Lancaster I W4786 - Gejlbjerg                                           Updated: 19 FEB 2023

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
a113039.htm Canterbury G T Sgt RAF 103 p127.htm LAN W4786 Minelaying Gejlbjerg d171242 b221242 c113.htm Aabenraa
a113040.htm Collins F R Sgt RAF 103 p127.htm LAN W4786 Minelaying Gejlbjerg d171242 b221242 c113.htm Aabenraa
a113041.htm Frater N Sgt RAF 103 p127.htm LAN W4786 Minelaying Gejlbjerg d171242 b221242 c113.htm Aabenraa
a113042.htm Hewitt S T F/O RAF 103 p127.htm LAN W4786 Minelaying Gejlbjerg d171242 b221242 c113.htm Aabenraa
a113043.htm Hollinsworth J A Wt/O RCAF 103 p127.htm LAN W4786 Minelaying Gejlbjerg d171242 b221242 c113.htm Aabenraa
a113044.htm Macdonald A D Wt/O RCAF 103 p127.htm LAN W4786 Minelaying Gejlbjerg d171242 b160143 c113.htm Aabenraa
a113045.htm Smith H B P/O RAF 103 p127.htm LAN W4786 Minelaying Gejlbjerg d171242 b111111 c113.htm Aabenraa


"Under en mineudlægningsoperation til Storebælt, ved Nyborg, (omkring her) blev et Lancaster fly skudt ned af en tysk natjager over Sønderjylland. p127MACR

Flyet styrtede ned her (ved Gyvelvej 39, 6780 Skærbæk. Kilde: Peter Lund) ved Gejlbjerg nordøst for Skærbæk (her) den 17. december 1942. Flere beboere såredes,
og der skete skade på 13 ejendomme, da en af minerne eksploderede. Hele flybesætningen omkom.

A.D. MacDonald blev fundet under flyvraget. Han begravedes den 16. januar 1943. Piloten, H.B. Smith har ukendt begravelsesdato. De øvrige 5 omkomne flyvere blev begravet den 22. december 1942 af pastor Carl Beuck. Tyske soldater bar kisterne til fællesgrave, hvor et tysk æreskompagni afskød salut. Fra dansk side
overværedes højtideligheden bl.a. af politimester G. Schack, Toftlund." (FAF) Se også En begravelse 2. maj 1942 på samme måde.

Se Lancaster fotos * Minelægningsområder * p127MACR.

Airwar over Denmark har mere om dette fly og dets besætning.   Updated:  03 MAR 2026   7 flyvere.

This Lancaster was shot down by a German night fighter during a minelaying operation to the Great Belt (about here).
LAN W4786 crashed here (at Gyvelvej 39, 6780 Skærbæk. Source: Peter Lund) at Gejlbjerg north east of Skærbæk (here) on 17 December 1942. Several residents
were injured and at least 13 houses were damaged, when one of the mines exploded. All of the crew perished.

A.D. MacDonald was found under the wreck of the plane. He was buried on 16 January 1943. It is not known when Pilot H.B. Smith was buried.
The other 5 perished airmen were buried on 22 December 1942 by Vicar Carl Beuck. German soldiers carried the coffins to collective graves, where a German
company as guard of honour fired a salute. Chief Constable G. Schack from Toftlund and other Danes attended the ceremony. (Source: FAF)
See also A burial on 2 May 1942 in the same way.

See No. 103 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia * Lancaster photos * Minelaying areas.
Lancaster I W4786 PM- took off from RAF Elsham Wolds at 17:35 on 17 DEC 1942. See also 103 Sqn-ORB (Operations Record Book)
(Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.)  p127MACR 

Airwar over Denmark has more about this plane and its crew.     Updated:  03 MAR 2026   7 airmen.