R. E. Toomey                                                                                           Updated:  09 MAR 2021

Airman: o888094.htm Surname: Toomey Init: R E Rank: Sgt Service: RCAF Sqdn: 428

P_link: p339.htm Plane: LAN KB751 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Sea SW of Sejerø

Crash_d: d170844 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

 "17. august 1944 kl. 02.10 blev en engelsk bombemaskine, som var på vej vestover sammen med et stort antal andre bombere, der kom fra Stettin (Szczecin)
og Königsberg (Kaliningrad) iflg den engelske radio, nedskudt i kamp med en tysk jager. De fleste Sejerøbeboere var oppe den nat, da den megen larm fra
maskiner og maskingeværsalver havde skræmt folk fra sengen. Den ramte maskine kom i brand højt oppe og ramte havet med knusende fart og kraft ca. 2 sømil
sydvest for Sejerø havn. Da det lysnede gik 2 fiskere i deres både ud for at se om nogen af besætningen var at finde. Man fandt hurtigt stedet, da olie kom op fra
bunden og viste vej. Man kunne se maskinen på bunden, den var helt knust, og en masse ting fra den lå og flød omkring stedet." ("Hændelser fra Sejerø under besættelsen" af Jens Frederik Petersen).

R.E. Toomey svømmede til Sejerø. Omkring kl. 6 om morgenen hørte Karen Jensen på Sejerø lyde fra døren. "Hun åbnede og så denne udmattede mærkelige mand,
som havde hele udstyret på med svømmevest, lommelygte, fløjte m.m. Hun og hendes mand fik hurtigt den forkomne flyver i seng og han fik noget mad og noget varmt
at drikke. Han tog da et kort op af lommen og pegede på staten Ottawa i Canada og på sig selv. Så tog han et Europakort frem og de var klar over, at han ville vide,
hvor han var. Da de pegede på Danmark blev han lidt nervøs og talte om Sweden. Han kom i tysk fangenskab." (Hændelser fra Sejerø under besættelsen).
Han blev sendt til Stalag Luft VII Bankau.

Mere i p339MACR: "Trods en betydelig afstand til land, høj sø og kraftig strøm klarede Sgt Toomey, eneste overlevende, at nå kysten ved Lydebjerg (her) på Sejerø
efter adskillige timer i vandet. Aksel og Karen Jensen gav førstehjælp til Sgt Toomey ved Lydebjerg. Derpå krigsfange."
Se Wartime Diary of Robert E. Toomey med Photo Album.

LAN KB751 styrtede ned omkring her. 1 flyver begravet på Sejerø, 1 i Fårevejle, 3 har ingen kendt grav, 1 begravet i Sverige og 1 blev ført til Tyske krigsfangelejre.
7 flyvere.

On 17 August, 1944 at 02.10 an English bomber heading west with a great number of other bombers (coming from Stettin (Szczecin) and Königsberg (Kaliningrad) according to English radio) was shot down in a fight with a German fighter. Most residents of Sejerø had left their beds because of the noise from
planes and machine gun rounds. The plane which was hit caught fire high up in the air and hit the sea at a crushing speed about 2 nautical miles south west of Sejerø harbour. When the day broke 2 fishermen sailed out to see if they could find any of the airmen. They quickly found the crash site, as oil came up from the bottom and showed the way. They could see the plane at the bottom. It was totally crushed and a lot of debris floated around the site.
(Source: "Events on Sejerø during the occupation" by Jens Frederik Petersen) Actually this bomber was of the RCAF.

R.E. Toomey swam to Sejerø. About 6 a.m Karen Jensen on Sejerø heard sounds from the door. "She opened and saw this exhausted strange man fully equipped with Mae West, torch, whistle and more. She and her husband quickly put the exhausted man to bed and he had some food and something hot to drink. Then he took a map out of his pocket and pointed at the state of Ottawa in Canada and at himself. Then he took a map of Europe, and they realised he would like to know, where he was.
When they pointed at Danmark, he became a little nervous and talked about Sweden. He became a prisoner of war in Germany. (Source: "Events on Sejerø during the occupation") He was taken to Stalag Luft VII Bankau.

More in p339MACR: "In spite of considerable distance to land, heavy sea and rapid current, Sgt. Toomey, only survivor, managed to reach shore at Lydebjerg (here),
Sejerø Island after several hours in the water. First aid given to Sgt. Toomey by Aksel and Karen Jensen at Lydebjerg. POW subsequently."

LAN KB751 crashed about here. 1 airman buried on Sejerø, 1 in Fårevejle, 3 have no known grave, 1 buried in Sweden and 1 was taken to German POW-Camps.
No. 6 Group and the Canadian Squadrons * No. 428 (Ghost) Squadron RCAF * Bomber Command Museum of Canada * Lancaster BC * Lancaster Photos
Lancaster X KB751 NA-Q took off from RAF Middleton St. George on 16 AUG 1944. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this + Archive Report.)  See p339MACR.
See Wartime Diary of Robert E. Toomey with Photo Album.  7 airmen.