Plane 256 HAL HX294 - Langelandsbælt

Airman	Surname	Init	Rank	Service	Sqdn	P_link	Plane	Operation	Crash_site	Crash_d	Buried_d	C_link	At_Next
o888331.htm	Clark	J	F/Sgt	RAAF	466	p256.htm	HAL HX294	Bomb G	Langelandsbælt	d290144	o888	o888.htm	POW
o888334.htm	Collings	R	Sgt	RAF	466	p256.htm	HAL HX294	Bomb G	Langelandsbælt	d290144	o888	o888.htm	POW
o888336.htm	McCormack	A O	S/Ldr	RAAF	466	p256.htm	HAL HX294	Bomb G	Langelandsbælt	d290144	o888	o888.htm	POW
o888333.htm	Smith	S L	F/Sgt	RAAF	466	p256.htm	HAL HX294	Bomb G	Langelandsbælt	d290144	o888	o888.htm	POW
a021001.htm	Tylor	J W	P/O	RAAF	466	p256.htm	HAL HX294	Bomb G	Langelandsbælt	d290144	b180444	c021.htm	Faaborg
o888332.htm	Walker	G	F/Sgt	RAAF	466	p256.htm	HAL HX294	Bomb G	Langelandsbælt	d290144	o888	o888.htm	POW
o888335.htm	Whitfield	R A	F/Sgt	RAAF	466	p256.htm	HAL HX294	Bomb G	Langelandsbælt	d290144	o888	o888.htm	POW

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)

"Sgt J.R.Clark was interned in Camps L6 Heydekrug / 357 Thorn-Fallingbostel, with Sgt R.Collings, F/S S.L.Smith, F/S G.Walker, and F/S R.A.Whitfield.
S/L A.O.McCormack in Camp L3 Sagan." (Lost Bombers)