Flyverstenen - Torstedlund Skov, Denmark
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member pstidsen
N 56° 48.082 E 009° 45.435
32V E 546245 N 6295531
Flyverstenen beliggende i Rold Skov/Torstedlund er et mindesmærke fra 2. Verdenskrig, hvor en fuldt lastet Royal Air Force B-24 Liberator styrtede ned. --- A Royal Air Force B-24 Liberator crashed here on the 20th April 1945.
Waymark Code: WMJ04C
Location: Denmark
Date Posted: 09/03/2013
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member Thorny1
Views: 15

I marts 1945, et par måneder inden 2. verdenskrigs afslutning, blev de allierede klar over, at tyskerne var i færd med at sejle et halvt hundrede knapt færdigbyggede u-både til Norge, hvor det var meningen de i bombesikre, betonstøbte u-bådsbaser i Horten og Bergen skulle gøres helt færdige og udrustes til kamp. De allieredes svar var at søge disse sejladser stoppet. Fredag den 20. april lettede to Liberator B-24 bombefly tilhørende 206. eskadrille fra den skotske base Leuchars nær Dundee. Maskinen med kendetegnet N/206 lettede først, men nåede aldrig hjem. Dens flyvetid indikerer, at den har været over Skagerrak og Kattegat inden styrtet i Torstedlund Skov. I eskadrillens journal konstateres blot, at ”Maskinen kom ikke tilbage. Ingen signaler modtaget”.

Hvad der forårsagede flyets styrt er en uløst gåde, men vidneudsagn peger på, at det blev skudt ned af et tysk jagerfly.

Den 19. maj 1945 henvendte chauffør William Christensen sig til skolelærer Th. Johansen, om han ville være behjælpelig med at sætte en mindesten på stedet i skoven. ober var mindestenen færdig. Bag stenen blev rejst en aksel fra flyvemaskinens landingsstel og til den var fastgjort den ene propel, der var bøjet og forvredet af mødet med træerne og jorden.

Den indhuggede tekst var: ”Her faldt en allieret flyver ned d. 20. april 1945 i kamp for Danmarks frihed”. Under denne indskrift var indhugget navnene på to af besætningsmedlemmerne. At man allerede på det tidspunkt kendte to besætningsmedlemmers navne skyldtes, at to af besætningsmedlemmernes legitimationspapirer var blevet fundet i skovbunden. De to kendte var hollænderen Guilonard og australieren Topliff. Lørdag den 6. oktober 1945 klokken tre afsløredes stenen under overværelse af op mod 250 mennesker.

Resten af besætningen fandt man først i 1947, hvor man fik fat på den tyske officer, som havde været kommandant på Nørholm Slot ved krigens slutning. Ham fik en dansk konsul i Tyskland opsporet og henvendt sig til. Officeren viste sig meget hjælpsom og sendte den kortskitse, han havde lavet i sin lommebog dengang. På skitsen var sat et kryds ved nedfaldsstedet og et kryds ved de omkomnes grav.

Da man således i forbindelse med fundet af de døde fra engelsk side havde fået rede på, hvem der havde udgjort besætningen på det nedskudte fly, indhuggede lærer Th. Johansen deres navne på mindestenen.

In March 1945, a few months before the end of World War II, the Allies were aware that the Germans were preparing to sail fifty submarines to Norway. The Allied response was to seek these races stopped. Friday, 20 April eased two Liberator B-24 bombers belonging to 206 squadron from the Scottish base Leuchars near Dundee. The machine with tailnumber N/206 took off first, but it never came back home. Its flighttime indicates that it has been over the Skagerrak and Kattegat before the crash in Torstedlund Forest. The squadron's journal just tell that "The machine did not come back. No signals are received".

What caused the plane crash is an unsolved mystery, but evidence suggests that it was shot down by a German fighter.

On 19 May 1945 driver William Christensen asked teacher Th. Johansen if he would be helpful to put a monument on the crash site in the woods. The monument was finished in october. Behind the memorial stone was erected a shaft from the airplane's landing gear and one propeller, bent and distorted by the meeting with the trees and the ground, where attached.

On the stone was written: "Here fell an ally plane down 20th April 1945 in the struggle for freedom of Denmark". Below the inscription was engraved the names of two of the crew members. Their names was known from identification papers found in the forest. The two known was the Dutchman Guilonard and Australian Topliff. On Saturday 6th October 1945, the stone was revealed in the presence of 250 people.

The rest of the crew was not found untill 1947, when contact where made to the German officer who had been commander of Nørholm Castle at the end of the war. He was tracked down by a Danish consul in Germany. The officer turned out very helpful and sent the sketch map he had made in his notebook at the time. In the sketch was put a cross on the crash site and a cross on the graves of the crew members.

When the rest of the crew was identified teacher Th. Johansen added their names to the monument.


To find the monument, park your car here: N 56º 47.410 E 009º 45.377 and follow your gps and the marked rute to the stone.

This Waymark is dedicated to, and inspired by Q10 - A danish Waymarking pioneer


Web Address for Related Web Sites: [Web Link]

Date of Crash: 04/20/1945

Aircraft Model: B-24 Liberator

Military or Civilian: Military

Tail Number: N/206

Cause of Crash:
Not known, probably shot down by German fighters


Visit Instructions:
Only log waymarks if you have visited the site personally.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Plane Crash Sites
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log User Rating  
kallehaugerne visited Flyverstenen - Torstedlund Skov, Denmark 04/24/2020 kallehaugerne visited it
Walking Boots visited Flyverstenen - Torstedlund Skov, Denmark 11/15/2018 Walking Boots visited it

View all visits/logs