 2 February 1944. J.R. Tree was found drowned at Sønderborg in June 1944. The burial took place on 22 June 1944. Four crew members survived and became POWs. (FAF)
PS. The body of J.R. Tree was washed ashore near the lighthouse Ballebro Fyr, Ballebrovej 21, 6400 Sønderborg, aerial photo here. 250 m from Ballebro Havn.
See a personal account from Hans Brandt about the Bomber. Google Map p258 LAN JB412 has details of where the airmen landed from Lorelle and other relatives of
J.R. Tree.

Flight Sergeant John Robert Tree, 21, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Tree, of Mitchelton, Queensland, Australia. (Source: CWGC) See Letters about John.
He is remembered on The Walls of Names at the International Bomber Command Centre, Phase 1, Panel 108.  Virtual War Memorial Australia has this.
The National Archives of Australia has NAA Record 1082110, 80 pages around his death. See also John Robert Tree's service.
3 airmen from LAN JB412  were buried in Aabenraa and 4 were taken to German POW-Camps. See No. 83 Squadron RAF * Lancaster Photos * p258MACR.
Lancaster III JB412 OL-B took off from RAF Wyton at 00:19 on 29 JAN 1944. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.)  7 airmen.