Den 29. januar 1944 styrtede
HAL HX294 i
havet øst
for Langeland, i forbindelse med et bombetogt til Berlin.
Se
p256MACR og
Flyveruten.
Se
Google Map p256 HAL HX294
med angivelse af hvor flyverne landede. 1 mand omkom. 6 flyvere
blev
ført til
Tyske krigsfangelejre.
(Kilde:
En dråbe i havet) Bogen "En dråbe i havet - Langeland under den 2.
verdenskrig", 487 sider, af Bent Andersen, Jens Mollerup & Gunnar Kjær
Mortensen, udgivet 1994 af
Rudkøbing Byhistoriske Arkiv fortæller i detaljer om flyverne men intet om
flyet efter at sidste mand var sprunget ud. Formentlig styrtet i havet et ukendt
sted. Piloten,
Squadron Leader Alan Ower McCormack
er særligt interessant. Se
brændstof problem
der gjorde det nødvendigt at
forlade flyet. Se
McCormack's beretning
side 147-154 fra bogen "En dråbe i havet - Langeland under den 2.
verdenskrig", 487 sider, af Bent Andersen, Jens Mollerup & Gunnar Kjær
Mortensen, udgivet 1994 af
Rudkøbing Byhistoriske Arkiv og
I morfars fodspor og tegning.
Alan McCormack gemte sig her-se
foto og
McCormack kort.
Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift skriver:
"Flyet blev skudt ned af en
tysk natjager, og hele besætningen
sprang ud med faldskærm. Piloten,
Squadron Leader Alan Ower McCormack og
en anden flyver
landede
på Langeland, to flyvere landede
ved/på Tåsinge, medens
to landede på Strynø og
Siø. Navigatøren, Pilot Officer Jack Tylor,
landede i havet og druknede.
Hans lig blev fundet
ved Nakkebølle strand den 16. april og to dage
senere blev han begravet på Fåborg kirkegård." (FT
85-78-20)
Kommentar til et læserbrev: "Der er helt sikkert
tale om besætningsmedlemmer fra Halifax HX294 (HD-A) fra 466 BS. På vej til
Berlin blev flyet syd for Fåborg
angrebet
af en tysk natjager, og
besætningen måtte springe med faldskærm. - - - Vragrester fra flyet blev
fundet i farvandet ved Strynø, men selve flyet
formodes nedstyrtet i Langelandsbæltet øst for Tranekær.
682 fly deltog i angrebet på Berlin og 43 gik tabt. Formationen blev observeret
allerede NV for Texel (Se
Google Map p256
- zoom ud), og vest for Rømø og Sild
blev
de første natjagerangreb observeret. Herfra og til Berlin
formodes 12 fly at være gået tabt, og mindst 5 gik tabt i det danske
område." (FT 86-64-20) De 4 andre
var
HAL JD273 nær Kliplev og LAN JB412
nær Varnæs. Efter kollision: LAN JA967 nær Broballe og
LAN HK537 nær Mjels. (Se
Google Map p256
- zoom ud)
"Sgt J.R.Clark blev interneret i lejrene L6
Heydekrug / 357 Thorn-Fallingbostel med Sgt R.Collings, F/S S.L.Smith, F/S
G.Walker og F/S R.A.Whitfield.
S/L A.O.McCormack i L3 Sagan." (Lost Bombers)
Halifax Print og
folk bag en Halifax klar til en
mission. 7 flyvere.
On 29 January 1944
HAL HX294 crashed
into the sea
east of Langeland, in connection with a bombing raid on Berlin.
See p256MACR and
Flight Path.
See
Google Map p256 HAL HX294
with indications of where the airmen landed. 1 man perished and
IBCC has operational details at the end the entry about him.
6 airmen were
taken to
German POW-Camps.
(Source:
A drop in the sea) The book in Danish with the title translated into
"A drop in the sea - Langeland during World War II", 487 pages, by
Bent Andersen, Jens Mollerup & Gunnar Kjær Mortensen published 1994 by
Rudkøbing Byhistoriske Arkiv
has details about airmen but nothing about the plane after the last man bailed
out. Presumably crashed at sea. Pilot,
Squadron Leader Alan Ower McCormack
is particularly interesting. See
fuel problem
that made it
necessary to abandon the plane. See also McCormack's own account, part
1 * 2 *
3 from
Rudkøbing Byhistoriske Arkiv, p.147-153 of "A drop in the sea."
See "In
Grandfather's footsteps" and
Alan McCormack hid here - see photo
and
McCormack Maps.
(Danish) Aviation Historical Review writes:
"The plane was shot down by a German night fighter and all of the crew bailed
out. Pilot,
Squadron Leader Alan Ower McCormack and another airman
landed on Langeland, two airmen landed on/near Taasinge while two landed on Strynø
and Siø. Navigator, Pilot Officer Jack Tylor landed in the sea and drowned.
His body was
found at Nakkebølle Beach on 16 April 1944. He was buried at Faaborg 2 days
later." (FT
85-78-20)
Comment on a letter to the editor: "This is certainly about crew members of
HX294 (HD-A) from 466 BS. On the outward flight to Berlin the plane was attacked
by a German night fighter south of Faaborg. The crew had to bail out. - - -
Debris from the plane was found in the waters near Strynø, while the plane itself
is believed to
have crashed into the Langelandsbæltet east of Tranekær.
682 planes took part in the raid on Berlin and 43
were lost. The formation was observed as early as north west of Texel (see
Google Map p256 HAL HX294
-
zoom out). The first attacks by night fighters were observed west of Rømø
and Sylt. 12 planes are presumed lost from here and to Berlin. At least 5 were
lost in
Danish territory." (FT 86-64-20) The other 4
were HAL JD273 near Kliplev and LAN
JB412 near Varnæs.
After a collision: LAN JA967 near Broballe and
LAN HK537 near Mjels. (See
Google Map p256
- zoom out)
See
466 Sqn RAAF -
Wikipedia * Australian War Memorial has
Halifax crew of No. 466
Squadron RAAF.
Halifax *
Halifax-BC
Museum.Canada *
Halifax-RAF Museum *
Halifax-The Yorkshire Air Museum.
See
Halifax Print and
Halifax - Bless 'Em All.
Halifax III HX294 HD-A took off from RAF
Leconfield at 00.07 on 28 JAN 1944. (Source:
Aircrew Remembered has
this.)
7 airmen.
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