Sam Francis                                                                                        Updated: 05 OCT 2021

Airman: o888002.htm Surname: Francis Init: S Rank: Sgt Service: RAF Sqdn: 138

P_link: p222.htm Plane: HAL JD156 Operation: SOE to PL Crash_site: Off Norsminde

Crash_d: d160943 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

Natten til den 17. september 1943 blev HAL JD156 på vej til Polen skudt i brand af en tysk natjager. Det var på SOE flyvning med forsyninger til den
polske modstandsbevægelse - "Flat 5" siger Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift. Flyet gik i havet ca. 7 km ud for Norsminde syd for Århus, måske omkring her.

"Fire besætningsmedlemmer, hvoraf den ene var såret, blev reddet i land af fire danskere, der var taget ud i en fiskerbåd. Flyverne var meget forkomne efter at have
drevet om i deres redningsveste. I Norsminde blev de ført til kroen, hvor de blev gæstfrit beværtet. Kort tid efter blev de afhentet af tyskerne." (FT 90-64-16)

De blev ført til Tyske krigsfangelejre som angivet i Lost Bombers: "Sgt S.Francis blev interneret i lejrene L6/357 med F/S G.T.Jones. F/S D.R.Quinlivan i lejrene
L6/L4. F/S L.A.Trotter i lejr 4B. Rapporteret som 'forbrændt'.

1 flyver fra HAL JD156 blev begravet i Randers og 1 i Frederikshavn. 1 flyver forsvandt i havet. 4 blev reddet og taget til fange. (Kilde: FAF) 7 flyvere.

On the night before 17 September 1943 HAL JD156 on its way to Poland was shot ablaze by a German night fighter. It was on an SOE operation with supplies for
the Polish resistance - "Flat 5" says (Danish) Aviation Historical Review (FT). The plane ditched in the sea about 7 km off Norsminde south of Århus, maybe about here.

"Four crew members, one of them injured, were rescued at sea by four Danes in a fishing boat. The airmen were perished with cold, as they had been drifting in their life jackets. In Norsminde they were taken to the inn, where they were welcomed with great hospitality. Shortly after they were fetched by the Germans." (FT 90-64-16)

They were taken to German POW-Camps as told in Lost Bombers: "Sgt S. Francis was interned in Camps L6/357, with F/S G.T.Jones. F/S D.R.Quinlivan in Camps L6/L4. F/S L.A.Trotter in Camp 4B. Reported as 'burnt'."

1 airman from HAL JD156 was buried in Randers and 1 in Frederikshavn. 1 airman disappeared at sea. 4 were rescued and captured. (Source: FAF)

See No. 138 Squadron Wikipedia*Halifax*Halifax Print*Halifax - Bless 'Em All*British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
See also  Tempsford Special Duties Squadrons * Roll of Honour, Tempsford 
Halifax II JD156 NF-W took off from RAF Tempsford at 1826 hrs on 16 SEP 1943. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.) 7 airmen.