Lancaster Mk III ED695 PO-J
Aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and crashed in flames on a beach 10 miles south of Den Holder, Holland.
Two fatalities, five POWs.
Birkbeck, Alburn Fred (Flight Sergeant)
Killed in Action 1943-May-26
Birth Date: 1923
Born:
Parents: Charles and Lizzie Birkbeck
Spouse:
Home: Welwyn, Saskatchewan (parents)
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
467 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAAF)
Recidite Adversarius Atque Ferociter Your opponents will retreat because of your courageous attack
Base
RAF Bottesford
Rank
Flight Sergeant
Position
M-U Gunner
Service Numbers
R/102142
Target
Dusseldorf Germany
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Crew or Other Personnel
Lancaster ED695
Mission
Lancaster Mk.I/III ED695
Bombing Dusseldorf Germany 1943-May-26 to 1943-May-26
467 (B) Sqn (RAAF) RAF Bottesford, Lincolnshire, England
467 Australia Squadron. Target - Dusseldorf, Germany. Lancaster aircraft ED 695 lost whilst engaged in operations over enemy-held territory. RCAF member Flt. Sgt. A.F. Birkbeck and RAF member Pilot Officer K.R. Langhorne were killed. Five of the non-Canadian crew were taken Prisoner of War: Sgt's. R.A. Avann, S.G. Keirs, and W.V. Morris, Pilot Officer P.R. Collins, and Flying Officer R.S. Giddey. Giddy of Gordon, Australia, was the pilot of the aircraft and following is his report of the event. "On this night we had made our way to the target corkscrewing all the way over enemy territory, dropped our bombs then set course for base. Our flight plan called for us to corkscrew out from the target and back to the Dutch coast. When Pilot Officer Collins (Nav.) told us we were over the coast I straightened out and put the nose down into a steep dive thinking we were safe and out of range. It was then the night fighter got us. There was a terrific crash and we were on fire. As we were over the North Sea it would be useless to parachute so I gave orders for ditching and the crew members took their positions. The two gunners, Langhorne and Birkbeck were the only ones not to acknowledge my order which leads me to believe that they must have been killed by the first burst from the night fighter. The smoke and flames obscured the instrument panel and owing to the red glow inside the aircraft I could not distinguish the horizon. I was finally able to see a few houses and realized we had turned back to the Dutch coast. I lifted the nose then flattened out, cut the four engines and as we lost air speed I pulled the control column right back thus stalling the plane and causing it to hit tail first. The initial hit wasn't too bad but the second, when it finally came, was horrific. All five of the crew abandoned the aircraft and took refuge in a barn. We eventually left the area, one at a time, but were captured very soon after. I was free the longest as I didn't get captured until August 8, 1943."Lancaster ED695 Mk.I/III - Bombing Dusseldorf Germany - 1943-05-26 to 1943-05-26
Squadron: 467 (B) Sqn (RAAF)
Start Date: 1943-05-26
Completion Date: 1943-05-26
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Dusseldorf Germany
Target Specific:
Base: RAF Bottesford, Lincolnshire, England
Take Off Time: 23:36
Squadron Code: PO J
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Netherlands
Crash Specifics: Boschweg, Burgerbrug, Noord-Holland
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: fighter
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim: night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Hermann Greiner of the 11./NJG 1, flying a Bf 110 G-4 from Leeuwarden airfield
War Diary Unavailable
6 Group Unavailable
467 Australia Squadron. Target - Dusseldorf, Germany. Lancaster aircraft ED 695 lost whilst engaged in operations over enemy-held territory. RCAF member Flt. Sgt. A.F. Birkbeck and RAF member Pilot Officer K.R. Langhorne were killed. Five of the non-Canadian crew were taken Prisoner of War: Sgt's. R.A. Avann, S.G. Keirs, and W.V. Morris, Pilot Officer P.R. Collins, and Flying Officer R.S. Giddey. Giddy of Gordon, Australia, was the pilot of the aircraft and following is his report of the event. "On this night we had made our way to the target corkscrewing all the way over enemy territory, dropped our bombs then set course for base. Our flight plan called for us to corkscrew out from the target and back to the Dutch coast. When Pilot Officer Collins (Nav.) told us we were over the coast I straightened out and put the nose down into a steep dive thinking we were safe and out of range. It was then the night fighter got us. There was a terrific crash and we were on fire. As we were over the North Sea it would be useless to parachute so I gave orders for ditching and the crew members took their positions. The two gunners, Langhorne and Birkbeck were the only ones not to acknowledge my order which leads me to believe that they must have been killed by the first burst from the night fighter. The smoke and flames obscured the instrument panel and owing to the red glow inside the aircraft I could not distinguish the horizon. I was finally able to see a few houses and realized we had turned back to the Dutch coast. I lifted the nose then flattened out, cut the four engines and as we lost air speed I pulled the control column right back thus stalling the plane and causing it to hit tail first. The initial hit wasn't too bad but the second, when it finally came, was horrific. All five of the crew abandoned the aircraft and took refuge in a barn. We eventually left the area, one at a time, but were captured very soon after. I was free the longest as I didn't get captured until August 8, 1943."
6 Group Unavailable
467 Australia Squadron. Target - Dusseldorf, Germany. Lancaster aircraft ED 695 lost whilst engaged in operations over enemy-held territory. RCAF member Flt. Sgt. A.F. Birkbeck and RAF member Pilot Officer K.R. Langhorne were killed. Five of the non-Canadian crew were taken Prisoner of War: Sgt's. R.A. Avann, S.G. Keirs, and W.V. Morris, Pilot Officer P.R. Collins, and Flying Officer R.S. Giddey. Giddy of Gordon, Australia, was the pilot of the aircraft and following is his report of the event. "On this night we had made our way to the target corkscrewing all the way over enemy territory, dropped our bombs then set course for base. Our flight plan called for us to corkscrew out from the target and back to the Dutch coast. When Pilot Officer Collins (Nav.) told us we were over the coast I straightened out and put the nose down into a steep dive thinking we were safe and out of range. It was then the night fighter got us. There was a terrific crash and we were on fire. As we were over the North Sea it would be useless to parachute so I gave orders for ditching and the crew members took their positions. The two gunners, Langhorne and Birkbeck were the only ones not to acknowledge my order which leads me to believe that they must have been killed by the first burst from the night fighter. The smoke and flames obscured the instrument panel and owing to the red glow inside the aircraft I could not distinguish the horizon. I was finally able to see a few houses and realized we had turned back to the Dutch coast. I lifted the nose then flattened out, cut the four engines and as we lost air speed I pulled the control column right back thus stalling the plane and causing it to hit tail first. The initial hit wasn't too bad but the second, when it finally came, was horrific. All five of the crew abandoned the aircraft and took refuge in a barn. We eventually left the area, one at a time, but were captured very soon after. I was free the longest as I didn't get captured until August 8, 1943."
