Halifax NR173 B.Mk.III - Minelaying Flensburg Germany - 1945-01-12 to 1945-01-13
Squadron: 429 (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1945-01-12
Completion Date: 1945-01-13
Mission: Minelaying
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Flensburg Germany
Target Specific: Gardening
Base: RAF Leeming
Take Off Time: 17:18
Squadron Code: AL-D
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Denmark
Crash Specifics: near Als Island
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: fighter
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim: Hauptman Eduard Schroder of 3/NJG 3
War Diary Unavailable

6 Bomber Group January 12/13, 1945

12 Halifaxes from 424, 427, 429, and 433 squadrons were ordered on amining operation to Flensburg Harbour. The crews were over the garden at15,000 feet, sowing 44@1500 lb. mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)

429 Bison Squadron (Fortunae Nihil) RAF Leeming. Halifax BIII aircraft NR 173 AL-D was attacked by a night fighter piloted by Hauptman Eduard Schroder of 3/NJG 3 during a GARDENING (mining) operation to Flensburg, Germany on the German/Danish border. The Halifax was badly damaged by the night fighter attack and abandoned by the entire crew before crashing into the sea near Als Island, Denmark

Flight Lieutenant AR Milner (RCAF), Flying Officer RH Barnes (RCAF), Flying Officer HK Frair (RCAF), Pilot Officer HL Johnson (RCAF), Pilot Officer JG Small (RCAF), Pilot Officer OH Sulek (RCAF) and Sergeant K Turner (RAF) survived and all were taken as Prisoners of War. They were sent to Dulag Luft Oberursel near Frankfurt, Germany for interrogation and then to Stalag 13D before finally to Stalag 7A from where they were liberated by advancing American troops 1945-04-29 and returned to England by 1945-05-10

unvetted Source [Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...

unvetted Source Halifax III NR 173 crashed in the sea east of the island of Als 12/1 1945

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