Patrick J. McManus                                                                              Updated: 26 NOV 2021

Airman: o888611.htm Surname: McManus Init: P J Rank: F/O Service: RCAF Sqdn: 502

P_link: p483.htm Plane: HAL HR686 Operation: Anti Ship Crash_site: The Skagerrak

Crash_d: d041044 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

Den 4. oktober 1944 styrtede HAL HR686 i havet i den nordligste del af danske farvande et sted i Skagerrak. Robin Hudson sendte foto og dette til www.airmen.dk :

"Natten mellem 3. og 4. oktober 1944 lettede Halifax GR.II, HR686, fly ‘J’  502 Squadron fra RAF Stornoway ført af canadierne F/O Patrick McManus og
F/O Lawrence Lyttle på sin operative flyvning nummer 100, en patrulje mod skibe i farvande mellem Danmark og Norge. Tyske natjagere i området tvang Halifax-flyet
til at operere i omkring 200 fods højde for at fratage det lysten til angreb. Imidlertid blev HR686 ved denne lejlighed mødt med kraftig beskydning fra flak. Det blev
ramt og slemt beskadiget af en bevæbnet damper, "Amisia". Fra øjeblikket flyet blev ramt og til det styrtede i havet blev McManus og Lyttle på deres poster og
klarede at lande på havet i en ret flad vinkel, så flyet holdt sig flydende længe nok til at besætningen kunne komme ud. Pat McManus gjorde en enestående indsats
med at holde den overlevende del af besætningen samlet, da redningsflåden var blevet ødelagt. Han bandt sig til et flydende hjul fra flyet og han fik de overlevende til
at binde sig sammen med ham med remme fra deres redningsveste. Sørgeligt nok savnedes 3 af de 9 mand i besætningen, og en fjerde mistede man senere.
De overlevende besætningsmedlemmer blev til sidst samlet op af skibet, der skød dem ned, og de blev krigsfanger. Både McManus og Lyttle blev tildelt DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) for deres tapre indsats. (Det skete i juli 1945.)

Flying Officer J. A. R. L. La Palme (RCAF) blev begravet i Norge, mens Flying Officer H. T. Conlin (RCAF), Flight Sergeant C. McLaughlin (RAF) og
Sergeant R. G. Allen (RAF) ikke har nogen kendt grav."

Captain, Flying Officer P. J. McManus (RCAF), 2nd Pilot, Flying Officer A. L. Lyttle (RCAF) og Navigator, Flight Lieutenant S. A. Winchester (RCAF) blev ført til
Stalag Luft 3 (Sagan og Belaria). Engineer, Flying Officer I. E. Osbourne (RAF) blev ført til (Stalag Luft?) 3D (Berlin-Steglitz).
Gunner, Squadron Leader (fungerende Wing Commander) C. A. Maton blev ført til en lejr, hvis navn ikke ses i lister. (Source: Robin Hudson)

Se Halifax Print * Halifax Mk III på YAM 2019 * folk bag en Halifax klar til en mission.
1 flyver fra HAL HR686 blev begravet i Norge og 3 har ingen kendt grav. 5 flyvere blev ført til Tyske krigsfangelejre. 9 flyvere.

On 4 October 1944 HAL HR686 crashed into the sea in the most northerly part of Danish waters somewhere in the Skagerrak. Robin Hudson sent a photo and this :

"On the night of 3/4 October 1944, Halifax GR.II, HR686, aircraft ‘J’ of 502 Sqn. based at RAF Stornoway, and piloted by Canadians F/O Patrick McManus and
F/O Lawrence Lyttle, set off on its 100th operational sortie, a night anti-shipping patrol in the waters between Denmark and Norway. German night-fighters in the area forced the Halifax to operate at around 200 ft. to discourage attacks. However, on this occasion, HR686 encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire and was hit and badly
damaged by an armed steamer, the ‘Amisia’. From the moment the aircraft was hit, until it crashed into the sea, McManus and Lyttle remained at their posts and managed to ditch in a relatively flat attitude so the aircraft remained afloat long enough for the crew to get out. Pat McManus was outstanding in his efforts, keeping
the surviving crew together in the water as the dinghy had been destroyed. He tied himself to a floating wheel from the aircraft and then, using the straps from their
Mae Wests, managed to get the survivors to tie themselves to him. Sadly, three of the nine crew were missing, and a fourth man was later lost. The surviving crew members were eventually picked up by the ship that shot them down, and they became POWs. Both McManus and Lyttle were awarded the DFC for their brave
actions. F/O McManus and F/O Lyttle were awarded the DFC as of 19 July 1945, as per London Gazette dated 27 July 1945. By which time McManus was a Flight Lieutenant."

F/O J. A. R. L. La Palme (RCAF) was buried in Norway, while F/O H. T. Conlin (RCAF), F/Sgt C. McLaughlin (RAF) and Sgt R. G. Allen (RAF) have no known grave.

Captain, Flying Officer2 P. J. McManus (RCAF), 2nd Pilot, Flying Officer A. L. Lyttle (RCAF) and Navigator, Flight Lieutenant S. A. Winchester (RCAF) were
taken to Stalag Luft 3 (Sagan and Belaria). Engineer, Flying Officer I. E. Osbourne (RAF) was taken to Stalag Luft III-D Berlin-Steglitz.
Gunner, Squadron Leader (Acting Wing Commander) C. A. Maton was taken to a camp. Its name does not appear in records. (Source: Robin Hudson)

1 airman from HAL HR686 was buried in Norway and 3 have no known grave. 5 were taken to German POW-Camps.

See RAF Coastal Command * No. 502 Squadron RAF * No 500 - 520 Squadron Histories * This Halifax from No. 18 Group RAF took off from RAF Stornoway.
Handley Page Halifax. Robin Hudson of RAFA Stornoway sent details of airmen from HAL JP333 *HAL JP302 *HAL JP173 *HAL PN402 *HAL JP299 *HAL JP330.
Also HAL HX224 * HAL HR686 * HAL JP336 took off from RAF Stornoway. See Lost Airmen from RAF Stornoway.