Five unknown airmen, 26.11.1943.

[RSwank]

Alex, the five surviving crewmen of DV247 were sent to several different Camps. Thomas to Stalag 357, Robshaw and Edwards to Stalag/(Oflag) LVI, Bell to Stalag/(Oflag) LIII, and Davies to Stalag IV-B. I think they all survived, but even if they did not survive, they would not have been buried back in Oberlangen.

Regarding Theo's post, Quakenbrück is not that far away (maybe 30 miles or so) and if the night fighter attack occurred to the west of Quakenbrück it would put the attack even closer to the Oberlangen area. Given the times and the distances involved, it would seem that Rudolf Frank could well have shot down the Lancaster we are trying to identify.

Col Bruggy,

It appears that Fold3 does not start showing KE numbers for British planes until early in 1944. For example, a Halifax that crashed March 14, 1944 has number KE 7863.
I think the six digit numbers may be microfilm roll numbers or frame numbers. As you noted regarding page 12 on the link you gave, it appears the Germans did know "all" the DV339 crew names and their serial numbers when they buried "all" of them somewhere, (maybe at Oberlangen).

Since the DV399 crew consisted of seven men and apparently only five bodies were later moved from Oberlangen (none being identified), I wonder if something happened at Oberlangen which destroyed/damaged the graves and/or the detailed records of the burials. It seems there is still a "gap". We can't say for certain that the bodies at Oberlangen were from DV339.


The file the Col referenced for Martin seems to be the Australian version of the USAAF IDPF file.

Here is the same file for McAlpine:
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/Sear...073003&T=P&S=1

And Harris:
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/Sear...069737&T=P&S=1