James E Linehan, MIA 1942 Wellington X3757

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/album.php?albumid=264&pictureid=2272

 

I used to go to West Stow quite a lot a few years ago and drove past Lakenheath and had no idea that it was Feltwell. Weird how life turns out some times.

Nope Lakenheath isnt Feltwell. USAAF Feltwell is tucked away from main roads you would have to make a special trip to get there. There is a nice memorial to 75 (NZ) Sqn who also flew from Feltwell.
I am so glad you have heard from the 57 Sqn Assn. I should imagine that they were just as pleased to have heard from you. If they are anything like 75 & 156 Sqn everyone will be so welcoming that you will wonder why you never did it before. East Kirkby will be great as they have a beautiful Lanc there that one day will fly if they have anything to do about it.
I put a thread on one of the other sites ref a lovely German gentleman who is always researching down RAF a/c sites. You might have to plow through the threads to find it but he might be worth a punt aswell.
Am down at my sisters now and will be going to Runnymede tomorrow if you are there. I will be the one with the list as long as my arm of people who I am taking pics of names for.
Good luck and welcome to a new obsession.....
Dee

 

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/album.php?albumid=264&pictureid=2255

Hi Nicola

Not sure if this is a problem at my end but when I click on the link to the photo in your albim on the forum, it comes out as about an inch across, but I would guess that after 70 years the trees would have overgrown the crash site.

There was a threas about a month or so ago about a German lad who found bits on a Lancaster in a forest. That site was completely overgrown. I guess the only way to find out would be to email the mayor of the local town, unless someone on the forum has an idea of the crash area that would say whether it was near the woods in your googlemap photo.

 

I have re uploaded a larger image on the link above

 

Here's some of the pics I took yesterday. I found all the names. It was very poignant actually to see just how many names there are and see the personal tributes that people have left as well.

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/album.php?albumid=267

 

Nicloa, thanks for your e-mail. Why do you think the Wellington crashed near this location in Germany? One way would be to research German shoot-down records for that night. Danny

 

How would I find the shoot-down records? I didn't know they existed.

Just a feeling really, but obviously could be way off track.

 

Nicola, I just checked and was quite dissapointed. It looks that no night fighters claimed shoot downs that night. So that only leaves the possibility that all five planes shot down that night were shot down by anti-aircraft guns, or the night-fighter scores are not accurate. Danny

 

Thanks for checking Danny. I've sent off to RAF Cranwell for hi personnel and flight records. I'll see if I can pick up anything from that, if any of his colleagues saw anything.

 

Here is the location Nicola sent of where the strange gap in the tree is and a description.
Personaly I would have thought the trees would have overgrown the area by now and that a debris field would be longer, but I may be wrong.

Quote Nicola_G
Its the F22 (or E33 can't see it properly) between Bremen and Hamburg, just near Kallmoor there is a large wooded area on the left hand side of the road. If you blow it up you can see what is on the attached photo. I've done a section with a red bit showing what I'm looking at as well.

 

In almost 70 years, it's unlikely that vegetation and trees would not have grown back. You are more likely to find "parch" marks etc in crop or grass fields, such as around Arnhem where you can still see burnt earth marks where Dakotas etc crashed.
Don't forget that immediately after the war, much research was done on locating wrecks and their crews, plus there was a lot more air activity and photography that would have revealed "fresh" sites.
I've fallen in to this trap too, seeing clearings in woods but they are generally either lightning strikes or woodland clearances.
Just don't give up. If it was easy, would you be so determined, if the answers fell into your lap, wouldn't that be an anticlimax?

 

Luftwaffe Night-Fighter claims for the night of 8-9 April 1942

I./NJG3 - Fw. Goerke - Manchester - 0049 hrs.

5./NJG2 - Ofw. Paul Gildner - Wellington - 20km north west of Vlieland 0207 hrs.


'Luftwaffe Night Fighter Combat Claims 1939-1945' - Foreman/Matthews/Parry.


vlieland netherlands - Google Maps

 

Yeah, sorry...I don't have access to German records like others do. I based my info on Mr. Tony Wood's web-site. Danny

 

Nicola, I just contacted the Neumuenster City Archive (being the next biggest town to Latendorf) and they have nothing listed on a plane crash in Latendorf or surrounding area for that time period. The archivist will mail me a list of contacts in Latenberg, who research the local history. Once I hear back from him (sometime next week) I will let you know. Danny

 

Thanks for doing that Danny that's great. Thanks for all the other help too. Well Kevin I was a bit stunned when I saw it & said to myself 'surely it can't be that easy' . It looks like its not lol.

Sorry I haven't replied earlier. Had the last night of my photography course yesterday (we all got Distinctions ) and we went down the pub to celebrate.

 

Congratulations on your course! Perhaps you should hire a plane and do some aerial photography - who knows what you might find!!

I was trying not to be too "negative" but putting the situation into a "frame" you could understand, with talk of "crops" etc. However, I detect a "film" over your eyes so I will "reel" in my enthusiasm as I don't want to over "expose" you. I hope you can come up with a "snappy" response!!

There will be setbacks, but that's to test your resolve. If we all gave up at the first problem, what kind of person would you become?

 

Thanks Kevin! I have a great 'resolution' to find the plane, despite the 'shallow depth of field'. My 'focus' is sharp and I 'stand fast" (tripod) that I will do my best (Girl Guide Promise) to solve this mystery, if not for the crewmen, but for my Grandmother who spent years hoping he would come home (can't think of anything for this last bit).

 

I got mail back from the archive, but they record no crashes in their area. They did give me the name and number for two other historians in the local area. Will try them tonight. Danny

 

Thanks Kevin! I have a great 'resolution' to find the plane, despite the 'shallow depth of field'. My 'focus' is sharp and I 'stand fast" (tripod) that I will do my best (Girl Guide Promise) to solve this mystery, if not for the crewmen, but for my Grandmother who spent years hoping he would come home (can't think of anything for this last bit).

How about "wouldnt f-stop hoping" he would return. Don't give up hope because sometimes it take a while for leads to come to fruition.... Good luck with your search and keep us up to date with how you are getting on.
Dee

 

Nice one Dee .

Off to the 57th Squadron at East Kirkby reunion this weekend and will be sat at the same table as their historian so hopefully I might find out some more info.

Nicola