Lancaster ME726 RAF - Gamtofte, Denmark - Plane Crash Sites on Waymarking.com

Mindesten for dræbte engelske flyvere i Gamtofte på Sydvestfyn. Et Lancaster bombefly - LAN ME726 - på mineudlægningsoperation i Kiel bugt blev den 16. maj 1944 kort efter midnat skudt ned over Sydfyn. Flyets last af miner eksploderede, da det ramte jorden ved sydsiden af en lille dam i præstegårdshaven i Gamtofte. Præstegården, kirken og en del ejendomme i byen blev stærkt beskadiget, i hvert fald præstegården i en sådan grad, at en ny måtte bygges. Hele flyets besætning blev dræbt. De omkomne blev begravet den 16. maj 1944 af den tyske værnemagt.

English: Memorial stone for killed English pilots in Gamtofte on Southwest Funen.

A Lancaster bomber - LAN ME726 - on a mine-laying operation in Kiel Bay was shot down over South Funen on 16 May 1944 shortly after midnight. The plane's load of mines exploded when it hit the ground on the south side of a small pond in the rectory garden in Gamtofte. The rectory, the church and a number of properties in the city were badly damaged, at least the rectory to such an extent that a new one had to be built. The entire crew of the plane was killed. The dead were buried on May 16, 1944 by the German Armed Forces.

The aircraft belonged to RAF 576 Sqn. Bomber Command and was coded UL-X2. T/o 22:08 Elsham Wolds. OP: Gardening Kiel Bay

The Lancaster was attacked by a German night fighter over Assens and crashed in the village of Gamtofte on the island of Fyn at 00:50 hours. The night fighter belonged to 10./NJG 3 and was piloted by Feldwebel Günter Holtfreter. The Lancaster fell in the garden of the vicarage and one of the mines onboard exploded.

Apparently the aircraft had separated in the air since the empennage and engines and part of a wing was found up to 3 kilometres from the crash site. The whole crew died.

The Wehrmacht collected the human remains and buried them in Assens cemetery on 16/5 1944 at 23:00 hours without ecclesiastical assistance.

The crew were Pilot F/Lt Ernest James Presland DFC, Pilot P/O Albert Edward Slade, Flt. Engr. Sgt Alan Wilfred Knapp, Navigator F/O Mark Leslie Abramson RCAF, Air Bomber F/O Charles Ashcroft, W/Op Sgt Benjamin Johnson Hudson, Air Gnr. Sgt Robert E. Leatham and Air Gnr. Sgt Arthur G. Wright DFM.

Web Address for Related Web Sites: [Web Link] Date of Crash: 05/16/1944 Aircraft Model: Avro Lancaster Military or Civilian: Military Tail Number: LAN ME726 Cause of Crash: Shot down by german fighter

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