Wellington IA P9218 - Limfjorden                                                    Updated: 12 DEC 2021

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
o888378.htm Blackburn P AC2 RAF 149 p004.htm WEL P9218 Attack DK Limfjorden d210440 o888 o888.htm POW
o888374.htm Eldridge J J AC2 RAF 149 p004.htm WEL P9218 Attack DK Limfjorden d210440 o888 o888.htm POW
o888376.htm Forsyth G E Sgt RAF 149 p004.htm WEL P9218 Attack DK Limfjorden d210440 o888 o888.htm POW
o888373.htm Knight F T F/O RAF 149 p004.htm WEL P9218 Attack DK Limfjorden d210440 o888 o888.htm POW
o888375.htm McDonald W G Sgt RAF 149 p004.htm WEL P9218 Attack DK Limfjorden d210440 o888 o888.htm POW
o888377.htm Thew W J AC1 RAF 149 p004.htm WEL P9218 Attack DK Limfjorden d210440 o888 o888.htm POW

Den 21. april 1940 kl. 22.15 nødlandede WEL P9218 omkring her 500 m øst for Aggersundbroen
efter angreb på Rødslet Flyveplads (Aalborg West her, overblik her. Rørdal Flyveplads = Aalborg Ost her, se mere her). Se Tyske flyvepladser ved Aalborg.
Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift skriver:
"Tre Wellingtons fra 75 BS og tre fra 149 BS deltog i angrebet. Tre containere med brandbomber og 39 sprængbomber blev nedkastet, men 24 sprængbomber faldt uden for det militære område. 11 civile ejendomme blev beskadiget, tre personer dræbt og syv såret, medens på selve flyvepladsen var der hverken tab af personel eller materiel. Over målet blev den ene motor på P9218 ramt af en fuldtræffer fra 4. og 5./ Res.Flak.Abt. 603, og maskinen tabte straks højde. Det lykkedes piloten, F/O Frederick Thomas Knight, at komme fri af det tyske flak. Da han atter fik kontrol over maskinen, fløj man i kun 50 meter højde, og en nødlanding var uundgåelig. Ca. kl. 22.15 nødlandede det første allierede fly i Danmark.

Ved nødlandingen, der skete på lavt vand i Limfjorden, blev flyets bund revet op. Knight fik en mindre flænge over det ene øje, og et andet besætningsmedlem fik en forstuvet fod, men alle var dog i stand til hurtigt at forlade flyet og vade i land, hvor de fik hjælp i det nærmeste hus. Al videre flugt blev dog hurtigt opgivet, og det danske politi blev tilkaldt. Senere afhentede tyskerne de seks flyvere og bragte dem til Rødslet flyveplads. Tyskerne var meget stolte over deres »fangst«, og et propagandafoto blev offentliggjort i bl.a. de danske aviser. - - " (FT 89-31-2) Flyverne  blev ført til Tyske krigsfangelejre.

AC2 P.Blackburn blev sendt til L6 Heydekrug / 357 Thorn-Fallingbostel. AC2 J.J.Eldridge til 8B Lamsdorf  / L6 Heydekrug / L4 Gross Tychow.
Sgt G.E.Forsyth til 8B Lamsdorf / L6 Heydekrug / 357 Thorn-Fallingbostel. F/O F.T.Knight til L1 Barth. Sendt til England 6 februar 1945.
Sgt W.G.McDonald kom på hospital på grund af sår.  AC1 W.J.Thew blev sendt til  8B Lamsdorf / 357 Thorn-Fallingbostel." (Kilde: Lost Bombers)

Se også angrebet på Aalborg, Fliegerhorst Aalborg West 13. august 1940 med 11 Blenheim bombemaskiner, der alle gik tabt.
Hjemmeværnets Historiske Samling i Himmerland har mere om dette fly og dets besætning. 6 flyvere.

On 21 April 1940 at 22.15 hours WEL P9218 force landed about here 500 m east of the Aggersund Bridge
after a raid on Rødslet Airfield (Aalborg West here, overview here. Rørdal Airfield = Aalborg Ost here, more here). See German airfields near Aalborg.
(Danish) Aviation Historical Review writes:
"3 Wellingtons from  75 Squadron and 3 from 149 Squadron carried out the attack. 3 containers with incendiaries and 39 high-explosive bombs were dropped, but 24
high-explosive bombs fell outside the military area. 11 civilian houses and farms were damaged, 3 persons killed and 7 injured. However,  there were no losses of
personel or materials at the air station itself. One engine of P9218 was hit by a direct hit from 4. and 5./ Res.Flak.Abt. 603. The aircraft lost altitude immediately.
Pilot,  F/O Frederick Thomas Knight managed to get away from the German flak. When he regained control over the aircraft, it was flying at an altitude of only 50 m,
and a forced landing was inevitable. At about 22.15 hours it became the first allied plane in Denmark to make a forced landing.

The bottom of the plane was torn up during the landing in the shallow waters of the Limfjorden. Knight had a minor gash over his eye and another crew member had a sprained foot. All of the crew were able to leave the plane quickly. They waded ashore and received help in the nearest house. Soon any further escape was given up
and the Danish police was called. Later the Germans picked up the 6 airmen and took them to Rødslet Air Station. The Germans were very proud of their capture and a propaganda photo was published, also in Danish newspapers. - -" (FT 89-31-2) The airmen were taken to German POW-Camps.

AC2 P.Blackburn was interned in Camps L6 Heydekrug / 357 Thorn-Fallingbostel. AC2 J.J.Eldridge in Camps 8B Lamsdorf / L6 Heydekrug / L4 Gross Tychow.
Sgt G.E.Forsyth in Camps 8B Lamsdorf / L6 Heydekrug / 357 Thorn-Fallingbostel F/O F.T.Knight in Camp L1 Barth Repatriated 6 Feb 1945.
Sgt W.G.McDonald was confined in Hospital due injuries.  AC1 W.J.Thew in Camps 8B Lamsdorf / 357 Thorn-Fallingbostel" (Source: Lost Bombers)  

See also the attack on Aalborg airfield, Fliegerhorst Aalborg West, on 13 August, 1940 with 11 Bristol Blenheims - all of them lost.
See No. 149 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia *  Wellington. Wellington Ia P9218 OJ-J took off from RAF Mildenhall at 17:55 on 21 APR 1940.
(Source: Aircrew Remembered has this + Archive Report.) p004MACR  6 airmen.