RAF Fortress HB763

[DB601E]

Hi,

is there any information about the crashplace of RAF Squadron 214 Fortress HB763 the 26th August 1944?

Thanks a lot for any possible info about this AC.

Regards from bavaria

Lino

[Henk Welting]

Have on file that this Fortress was shot down by a night fighter and crashed approx. 01.32 hrs at Ober-Ramstadt, SE of Darmstadt.
Regards,
Henk.

[Khorat]

yap exactly 800m northeast of the catholic church.

khorat

[DB601E]

Hi Henk and Khorat,

thanks a lot for info about the AC.
So i can eliminate this one from my list as
possible candidate crashed in bavaria.

There is a vague, but credible rumour from several witnesses
about a B-17 crashed summer (July, August) 1944 at noon NW munich with an english crew. (Maybe RAF, south african, new zealand crew?)
I know, the given information contains not a lot of helpfull details,
so the search for the AC is getting difficult.


Any ideas for other candidates?


Thanks a lot for your help

Lino

[Heuser]

Lino,

usually, all dead crew members (if there were any) of a downed Commonwealth-a/c in Bavaria were buried in Dürnbach, except a few cases.
I have no idea why the crew of HB763 is buried in Belgium if this a/c really crashed near Ramstadt...

What do you know about the exact crash location of "your" a/c?

Heuser

[DB601E]

Hi Heuser,

yes you are right, the RAF losses and related crew members in bavaria are mostly buried in Dürnbach. But this cemerey started beeing used as far as i know around early 1946. So some dead soldiers have been buried inbetween on other grave sites. I have the case of a RAF crew member, who was buried 1943 in a local cemetery south of munich, than transfered by US soldiers after war in summer 1945 to Reuti, a cemetery near Ulm, finally transfered 1948 to Durnbach!

The crashside of this "unknown" B-17 was about 4 Miles west of Dachau, near a village called Bergkirchen. (So Approx. 20 Miles NW of Munich center).

Best greetings from bavaria

Lino

[Laurent Rizzotti]

In summer 1944, no RAF bomber was operating in daylight over Germany. It is far more probable that an USAAF B-17 was shot down and either had English aboard (war correspondant, laision officer, etc ???) or that US crew members were tought to be English (because of found English newspapers, cigarettes and son on).

For an unknown reason, many of the RAF pilots shot down over France were thought to be Canadian by witnesses. Far more than the real number of Canadian. Some "Canadians" were in fact USAAF pilots flying USAAF fighters.

[DB601E]

Hi Laurent,
yes, we have been thinking it is very likely a USAF B-17 loss, but we didn't have found a possible loss matching the period and the crash location.
So there was the idea, looking for the rare RAF B-17 losses. Specially as a witness told to have seen "english" crew members. There is, of course, the possibility the witnessreport is not correct.

But according to my knowledge, RAF started in summer 44 again with daylight bombing attacks on targets in germany. (the first 27. August 1944).

So for me it seems likely, some RAF personal was participating together with USAF units in some daylight missions before, to exchange experiences with daylight bombing missions. So maybe, as mentioned by Laurent, only a laision officer or also a technical team (detection, jamming, radar ). In this case, they may have been particpating as crew of a USAF AC. But until now, we couldn't find a matching USAF B-17 loss. For the case, a "true" RAF B-17 was involved, i have no idea, wich RAF unit may have been charged with missions like this? The Squadron 214 seemed for me a suitable possibility. Any other ideas or knowlegde, if and how such possible mission cooperation could have been organized and wich RAF units may have been involved?

Of course i'm not fixed in the RAF hypothesis. So I would be also glad, having a matching USAF B-17 loss. But an adequate MACR or other information seems not to exist. At least, i din't found it yet. (Like some other "locals").

Any ideas very welcome

Greetings

Lino

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
How about other 214 Squadron Fort's ?
such as
HB767, missing 13th Sept 44 (Frankfurt), or
SR382, missing 22nd June 44 while on bomber support.
Several others were lost in 45 so is the date correct ?

Alex

[DB601E]

Hi Alex,
thanks a lot for aditional RAF Fort's losses:
>>HB767, missing 13th Sept 44 (Frankfurt), or
>>SR382, missing 22nd June 44 while on bomber support.
Do you have further details, like crashsite or type of mission for
the two mentioned B-17?

All details and witnesses point to summer 1944.

Best regards

Lino