Wellington X HZ278 - Esbjerg                           Esbjerg - Varde                                       Updated: 25 MAR 2021

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
a014149.htm Clark L M F/O RCAF 166 p176.htm WEL HZ278 Minelaying Esbjerg d290443 b070543 c014.htm Esbjerg
a014150.htm Dalton J A P/O RCAF 166 p176.htm WEL HZ278 Minelaying Esbjerg d290443 b070543 c014.htm Esbjerg
o888536.htm Fisher H R Sgt RCAF 166 p176.htm WEL HZ278 Minelaying Esbjerg d290443 o888 o888.htm POW
a014151.htm Giles D E F/Sgt RCAF 166 p176.htm WEL HZ278 Minelaying Esbjerg d290443 b070543 c014.htm Esbjerg
a014152.htm MacEachen H A F/Sgt RCAF 166 p176.htm WEL HZ278 Minelaying Esbjerg d290443 b070543 c014.htm Esbjerg


Den 29. april 1943 kl. 01.03 styrtede WEL HZ278 ned omkring her nord for Esbjerg havn. (Kilde: Kortet Flystyrt ved Esbjerg af Torben Thorsen og Morten S. Jensen)
4 flyvere blev dræbt og 1 blev krigsfange. (Kilde: p176MACR)

Det blev ramt af flak under en af de største minelægningsoperationer, der havde været til da.
Af 207 fly gik 15 fly tabt over dansk område, se Google Map p169+MINELAYING.
Kun 4 flyvere fra de 23 fly overlevede! Se også Minelægningsområder og Lancaster fotos.

4 flyvere fra WEL HZ278 blev begravet i Esbjerg den 7. maj 1943. 1 flyver blev ført til Tyske krigsfangelejre. 

Airwar over Denmark har mere om dette fly og dets besætning.   Updated:  04 MAR 2026  5 flyvere.

On 29 April 1943 at 01:03 WEL HZ278 crashed about here north of Esbjerg harbour.
(Source:The map Air Crashes at Esbjerg by Torben Thorsen and Morten S. Jensen) 4 airmen were killed and 1 became a prisoner of war. (Source: p176MACR)

It was hit by flak on one of the largest minelaying operations yet carried out. See Minelaying areas.

15 of the 207 bombers were lost over Danish territory, see Google Map p169+MINELAYING. Only 4 airmen from the 23 lost planes survived!

4 airmen from  WEL HZ278 were buried in Esbjerg on 7 May 1943. 1 airman was taken to German POW-Camps.

This Vickers Armstrong Wellington, see also Vickers Wellington, was from No. 166 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia.
See also RAF 166 Squadron and 166 Squadron RAF-Lincolnshire.info.
Wellington X HZ278 AS-N took off from RAF Kirmington at 20:49 on 28 APR 1943. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.) 

Airwar over Denmark has more about this plane and its crew.     Updated:  04 MAR 2026  5 airmen.