My uncle "Rheal Robineau" was shot down over Germany in February 1944. After the war the RCAF did some research in the crash area and prepared an investigative report, which is excerpted below. I have more information on this specific crash onmy blog at Robineau Family Genealogy | robineau.ca I am looking for anyone with more information, perhaps relatives ofthe crew members who survived. Ironically, i just got in touch with the sone of RA Richards a few weeks ago and found out that RA Richards died in 2010 and lived within 20 minutes of my house. The other crew members listed as "safe" all spent the rest of the war in Stalag III. I also have to think that the Germans investigated the crash, wrote reports and perhaps even took pictures. Where would those reports and pictures be today? Thank You Investigation Report prepared by the RCAF in 1947 Date: 20th January, 1947……Investigation Officer: F/Lt. McKitrik……..Section: 17 A.M. File Reference: P.414208/44/RCAF Eng. A.M/ Cas. Enquiry No: G.1176 Unit Reference:………. Section Reference: 17MRES/G.1176 Aircraft Type and Number: Halifax LW. 597 Date and time: 0200hrs. 26.2.1944 Position of Crash: 1 1/2 km S.W. of Frankenhofen Map Reference: Sheet N.48/X377.713 Crew………………………………………………………….Particulars of Burial Sgt. Robineau, G.E. A/G (Can) Mass grave. Joint cross. No inscription Sgt. Thompson, W. A/G (Eng) Mass grave. Joint cross. No inscription 1st Lt. Lubold A.L. Pilot (Amer.) Safe F/O Richards, R.A. A/B (Can) Safe Sgt. Cannon, J. WOP/AG (Eng) Safe F/O Torton, A.G. Nav. (Can) Safe Sgt. Bean, L. F/E (Eng) Safe Cemetery and Map Reference: Cemetery at Frankenhofen. “X” 385.720. Articles Found: Nil Results of Investigation and Finding: Exhaustive investigations in the Ersingen-Risstissen areas revealing no trace of any aircraft. I proceeded to the Rathaus Ehingen (“X” 47.67) and i examined the relevant files for the whole of Ehingen landkreis. The only incident recorded there which refers to British aircraft was a report from the Buergermeister at Frankenhofen (“X” 38.72) concerning a supposedly American 4 motored bomber which crashed near there on the night 25/26:2:1944. Heir Reisch, clerk to the Landrat, who is at this moment engaged in compiling a record of Allied Personnel buried in this area for the French Authorities, assured me that this was the only aircraft to crash at that time in the whole Ehingen area. The following is a report i took from from Hernn Eierstueck, Buergermeister of Frankenhofen: “ About 02:00 hours on the night of 25/26.2.1944 I was standing outside my home watching the air attack against Augsburg, when suddenly i noticed an aircraft approaching me in flames, flying from the direction of the target. When over our village it commenced to make large descending spirals and in all it circled Frankenhofen three times before it finally plunged into the woods about one and a half kilometers S.W. of the village. Search parties immediately went out to look for any fliers who might have parachuted in our parish and also to visit the scene of the crash
Hello Ray ROBINEAU, GILBERT EUCLIDE RHEAL Rank: Pilot Officer Trade: Air Gnr. Service No: J/91090 Date of Death: 26/02/1944 Age: 23 Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force 432 Sqdn. Grave Reference 1. D. 28. Cemetery DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Leonel and Leda Robineau, of Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, Canada. CWGC - Casualty Details hopefully a forum member will be able to add more regards Clive
Hi Ray, I see you made it over here from bombercrew.com forum. Good stuff. Have you approached the Air Historical Branch and asked them what they hold? If you have been through your uncle's service file you may have seen a German totenkarte, usually pink or beige, with a "KE" and 4 or 5 digits after that. There's an example of one here: 434 Squadron - Documents - 'KE Report' German document We captured a lot of this stuff intact at war's end. From time to time the AHB release things to family members which could only have come from these KE Reports. That may be the way forward here. Regards, Dave
Thanks for that information. I will follow-up. Yes, i just discovered this site a few weeks ago. I was actually contacted by a German fellow who takes pictures of crash sites and he sent me some pictures. He also sent me pictures of small pieces of machinery which he states is from the plane. It is not recognizable and i appreciate his picture, but it could also be old tractor parts. Roger Robineau
Hi Ray, are you still intrested about informations of the crash of Halifax Lw 597 ? I am live 20 Miles away from the crashplace, i read some Books about crashes near Stuttgart and find the LW 597 crash in Frankenhofen in the Book of Otmar Gottererbarm. (Maybe the man who contacted you.) "Die Abgestürtzten, der Luftkrieg 25. und 26. Februar über Augsburg und der Schwäbischen Alb" He investigate this 3 Crashes in the night of 25. to 26. february. 1. Halifax LW 597 in Frankenhofen 2. Halifax LW 420 in Großengstingen 3. Lancaster DS 791 in Seeburg For LW 597 he find a lot of informations and wrote 65 pages. He investigate in britisch and german records. I attach a picture of the front of the book, this shows the crashed LW 597. Regards, Thomas