Jørgen Thalbitzer                             Updated: 18 JAN 2023

Airman: a124001.htm Surname: Thalbitzer Init: J Rank: P/O Service: RAF Sqdn: 234

P_link: p439.htm Plane: SPI AB864 Operation: Not DK / G Crash_site: France

Crash_d: d230742 Buried_d: b310743 C_link: c124.htm At_Next: Kbhvn-Vestre

Flyverløjtnant JØRGEN THALBITZER, RAF  22.5 1920 - 28.3 1943
Post mortem Chr. Xs E.M.  Gloria et memoria.  Faldet i Danmarks Frihedskamp.

 "Efter at være skudt ned med sit jagerfly over Frankrig i juli 1942 blev Thalbitzer ført til en fangelejr i Polen. Herfra flygtede han i marts 1943 sammen med Lt. Commander i Den
Britiske Flådes Luftvåben Jimmy Buckley. De to flygtninge nåede frem til Danmark, hvorfra
de den 28. marts i kajak sejlede over Øresund mod Sverige. De omkom imidlertid under sejladsen. Jørgen Thalbitzers lig drev den 2. juli i land på Nordsjællands kyst, hvorpå han
blev begravet på Tibirke kirkegård som ukendt. Liget blev dog ret snart identificeret og
derpå få uger efter begravet på Vestre Kirkegård. Jimmy Buckley blev aldrig fundet." (FAF)

Jørgen Thalbitzer var fast besluttet på at melde sig til tjeneste i Royal Air Force. Efter en
rejse fra København over Tyrkiet og syd om Afrika nåede han London og blev officer i Royal
Air Force den 28. oktober 1941. Den 9. april 1942 var han med i en delegation af danske i London, som overrakte premierminister Winston Churchil £ 38.000 til indkøb af Spitfires til
RAF. Churchill spurgte venligt, om han kunne gøre noget for Thalbitzer, og svaret passede
ham fint: "Jo, Deres Excellence, De kan lade mig være med i den første Royal Air Force Eskadrille, der besætter Kastrup ved København!" Det sagde den unge flyver i april 1942,
hvor udviklingen i krigen langt fra var vendt! (Kilde: Billy Thalbitzer: Med R.A.F. for Danmark)
See Prime Minister Winston Churchill's Message to Free Danes og indkøb af Spitfires.

(Lady MacRobert gav £ 25.000 til køb af et bombefly kaldet MacRobert´s Reply.
STI W7531 styrtede ned ved Galsklint. Krigen var ikke bare mellem nationer!)

I første omgang blev han begravet som ukendt den 7. juli 1943 på Tibirke Kirkegård. Hans lig
blev dog identificeret ved hjælp af hans fingerring med et familievåben, og hans urne blev
begravet 31. juli 1943 på Vestre Kirkegård. (Chr. Xs E.M.-Kong Christian X´s Erindringsmedalje)

Danish WW2 Pilots har dette om Jørgen Thalbitzer og dette om N.J.R. Buchwald.
F/O Niels Juul Rysensteen Buchwald er også begravet i Danmark. F/Lt L. McMillan blev aldrig fundet.

Se også Løjtnant Fritz Rasmussen, omkommet under Vinterkrigen i Finland.

Flying Officer Jørgen Thalbitzer, RAF 22.5 1920 - 28.3 1943
Post mortem Chr. X's E.M. Gloria et memoria. Killed in Denmark's fight for liberty.

"After his fighter was shot down over France in July 1942 Thalbitzer was taken to a prison camp in Poland. From there he escaped in March 1943 together with Jimmy Buckley, Lt. Commander in the Airforce of the British Navy. The two fugitives reached Denmark from where they set out in a kayak on March 28 in order to cross the Sound towards Sweden. However, they drowned during the crossing. Jørgen Thalbitzer's body was washed ashore on July 2 on the coast of North Zealand, and he was interred as unknown in Tibirke churchyard. Quite soon, however, his body was identified and a few weeks later he was buried in Vestre Kirkegård. Jimmy Buckley was never found." (FAF)

Jørgen Thalbitzer was determined to join the Royal Air Force. After travelling from Copenhagen by way of Turkey and south of Africa he reached London and became an officer in the Royal Air Force on 28 October 1941. On 9 April 1942 he was part of a delegation of Danes in London who presented Prime Minister Winston Churchill with
£ 38.000 for the purchase of Spitfires for the RAF. Churchill kindly asked if he could do anything for Thalbitzer, and the answer suited him well: "Yes, Your Excellency, you can let me join the first Royal Air Force squadron to occupy Kastrup near Copenhagen!" The young airman said this in April 1942 when the tide had not yet turned
in the development of the war! (Source: Billy Thalbitzer: Med R.A.F. for Danmark (=With the RAF for Denmark))
See Prime Minister Winston Churchill's Message to Free Danes and purchase of Spitfires.

(Lady MacRobert donated £ 25.000 for the purchase of a bombing plane called MacRobert´s Reply.
STI W7531 crashed at Galsklint. The war wasn't just between nations!)

At first he was buried as unknown on 7 July 1943 at Tibirke churchyard. His body was identified, however, by means of his ring with the family coat-of-arms, and his urn was interred on 31 July 1943 at Vestre kirkegård. (Translated by KK)

Danish WW2 Pilots has this about Jørgen Thalbitzer and this about N.J.R. Buchwald,
F/O Niels Juul Rysensteen Buchwald is also buried in Denmark. F/Lt L. McMillan was never found.
Also No. 234 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia.