Crash Site Lancaster III JB 367OF-S Voort

In the domain of the burnt-out castle "de Tornaco" in Voort is a bent propeller of a Lancaster near the pond. It is the silent witness to the crash of the Lancaster III JB367 OF-S.

The actual crew began their 29th assignment. The pilot was ill and was replaced by P / O Albert A. Johnson. He carried out his 23rd assignment. There were already problems with the aircraft from the start of the mission in the night of 18 to 19 November 1944. The H2S radar failed, the machine guns failed, etc. . . They were therefore obliged to fly to Berlin on sight. They reached Berlin and carried out their bombing. Now, based on the marker beacons and calculations, they had to try to get back home and stay away from the known FLAK zones.

Near Aachen, however, they arrive in a FLAK position and the aircraft is heavily shelled. Port outer engine fails and several crew members are injured. Moments later, the other port engine also fails.

In the hold there were four more red target markers that they had to throw at a specific place between Aachen and the Belgian border, as a beacon for the rest of the bombers, and to certainly not let them end up in the FLAK position just now. They manage to drop their beacons in the provided place, but end up in a FLAK line-up again near Liège. A few more crew members are injured and the plane becomes unmanageable.

The crew leaves the plane with their parachute, the rear gunner tells the pilot that he is the last to jump. The pilot has his parachute on, but is still at the control stick. The crew lands at a great distance from each other.

The pilot P/O Albert A. Johnson DFM RNZAF probably left his aircraft at too low an altitude and died over the territory of the municipality of Broekom, where he was found the next day by two children. Pieces of his parachute are hanging in the trees. He is salvaged with due respect by the Germans and initially buried in Sint-Truiden, later he is buried in Heverlee.

After Johnson's jump, the plane flew without crew to above the territory of the district of Gotem, to make a turn and crash on the castle Tornaco in Voort.
The local residents have tried to extinguish the fire with the water from the pond with a human chain. The castle burns out completely and will not be rebuilt.

The other crew members were F/L A.P.W. Philip "Pep / Pip" Pepper DFC (nav, evd,) P/O Frederick T. "Willy" Williams DFM (bomb, evd,) F/S Walter "Wally" Jackson (eng, pow,) F/S Jack S. "Lefty" Sansam (rad, pow,) F/S Tom "Curly" Hesselden (gun, evd,) F/S CJ John "Tiger" Billows (gun, pow.)

The domain "de Tornaco" is not open to the public.
But from the entrance on the Roman Cobblestone you can see the propeller sticking out and you can take pictures with a good lens. (Distance about 75 to 100 m)


Sources :
"Lancaster JB367, the war events in the night of 18 to 19 November 1943 in Voort" by Danny Basteyns and the Heemkundige Kring Hendrycken-Voerda.

De Decker Cynrik & Roba Jean-Louis; To the Valley of Death,

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Source

• Text: Rudi Triki
• Photos: Rudi Triki