LAN W4988 - lang version - the long version                               Updated: 09 OCT 2021

Den 4. september 1943 styrtede LAN W4988 ned ved Laröd som er 5 km NNV for Helsingborg i Sverige på tilbagevejen fra et bombetogt til Berlin. Kort version.
Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift har den lange version:

"316 Lancasters og 4 Mosquitoes angreb Berlin, og 22 Lancasters gik tabt. Over målet blev W4988 fanget af søgelys, og piloten kastede bombelasten og begyndte undvigemanøvre. Umiddelbart efter blev flyet angrebet af en Ju88, og to motorer blev ramt. Piloten, F/O Francis Archibald Randall, gav ordre til at forlade flyet, og air bomber, F/O Lindsay Grafton Greenaway, sprang ud med faldskærm og blev taget til fange i udkanten af Berlin. Piloten fik dog atter kontrol over flyet og tilbagekaldte
den tidligere ordre. Over Sjælland satte yderligere en motor ud, og den endelige ordre til at forlade flyet blev givet. Wireless operator, F/Sgt. Allen John O'Brien, sprang først og landede mellem Birkerød og Allerød, hvor han dagen efter blev taget til fange.

Rear gunner, F/Sgt Harry Knight Ward, sprang dernæst og landede på jernbanen mellem København og Hillerød i nærheden af Hammersholt. Ved landingen pådrog han sig hjernerystelse, og var bevidstløs i kortere tid. Allerede næste morgen blev han taget til fange af tyskerne og bragt til Værløse. »Bud« Ward besøgte området i 1987,
og hilste på flere personer, som han havde mødt under sit korte ophold i Danmark.

Flight engineer, Sgt. Arthur Hilton Johns, landede i en have i udkanten af Esrum by og fik via en hjælpsom dame kontakt med den danske modstandsbevægelse. Den
12. september sejlede han sammen med tre danskere til Sverige og efter et par dages ophold i Stockholm returnerede han til England, hvor han udgik af aktiv tjeneste.

Piloten Randall, navigatøren, F/ Sgt Norman James Conway og mid-upper gunner, Sgt. Herbert Bell, sprang alle tre ud med faldskærm over Øresund. Conway's
faldskærm foldede sig ikke ud og han blev dræbt. Hans lig er aldrig blevet fundet. Randall og Bell blev samlet op af et svensk marinefartøj og efter nogle ugers ophold i interneringslejren i Framby, returnerede de til England den 29. september 1943. Randall fik tildelt Distinguished Flying Cross, medens Johns og Bell fik tildelt Distinguished Flying Medal.

W4988 styrtede ned ved Laröd nord for Helsingborg, hvor vragdelene blev spredt over et større område mellem flere større gårde, men uden at forårsage nævneværdig materiel skade på gårdene. Den 16.-17 december fløj F/O Randall i Lancaster JB657 til Berlin. Ved hjemkomsten til England var næsten alle flyvepladserne lukket i Lincolnshire. Under et landingsforsøg styrtede flyet ned i et ammunitionsdepot syd for Binbrook. Alle syv besætningsmedlemmer omkom." (FT 88-34-15)

On 4 September 1943 LAN W4988 crashed near Laröd which is 5 km NNW of Helsingborg, Sweden on the return flight from a bombing raid on Berlin. Short version.
(Danish) Aviation Historical Review has the long version:

"316 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitos attacked Berlin and 22 Lancasters were lost. W4988 was caught in cones of searchlight over the target. The pilot dropped the bomb load and started evasive actions. Immediately after that the plane was attacked by a Ju88 and 2 engines were hit.  Pilot F/O Francis Archibald Randall gave the order
to abandon ship and Air Bomber F/O Lindsay Grafton Greenaway bailed out and was taken captive in the outskirts of Berlin. However, the pilot regained control of the plane and recalled his previous order. Another engine failed over Zealand and the final order to abandon ship was given. Wireless Operator F/Sgt Allen John O'Brien was the first airman to bail out. He landed between Birkerød and Allerød where he was taken captive the next day.

Rear gunner F/Sgt. Harry Knight Ward was the next to bail out. He landed on the railway between Copenhagen and Hillerød near Hammersholt. At the landing he got a concussion of his brain and he was unconscious for a short period. Next morning he was captured by the Germans and taken to Værløse. »Bud« Ward visited the area
in 1987 and said hello to a number of persons that he had met during his short stay in Denmark.

Flight Engineer Sgt Arthur Hilton Johns landed in a garden in the outskirts of Esrum. A helpful lady established a contact to the Danish Resistance Movement.
On 12 September he and 3 Danes sailed to Sweden. After a couple of days in Stockholm he returned to England and left active service.

Pilot F/O Randall, Navigator F/ Sgt Norman James Conway and Mid Upper Gunner Sgt. Herbert Bell all bailed out over the Øresund. Conway’s parachute failed to
open up and he was killed. His body has never been found. Randall and Bell were picked up by a Swedish naval vessel, and after some weeks in the internment camp Framby they returned to England on 29 September. Randall was awarded DFC, the Distinguished Flying Cross while Johns and Bell were awarded DFM, the Distinguished Flying Medal.

W4988 crashed near Laröd north of Helsingborg. Pieces of wreckage were scattered over a large area between a number of big farms but no damage worth to mention
was inflicted on the farms. On 16.-17. December F/O Randall flew Lancaster JB657 to Berlin. On his return to England nearly all airfields in Lincolnshire were closed. During an attempted landing the plane crashed into an ammunition depot south of Binbrook. All of the 7 crew members perished." (FT 88-34-15)