Mervyn H. Bertie   Tarm 2011   Tarm 2015    Tarm 2020  Updated: 22 JUN 2023                  Photo of M H Bertie, RAAF, from Karen Raunkjaer

Airman: v999020.htm Surname: Bertie Init: M H Rank: P/O Service: RAAF Sqdn: 103

P_link: p409.htm Plane: LAN ME449 Operation: Minelaying Crash_site: Østergårde at Tarm

Crash_d: d120345 Buried_d: v999 C_link: v999.htm At_Next: EVD

"Efter at have udlagt miner i Kattegat natten til den 13. marts 1945 var en Lancaster på vej hjem til England. Over Vestjylland blev flyet imidlertid meget pludseligt angrebet af en tysk natjager og skudt i brand.
Det lykkedes 5 af de 7 besætningsmedlemmer at springe ud med faldskærm, mens de 2 skytter, D. Morris og H.J. Porter, endnu sad i flyet, da det brændende styrtede ned på gdr. Svend Jensens mark i Østergårde." (FAF)  Styrtet var her. Det er omkring 300 m nordvest for Skærbækvej 2, 6880 Tarm. 
(Kilde: Knud Raunkjær, 26. juni 1923 - 26. august 2014.)

Se historien om Englændergravene. Se den danske mindesten mellem de to headstones og RAF gravene i Tarm fra Arne Mosgaard.

Pilot Officer (Air Bomber) Mervyn H. Bertie og Flying Officer (Navigator) H.A.S. Mitchell kom til Sverige den 3. april 1945. Se deres historie i "Welcome to Denmark" fortalt af Gert Laursen i Dansk Militærhistorie.
De blev hjulpet på vej af Engberg og Toldstrup.

Se Beretning fra Knud Raunkjær om flystyrtet og mere fra hans datter Karen Raunkjær 2020.
Se også Lynegruppen og Benneth, 8 år 1940.
Knud Raunkjær i Modstandsdatabasen. Raunkjærgaard er her, Knudevej 3, 6880 Tarm.
Fra LAN ME449 blev 2 flyvere begravet ved Tarm og 5 flygtede til Sverige. Se mere ved hver af de 5 flyvere. Se Lancaster fotos.
Lancaster ME449 Shot down in Denmark med Mitchell & Bertie's Evasion Story * 12 March Crew + meget mere af Gail R. Michener, datter af Stoney Mitchell.
7 flyvere.

"After a mine laying operation in the Kattegat on the night before 13 March, 1945 a Lancaster was on its way back to England. However, over West Jutland the plane was suddenly attacked by a German night fighter and caught fire.
5 of the 7 members of the crew managed to bail out, while the 2 gunners D. Morris and H.J. Porter were still sitting in the plane, when it  crashed, burning, into farmer Svend Jensen´s field in Østergårde." (FAF) The crash was here, overview here. (Source: Knud Raunkjær). It is about 300 m north west of Skærbækvej 2, 6880 Tarm.

See the story about the British War Graves. See the Danish memorial stone between the two headstones
and The RAF Memorial at Tarm from Arne Mosgaard received on 22 JAN 2012.

Pilot Officer (Air Bomber) Mervyn H. Bertie and Flying Officer (Navigator) H.A.S. Mitchell came to Sweden on  3 April 1945. AOD has details.

See Eye witness account from Knud Raunkjær. Raunkjærgaard is here, Knudevej 3, 6880 Tarm.
From LAN ME449  2 airmen were buried at Tarm and 5 evaded to Sweden. See more at each of the 5 airmen. The story of Foster´s way to Sweden is typical.
See No. 103 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia.  LAN ME449 took off from RAF Elsham Wolds at 1743 hrs on 12 SEP 1943. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.)
Lancaster ME449 Shot down in Denmark with Mitchell & Bertie's Evasion Story*12 March Crew + much more by Gail R. Michener, daughter of Stoney Mitchell. 
7 airmen.