Wellington (HE268) landed between Cortegaça and Esmoriz

Date

Location

Force

Aircraft

 

From-To

 

Crew

04-06-1943

Cortegaça/ Esmoriz

RAF           425 Sqn

Vickers Wellington        HE268

 

Portreath (GB) → Gibraltar

 

Sgt    L.G. French          Canada

Sgt    R. T. Larche         GB

Sgt    L. A. Dufresne      Canada

Sgt    F. W. Wright         GB

F/O   L. B. Shaw            GB

P/O   R. J. Lacerte        Canada

Sgt    W. S. Brislan         USA




When the aircraft was 150 miles from Cape Finnisterre (Spain) they were attacked by a german JU-88. During the combat they were able to hit the Luftwaffe plane but were also hit and French and Larche were wounded.

The pilot decided to reach Portugal. All jumped with the parachutes while the aircraft kept flying into the sea where it crashed.

Five crewmembers were interned in Elvas and repatriated on July, 17. The two wounded were interned in military hospital in Oporto and on July 26 they were sent to the British Hospital in Lisbon. On the next Day they boarded the Sunderland G-AGES from BOAC to return home, but the aircraft crashed in Foynes, Ireland, causing some deaths and many injured between the crew and passengers.

French broke the right leg and suffered some injuries in the head. Larche suffered several wounds in the head. Both were interned in the Foynes Hospital and returned home in different times

Resources:
* “Aviões da Cruz de Cristo” – Mário Canongia Lopes
* Mário Canongia Lopes
* Arquivo do Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros - Portugal
* Evade & Escape Report - National Archives -  London, Kew
* Portreath ORB - National Archives - London Kew
* Dennis Burke