Frederick Ernest Bowen                                                                     Updated: 28 NOV 2017

Airman: o888349.htm Surname: Bowen Init: F E Rank: Sgt Service: RAF Sqdn: 58

P_link: p048.htm Plane: WHI Z6498 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Grønsund

Crash_d: d120941 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

Den 12. september 1941 kl. 02.15 nødlandede WHI Z6498 på Grønsund. Det var her, overblik her. (Kilde: p048MACR)  Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift skriver:

"32 Whitleys skulle bombe havneområdet i Warnemünde (her), men de fleste besætninger kastede bombelasten over den centrale del af byen. Z6498 blev ramt af
flak og var RAF's eneste tab. Flyet nødlandede i Grønsund, og besætningen antændte vraget. Branden blev observeret fra land, og politiets patruljebåd »K12« gik
straks til undsætning. Kl. 0340 vendte de tilbage til Stubbekøbing med 5 overlevende, der blev overgivet til den tyske værnemagt." (FT 86-87-2)
Se Rapport, side 1 og Rapport side 2 via Ib Walbum og Gustav Hans Frederiksen. Rapporten uddyber og bekræfter indholdet af ovenstående linjer.

5 flyvere fra WHI Z6498 blev ført til Tyske krigsfangelejre.
Sgt F.E.Bowen blev sendt til lejrene 8B Lamsdorf / L3 Sagan / L6 Heydekrug / 357 Thorn-Fallingbostel.
Han undslap fangenskab under marchen i april 1945, sammen med sin chef Sgt C.R.D.Browne. (Kilde: Lost Bombers)

On 12 September 1941 at 02.15 hours WHI Z6498 ditched in the Grønsund. It was here, overview here. (Source: p048MACR) (Danish) Aviation Historical Review:

"32 Whitleys were to bomb the harbour area in Warnemünde (here), but most crews dropped their bomb load over the central part of the town. Z6498 was hit by
flak and it was the only loss of the Royal Air Force. The plane ditched in the Grønsund and the crew set fire to the wreckage. The fire was observed from land,
and the police patrol boat "K12" immediately sailed to their rescue. At 03.40 hours they returned to Stubbekøbing with 5 survivors who were handed over to the
German Wehrmacht." (FT 86-87-2) 5 airmen from WHI Z6498 were taken to German POW-Camps.
See p048MACR from Jørgen Helme and notes via Ib Walbum and Gustav Hans Frederiksen. The contents confirm the above lines.

Sgt F.E.Bowen was interned in Camps 8B Lamsdorf / L3 Sagan / L6 Heydekrug357 Thorn-Fallingbostel.
He escaped captivity during the march in April 1945, together with his Skipper Sgt C.R.D.Browne. (Source: Lost Bombers) 

See Bomber Command No. 58 Squadron. See the present RAF Linton-on Ouse
Whitley V Z6498 GE-D took off from RAF Linton-on Ouse at 20.53 hrs on 11 SEP 1941. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.) 5 airmen.