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Post Info TOPIC: Halifax MZ-536 of 431 sqn crashed in Belgium on 27 April 1944
alexander


Wing Commander

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Halifax MZ-536 of 431 sqn crashed in Belgium on 27 April 1944
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Hello,
I'm looking after a picture or information about the next Halifax:
MZ-536 of 431 Sqn (Croft) shot down by Herman Greiner of II/NJG1 on the 27 April 1944 above Belgium. I've a witness for this crash who descripted me the crash and talked about an aircraft in fire and coming down like a red fireball!
Whas this aircraft a "Marker" from the "Marker force"? The witness saw the aircraft/bodies the day after the crash!
Crewmembers were:
WO Gilson J RCAF (KIA) - Sgt Wallace R. (KIA) - F/O Forsyth T.R. RCAF (KIA) - F/O Loewen D.H. RCAF (KIA) - WO2 Pratt R.W. RCAF (KIA) - Sgt Greig G.T. RCAF (KIA) - Sgt Hansen G.Q. RCAF (KIA) - Sgt Wilson J.RCAF (KIA)
Crew was buried on 30 of April 1944 at Deurne (Antwerp) and was transfered to Schoonselhof cemetery (Antwerp) after the war!
Greetings from Belgium

Alexander

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Linda


Air Commodore

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Alexander- I expect you have already looked, but on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial there are some photos of Gilson and a class photo.

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Linda R Ibrom
alexander


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Linda,

I didn't know.....very interesting!!!
Thanks and greetings from Belgium!

Alexander

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Linda


Air Commodore

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Gordon Templeton Greig, Air Gunner
Address 7 Bowes Ave,Brantford,Ontario

Parents James Templeton & Jessie(Gebbie), both born in Quebec,
D.O.B. 3.6.1922 in Saskatchewan.
Scots Descent & single
He had only been in the RCAF for a year
Death registration no 703458

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Linda R Ibrom
matt


Air Vice Marshall

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alexander wrote:

Hello,
I'm looking after a picture or information about the next Halifax:
MZ-536 of 431 Sqn (Croft) shot down by Herman Greiner of II/NJG1 on the 27 April 1944 above Belgium. Alexander

Alexander,

You may have seen this already but here is a a site that has info on MZ522 from 431 sqn lost on the same operation.

http://home.scarlet.be/~zepperen/pg005.html



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William Heron


Group Captain

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Hi Alexander, This aircraft SE-F took of from Croft at 23.23 hours for a raid on the railway yards at Montzen. It was part of a force of 144 aircraft assigned by Bomber Command to this target.  It might interest you to lnow that 431 Squadron lost 4 aircraft on this raid as German defences were ferocious. 431 Squadron C.O. Wing Commander Newson D.F.C. who took part in the sortie reported on return that the attack was tactically unsound.

Other 431 Aircraft lost that night as follows
MZ 529 SE-E shot down by a night fighter and crashed near Blauberg
LK 842 SE-N Shot down by a night fighter and crashed near Genk (this aircraft was piloted by a U.S. pilot)
MZ 522 SE-U shot down by a night fighter and crashed at Zeppern

I am attempting to put a book together recording the sorties of this Squadron based on the O.R.B.
Would the eyewitness to the crash of MZ 536 be willing to share the memory of that fateful night for consideration of inclusion in the book?. Good luck with your research Bill Heron/Niagara/Canada



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Bill Heron
matt


Air Vice Marshall

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Bill,

Thanks for joining the forum!


Matt

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alexander


Wing Commander

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Many thanks!!!
I'll be glad to help you!

My e-mail: alex260966@yahoo.com

The MZ 536 (officially crashed in Trognée) and LK 842 (crashed 6 Km North of Genk) were shot by the same German pilot! Herman Greiner!
MZ-529 crashed in Blauwberg (Herselt).
MZ-522 crashed in Zepperen near Saint-Trond.

Greetings from Belgium

Alexander



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Anonymous

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Hallo Alexander

                         Very interesting to read your article on Halifax MZ-536. Would it possible to confirm that Hauptmann Hermann Greiner also shot down Hallifax LK 842 that evening.

My Uncle Sgt James Graham was on board as the Flight Engineer with 1LT J.H Earman as pilot. I have been researching the mission and thei is my first lead in finding out the Me 110 pilot.

                                              Sincerely Jim Leahy



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alexander


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Hallo Jim,
I'm back on-line after a long absence....
According to my database it's Herman Greiner who shot down the LK-842. I've checked in my files and books and everything points Greiner as the pilot.
The aircraft crashed 6 kilometers West or North of the city of Genk (Belgium). The crew was first buried at the Allied Cemetery of the German air base of Saint-Trond.
F/O Dudley William G  and  Sgt Perry " Bill "J.F.L. were caught by the Germans at the city of Hasselt on the 05 of August 1944. I don't know where F/O King D.M. was taken prisoner.
F/O Dudley William G  was send to POW Camp "Stalag Luft 3, POW nr 7159 (Sagan and Belaria)
Sgt Perry " Bill "J.F.L was send to POW Camp "Stalag Luft 7, POW nr 621 (Bankan near Kreulberg, Upper Silesia)"
F/O King D.M was send to POW Camp "Stalag Luft 3, POW nr 4462 (Sagan and Belaria)"
Body of 1St Lt Earman J.H. was reburied at the Ardennes War Cemetry and, as you know the other crewmembers were reburied at Heverlee War Cemetery after the war..I think around 1948.
Do you know if Dudley, Perry and King are still alive?
Regards and greetings from Belgium,
Alexander


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Anonymous

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Hallo Alexander

                             Thank you very much for your quick and informative answer to my question,  excellent. 

In reference to your question on Dudley, Perry and King, I am not sure if they are still alive but I will shortly be following up on this. If I come up with any information I will certainly let you know. 
 I do have a copy of their debriefing reports that they gave to the RAF after their return to England in 1945, if you would like a copy I will digitalize and gladly send onto you. 

I have seen on another web site an inquiry about P.O Pond asking for information on him. I will be sending information that I have and hopefully this will lead me to obtaining some crew photographs. From my research he was the crew member with the camera and took many photographs.

I will be signing up to this forum and any information of interest I will post. In the meantime, hoping we will stay in touch, best regards to you and thanks again.                    Sincerely Jim



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alexander


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Hallo Jim,
Thanks for your answer.
Yes, I'm interested in their debriefing reports.
I can send you a better picture of the grave if you want. I also have a few pictures of the cemetery of Heverlee anno 1948...let me know if you are interested.
Here's my transient mailbox: alex260966@yahoo.com
Send me your e-mailaddress at this mailbox and I'll send you the pictures and will use my homemailbox to send them to you.
Regards,
Alexander Bonnet

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Anonymous

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Hey jim my father lloyd perry was a mid upper gunner on that halifax LK-842



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Anonymous

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Sadly Sgt FL Perry died in May of 1977 of a heart attack at home in Miscouche PEI Canada he was 55 years old.He had a wife 2 daughters and 4 sons.I am his son and would like what ever you can send me about his plane LK842 and his crew.My email address is fireman2697@eastlink.ca

Thank you

Paul Perry



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alexander


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Hallo Paul,

Lloyd Perry was arrested together with his helper, Florent Biernaux (member of Secret Army), at Hasselt on the 5 of August 1944. The Germans also arrested Florents wife and son Raymond on the same day. Florent was tortured and send, like his wife and son, to Nazi concentration camps.

Florent could escape during his transport to Germany, his wife was send to Ravensbruck and liberated by the Russian troops, his son Raymond died in Neuengamme on the 3th of March 1945!

Ill write you an e-mail and explain how I could find the information.

Greetings from Belgium,

Alexander

 



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Anonymous

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Thanks really looking forward to it



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Moon


Squadron Leader

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©J.-P. Jegers, 2006

 

Hello ,

On this monument in Genk Belgium you can find the names of the crew off Lk842

Regards

Moon from Belgium



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Moon
Anonymous

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Sgt. J.J. Cooke was the rear gunner on  Halifax LK842.  Are there any details regarding his death (an unsubstantiated rumour has him safe on the ground at one point).

JJ would have been my uncle had he survived

JF Cooke



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Anonymous

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Hello Alexander,

In case you should still be interested in additional information on the MZ536 of 431 sqn:

The plane crashed on the border of Vorsen (Gingelom) and Rosoux, 5 km north of Trognée.

Before the German soldiers arrived, two crew members who survided the crashed were saved by the local resistance. They had heavy burn wounds. A doctor of Waremme took care of their wound. Later on they will try to make it back to England.

The German troups took care of the deceased crew members.

When dismanteling the airplane, one crew member was found under the debris. He is burried on the cemetery of Rosoux (grave mentioning "unknown flighter, + 27/4/1944").

 

best regards

 

Bailli Charly
Vorsen (Gingelom)
elodie.bovy@gmail.com

 



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alexander


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Hello,

Hello,

I think youre mixing 2 different crashes. The MZ536 crashed, according to the Bomber Command Loss Card at 1 km NW of Trognée and the aircraft burst into flames on impact. There were no survivors who could escape. Crew was first buried at Fort 3 Borsbeek (Deurne).  2 crew members were buried as Unknown.

The crew was reburied at Schoonselhof on the 15 th of December 1945, all identified.

Concerning the other crash at Vorsen Rosoux. I know about the grave at Rosoux cemetery. Grave still exists but is empty. Correct, he was found under the wreck by the Germans...Youll not find much info in the archives of the cemetery of Rosoux. Are you sure about the 2 evaders? According to my info its 1 evader. I cant tell more about the identification because my research is not finished.

Regards and greetings from Landen.

Alexander

 



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