T. F. Kyle                                                                                                Updated: 17 JUN 2018

Airman: o888407.htm Surname: Kyle Init: T F Rank: F/Sgt Service: RAF Sqdn: 138

P_link: p402.htm Plane: STI LJ999 Operation: Drop in DK Crash_site: Tippepold

Crash_d: d050345 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

Den 5. marts 1945 styrtede STI LJ999 ned på lavt vand i Ringkøbing Fjord, omkring her, overblik her.
(Kilde: Hæftet Stirling bombefly styrtede ned på Tippepold i Ringkøbing Fjord 5. marts 1945, Egvad Egnshistoriske Samling 2010.)

"Startet 23.48 fra Tempsford på Operation TABLEJAM 241 med kurs mod Danmark. Var på hjemvejen i omkring 50 m højde, da en eksplosion tog
maskinen ud af kontrol, så flyet styrtede ned på lavt vand i Ringkøbing Fjord." (Lost Bombers)

MACR - rapport om nedstyrtet fly - medtog dette brev fra 5 JUN 1976 fra Pilot L. G. Sleven:
"Omkring 04.30 den 5 marts 1945 havde vi med succes nedkastet forsyninger med faldskærm bestilt af dansk modstandsbevægelse på et nedkastningssted nær København, og vi var ved at krydse kysten ved Ringkøbing Fjord på vejen hjem. Omkring 150 fod (ca. 50 m) over vandet var der en eksplosion under flyet. Vi ramte
vandet - og vi så ikke nogen sporprojektiler. Hele besætningen undslap fra flyet, som var i brand, men blev taget til fange kl. 10.30. Vi overlevede alle og blev befriet
i Bayern i maj 1945."

F/O L.G.Steven, F/O N.E.Tilley, Sgts J.H.Bloomer, J.T.Breeze, W.L.Clark, F/S G.M.Maude og F/S T.F.Kyle blev ført til en del forskellige Tyske krigsfangelejre.
AOD har detaljer.  7 flyvere.

On 5 March 1945 STI LJ999 crashed into the Ringkøbing Fjord, about here, overview here.(Source:Booklet about the air crash, Egvad Egnshistoriske Samling 2010)

"Airborne 2348 4Mar45 from Tempsford on Operation TABLEJAM 241 and headed for Denmark. Homebound, at 150 feet, when an explosion sent
the aircraft out of control to crash in shallow water in Ringkobing Fjord." (Lost Bombers)

The Missing Air Crew Report included this letter of 5 JUN 1976 from Pilot L. G. Sleven:
"At about 4.30 a.m. on 5th March 1945 we had successfully dropped by parachute, supplies required by the Danish Resistance on a DZ near Copenhagen and
were crossing the coast at Ringkøbing Fjord on our way home. At about 150 feet above the sea an explosion occurred underneath the aircraft. We hit the sea -
no tracer was seen.
All the crew escaped from the aircraft which was on fire, but were captured at 10.30 a.m. We all survived and were liberated in Bavaria in May 1945."

F/O L.G.Steven, F/O N.E.Tilley, Sgts J.H.Bloomer, J.T.Breeze, W.L.Clark, F/S G.M.Maude and F/S T.F.Kyle were taken to quite a number of German POW-Camps.
AOD has details.

No. 138 Squadron - Wikipedia * Roll of Honour, Tempsford * Tempsford Special Duties Squadrons * A History of Tempsford Airfield * The Tempsford Airfield Pages
Stirling IV LJ999 NF-Q took off from RAF Tempsford at 23.48 hrs on 04 MAR 1945. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.) Short Stirling  7 airmen.