Aircraft accidents in Yorkshire.

Dornier Do217 near Coneysthorpe, Malton.

This Dornier was taking part in the infamous Baedecker raid on York on the night of the 28th/29th of April 1942 when it was attacked by an Allied fighter, the Dornier was badly damaged and its pilot was left with little option to but try and crash land the burning aircraft. All but the pilot had been injured by the attacking aircraft. A rough landing was made near Coneysthorpe but the aircraft remained on fire and all four airmen initially survived the crash dispite their injuries. One badly burned airman would sadly die some hours later of his serious injuries.

The exact chain of events are not fully known nor ever probably will be. The aircraft was shot down but the confusion is who actually shot it down. It was initially believed to have been shot down by F/O Furse (and P/O Downes in Beaufighter R2389) from Catterick.

Two ORB reports give some information; 60 MU stated that on this date "Air raid on York. Enemy aircraft shot down at Crockey Hill and Coneysthorpe." Catterick ORB states "P/O Lawrence and Sgt. Wilmer in Beaufighter, shot down Ju88 70 miles east of Whitby. F/O Furse damaged a Do217 off Bridlington. Sgt. Libby (Norway) attacked Ju 88 off Whitby." But none of these report relate to either this loss at Coneysthorpe or the Ju88 that crashed at Crockey Hill.

253 Squadron pilot P/O Yves Mahe claimed to have shot down a He111 but he appears to have been mistaken. It is possible that Mahe shot down both the Crockey Hill Ju88 (for which he is credited) and also this Dornier. He claimed the last time he saw the second aircraft it was twenty mile east of York. This direction is wrong but the distance is about right.

Furse and Downes may not actualy be the correct claimants for this enemy aircraft, Furse had not left Scorton at the time the German aircraft crashed and only attacked once, The German pilot stated that he was attacked twice.

Pilot - Lt Karl-Heinz Mulhen - survived to become POW.

Observer - Uffz Otto Hacker, shot in the buttock - survived to become POW.

Wireless Op - Uffz Fritz Kalber, aged 22 - survived the crash but died soon after of severe burns. Buried Cannock Chase Cemetery, Staffordshire.

Gunner - Fw Oskar Fussnecker, severely injured forearm - survived to become POW.

The red blob shows the rough area where the aircraft crash landed. The land at the time was rough ground, it was ploughed up after the war and is now cultivated farmland.

The pilot of this aircraft was featured in a television program on BBC2 in 2003, he described the raid on York he took part in, his shooting down and his crash landing and capture.

I am told that two German graves were to be found in Malton Cemetery, one or both were apparently airmen. I assume that if this was the case one would have been the grave of Uffz Fritz Kalber, his remains being moved to Cannock Chase at a later date. The other grave is not known.