Op Plunder Air Defence and Luftwaffe ground attack missions.

Hi Alex,

I've seen various references to daytime air battles and the likes of Typhoons attacking targets within view of Allied positions during Plunder, but haven't noted them... Some of these refer to Typhoons and enemy aircraft crashing.

 

Hi Rod,
Most of the typhoon attacks were on Ringenburg, just the other side of the River Issel East of Hamminkeln. That’s where the German armour could form up (out of sight of the chaps on the ground).
One of the men from 7 Para, Ron Perry, landed off his DZ and as he was making his way back a typhoon crashed nearby, I would like to figure out where that was to try and help locate (reasonably) his landing spot.

Alex.

 

FO Egley (RNZAF) of 137 Sq RAF was shot down with his Typhoon and killed on March 24th. He was buried near Dingden, 3 km north of Ringenberg.

 

FO William Anderson of 439 Sp RCAF was also shot down in a Typhoon on March 24th and buried in Dingden.

 

Hi Alex,

F/O Anderson RCAF was buried beside the crash site of his Typhoon (an MRES Post-Presumption Memorandum states "...buried near the wreckage of the aircraft") . From the Graves Concentration Form, the MRES found him in a field grave at map ref rA226535 [i.e. 51 46 29 N, 06 36 57 E], so this should be roughly where his aircraft crashed.

Having said that, I'm suspicious of the map ref given - rA226535. The Graves Concentration Form for F/O Egley RNZAF gives a map ref of rA225535 - both these map refs seem to simply pin-point the town of Dingden, since the two refs are only 100 metres apart...

Hav

 

Hello Rod_M
I looked at many concentration forms that refer to the area where I grew up. They are usually not so far off the mark. It is worth noting the GRS used a 1:100.000 map in Egley's case. And that another airman, killed in February 45, was also buried there.

In Anderson's case they used a 1:250.000 map...

 

Hi alberk,

the six-figure map refs should work out the same, no matter what scale map is used. Usually, on larger scale maps, the map ref is given as a two- or four-figure number (i.e. less accurate). Off the top of my head, a six-figure map ref should be accurate to within 100 square metres, provided (obviously) that a location has been plotted on a map with the necessary degree of accuracy.

Alex,

daytime ops isn't my area of expertise, so I'll have to take the rare step of consulting published as well as documentary sources : )

Since your man Ron Perry would have landed after 10 am, here is a list of Typhoon loss candidates on 24 March 1945 between 10 am and Midday, from '2nd Tactical Air Force. Volume 3', by Christopher Shores & Chris Thomas:

10:15 am
Typhoon NP120
247 Squadron
F/O Monk
hit by flak, force-landed 6 miles NW of Wesel

est 10:25 am
Typhoon RB376
137 Squadron
F/O Egley RNZAF (+)
hit by flak, baled out S of Brunnen

10:50 am
Typhoon MN359
184 Squadron
Lt Quick
hit by flak, force-landed 3 miles SE of Haldern

11:15 am
Typhoon MN936
439 Squadron RCAF
F/O Anderson RCAF (+)
hit by flak, last seen Dingden

est 11:45 am
Typhoon SW465
266 Squadron
F/L Miller
engine failure, force-landed NE of Udem

Regarding F/O Richard Egley RNZAF, the book 'For Your Tomorrow. Volume Two', by Errol Martyn (detailing the deaths of New Zealand Airmen, with information taken from RNZAF personnel files):

"Typhoon IB RB376 - took off at 1002, the pilot later baling out near Dingden, 6 km NW of Brünen and 6 km south of Bocholt, after being hit by flak. His parachute opened and to his comrades overhead he appeared to have landed safely. However, he was later found dead near the scene of the crash (at map ref K52/A25) and buried on the 27th at Dingden, but later reinterred at Reichswald Forest, 5 km SW of Kleve".

The 137 Squadron Operations Record Book (TNA AIR 27/954) states:

"24.3.45

PB 376 F/O R.A. Egley
HK 128 W/O D.E. Helmore
MN 575 F/L J.M. Key
JR 305 W/O R. Knight-Clarke
10.02 -10.47

4 R.P. Typhoons led by F/O. Egley carried out an anti-flak patrol. 4 guns at A.2945 attacked. N.R.O. 2 MET damaged at A.2432. 6 closed trucks sprayed with cannon, A.2452. Light flak position attacked, A.2645. F/O Egley seen to bale out and land safely after flak hit".

The crash location at "A.25' is too general to be of any use.

However, the locations where attacks were made (as recorded in the ORB) are roughly as follows:

rA2945 = 51 41 57 N, 06 42 37 E
rA2432 = 51 34 54 N, 06 38 26 E [sic, see below]
rA2452 = 51 45 41 N, 06 38 11 E
rA2645 = 51 41 56 N, 06 40 00 E

It's worth pointing out 'A.2432' is likely a clerical error on the ORB Form 541. The Form 540 states "Two MET were damaged at A.2452 and six closed trucks sprayed with cannon fire at the same point".

Cheers

Rod

 

Hi.
The forced landing references are of interest as
Mr Perry stated that he thought the aircraft was going to land normally, but crash landed. I’ll have to check his comments for more info.
I’m almost 99% sure he landed North of his intended DZ, so that would take him in the direction of Dingden and Bocholt.
Thanks again for the info!

 

The one that force landed at 10:50 is about right for the timings ( 7 Para jumped at 10:18 hrs) S.E of Haldern brings you to the DZ area, strong candidate that one!

 

According to the 184 Squadron ORB:

"Lt. Quick was hit by light flak, streamed glycol and force landed near Glider area, A.1551".

The ORB further records:

Date: 24.3.45
Aircraft Type & Number: Typhoon 1B. MN. 425
Crew: Lt. D. E. Quick, SAAF
Duty: F.C.P. Patrol
Time Up: 10.10
Time Down: 10.50

rA1551 equates roughly to 51 45 04 N, 06 30 23 E...

 

Hi Alex,

to create a little extra confusion I would like to add that a researcher in Haldern is looking for the crash site of a Typhoon in the Schledenhorst area (situated to the north of DZ B and south of Haldern). According to him it was Typhoon MN151 5V-R piloted by Flt Lt Bernhard Percy "Babe" SWINGLER.

The above mentioned grid reference 1551 is actually in the Schledenhorst area...

 

... just looked up Swingler... he died on Feb. 22nd, 1945... so nothing to do with your case. Sorry!

 

Re: F/O Monk who force-landed at 10.15 hrs.

The 247 Squadron ORB records the time of forced-landing as 10.15 but doesn't give a location.

He was part of an eight-aircraft flight tasked with attacking a built-up area between rA221498 and rA223500. He was hit by flak over the target. He managed to return to his Squadron at 18.00 hrs the same day.

In avoiding telephone wires, F/O Monk force-landed near a railway embankment. A machine gun opened up as he exited his Typhoon, and to cut a long story short, Monk ran to a slit trench, managed to take 30 Germans prisoner (28 of them came up and surrendered to him after he confronted the first two in the slit trench), and later handed them over to British soldiers that arrived from over the embankment. He then hitchhiked back across the Rhine etc.

The target area was immediately NE of Hamminkeln. Assuming the railway lines in the area still exist today, F/O Monk possibly force-landed near the line running from Wesel-Feldmark-Hamminkeln-Dingden or near the line running Wesel-Feldmark-Haldern.

 

If he went down at 10:15 in that area (the railway lines are still in the same place) he would’ve seen Glider troops as they had the task of seizing Hamminkeln village and the 3 bridges over the river Issel. Pretty lucky to make it back from there!

Alex

 

Yeah that grid square is North of DZ A and west of DZ B. Our man Perry landed North of DZ B.

 

To add some info from a 2nd TAF document, summarising daily operations flown as given in the OPSUMs received from Groups and Wings:

10:15 am
Typhoon NP120
247 Squadron
F/O Monk
hit by flak, force-landed 6 miles NW of Wesel
"F/O. Monk N.Y.R. (Flak - believed landed A.1550)".

est 10:25 am
Typhoon RB376
137 Squadron
F/O Egley RNZAF (+)
hit by flak, baled out S of Brunnen
"P/O Edgley (AUS) N.Y.R. - flak (baled out and landed safely A.2648)".

10:50 am
Typhoon MN359
184 Squadron
Lt Quick
hit by flak, force-landed 3 miles SE of Haldern
"Lt. Quick (S.A.) N.Y.R. - flak, force-landed A.1551".

11:15 am
Typhoon MN936
439 Squadron RCAF
F/O Anderson RCAF (+)
hit by flak, last seen Dingden
"No target given so bombed wood A.2453. N.R.O. F/O. Anderson N.Y.R. - flak - last seen in dive inverted 800 feet still going down".

est 11:45 am
Typhoon SW465
266 Squadron
F/L Miller
engine failure, force-landed NE of Udem
"1 Typhoon Cat. E pilot safe".




So...the map ref given for F/O Monk's forced-landing (rA1550) puts the location as roughly 51 44 32 N, 06 30 23 E, or close to the Wesel-Feldmark-Haldern rail line, immediately north of Mehrhoog.

Meanwhile, Lt. Quick apparently force-landed in the same general area some 35 minutes later. The map ref for Lt. Quick's forced-landing (rA1551) puts the location as roughly 51 45 04 N, 06 30 23 E, almost the same location as Monk.


Cheers

Rod

 

Thanks Rod.
I found a picture of Mr Quick (centre)

 

These is some questions for alberk, since you apparently research incidents in the Bislich and Bergerfurth region:

1. Have you ever come across any information on German Ju88 or Bf110 aircraft crashes on the eastern side of the Rhine between, say, Wesel-Haldern-Dingen? I have rather oblique information from British WO 171 archives suggesting the possibly of several during the hours of darkness between 24-27 March 1945.

2, There are only two Ju88 crashes I have evidence on for sure. One force-landed in the Feldmark, 2.8 km NNW of Wesel just before midnight on 24 March 1945. The other crashed in/near Friedrichsfeld, roughly 4 km SSE of Wesel at 02.16-02.30 hrs on 27 March 1945. I know the names of the two crews but cannot establish the full burial details or first place of burial of either crew. One crew had three KIA and one PoW...only one of the three KIA is listed as now buried at Wesel-Diersfordt (the other two should be there as well). Do you know of anyone who could check the memorial register inside Wesel-Diersfordt for names not yet on the VDK database?

Of possible German aircraft crashes in the Wesel-Haldern-Dingen area:

24/03/45, circa 23:10h, Ju88 in flames, last seen roughly S of Bergerfurth.
24/03/45, circa 23:29h - unidentified enemy aircraft possibly crashed in the Haldern-Mehrhoog area.
25/03/45, circa 02:55h - a Ju88 confirmed shot down by a US AAA Battery located in Wesel.
25/03/45, circa 03:10h - Ju88 possibly crashed within a 10 km radius of Mehr/Mehrhoog.
26/03/45, circa 19:42h - unidentified enemy aircraft observed to crash within a roughly 5 km radius of Draghunt Bridge.
26/03/45, circa 22:45h - unidentified enemy aircraft exploded in mid-air and crashed within a roughly 5 km radius of Draghunt Bridge.

Any suggestions/help most welcome.

Thanks

Rod