regarding the Lenssens I would give it a try at wittegids.be | Vind adres, gsm, telefoon nummer en stratenplan van alle abonnees in België there are 5 Lenssen there, they are possibly descendents of the person you are looking for.

On the home page type the name in the "WIE" section and the Town in the "waar" section. They are Flemish.

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Skipper,

Thank you very much I will check it out.

I finally am getting some time to do some reading on everything that I found. Reading about how the Comete Line worked and all that had to be done. Amazing, especially during such hard times.

From my understanding, the Comete line started somewhere in the vicinity of Liege/Hasselt. My Uncle landed North of there and was assisted to get to the Comete Line. Were these people that assisted him before the Comete Line of a different organization/Line of the Resistance? Or special contacts that were established in various areas? Were any of these special contacts caught by the Gestapo?

Sorry for so many questions? I crave to know all! I need a good book that details everything!!!!! And also time to read it! I have not had time yet to watch the DVD "Last Best Hope."

Jo Ann

Many of the Comete line agents were caught. A few however managed to escape to France, I am thinking of the Baron J. de Blommaert de Soye who managed to set up a new network there in June 1944.
As I told earlier, the Belgian branch is not my speciality, but among the names of famous members you could check Mme Fernand de Greef (tante Go) who was the link in Bayonne and Mme Michou Ugeux who commuted from Belgium to Bayonne with the airmen. Both here parents were arrested. Maybe your uncle has met Mme Ugeux?

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Skipper,

I will check that out too. Thank you!

Jo Ann

Jo Ann: Kollack is still a possibility as the LW pilot or it may have been one from NJG 1, not Streib in the He 219A though as Slipper has filled you in, he was in the bomber pulk so to speak but in the wrong area. what I mean by Pulk in the German is in a section of bombers in the stream.

still searching

Erich,

Ok...if there is another one that is a possible, I can send it along to my Uncle. He is very curious about it and would like to know. When I told him about Kollack, he was amazed about his backgound. He also said that since he was the Gunner, he was suppose to spot him. It didn't make him feel so bad about it when he found out he was an "Ace." His pilot, Ellison went down with the Wellington that night.

Jo Ann

It was very difficult for gunners to spot nightfighters, especially aces like Kollack. They would usually try to get the bombhatch from below. This was a death angle and the bomber crew would be taken by surprise. Some crews could not even tell they were hit by a fighter or by Flak, as one single burst would suffice to set the bomb bay and the fuel tanks ablaze.

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Skipper,

He told me once about being inside the turret and something happened and he could not get out, I think the hatch was jammed. I will be calling him today and ask him about it in more detail. I have so much to learn from him.

I imagine that hitting that area would be important. Take out the ability to get you first!

I stayed up printing and putting together the package of information for my Uncle. I am so excited.

Question: What type of plane did Kollack fly? You may have told me already. Is Night-Fighter a term used for a specific type of plane or one that has special features for air fights at night. I have the website information about Kollack but there are several German names on it and I am not sure. There was a picture there but my husband said it was a 2-seater.

Jo Ann

Skipper,

I just remembered a "Junkers 88." I didn't have my second cup of coffee yet!

Jo Ann

The Ju 88 is probably correct but we have to keep in mind that 7/NJG4 also flew ME-110s . The Ju 88 version in the Spring of 1943 would have been the C-6 version

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I have just sent you an email with a WWII picture of Fresnes.

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Jo Ann and Skipper :

during the time frame in June of 43 only NJG 2 and NJG 3 were flying Ju 88 night fighter most likely the C-6 variant.

very strange but NJG 4 as a whole were still flying even outdated equipment like the Bf 110E and F, the G-4 variant was filtering in slowly to the squadrons.

I looked at pictures of them and from what I can tell the gunner would be in the front below the pilot. Correct?

If so then, the pilot gets the credit for flying into position for the Gunner?

How many crew would be on board?

I know my Uncle had many missions before he was shot down and actually I found the following:

Wellington HE414 Information



Wellington


HE414


429


AL-?


Gardening


20th April 1943


21st April 1943


Further Information

Serial Range HE410 - HE447. 38 Wellington Mk.X. HE147-HE995, 672 Wellington Mk.X, delivered by Vickers (Chester) between Nov42 and May43. Part of a batch of 1100 Wellington Mk.1C/111/X11/X1V. HD942-HF606. For the full list of this large batch refer to Record No.6135. Airborne 2120 20Apr43 from East Moor and headed for the Jellyfish area (Brest). Hit by Flak at the French coast and, subsequently, crash-landed 0255 at Exeter Airfield, Devon. a fire broke out, but the crew escaped unharmed Sgt R.C. Ellison Sgt W.G.Bailey RCAF Sgt H.E.J.Horton Sgt E.C.Nicholson Sgt W.J.Mullaney RCAF

Correct this is why I pointed out that it could be a BF-110 especialy as NJG2 was at Castelvetrano at the time .NJG3 switched to JU88s in mid 43 only , so yes the Bf-110 has to be an open option.

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The Wellingtons usually had a crew of 5 men.
A gardening operation = dropping mines in enemy waters.
This Welli was damaged over Brest while doing so, but the pilot managed to get it back and forced landed in England.
The gunners are in a turret with Browning (or Vickers) and can turn their weapons Into the enemy direction, with the exception of a dead angle below. This is why the Nightfighters attacked from underneath.

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well we all can narrow this down to two units, either NJG 1 flying the Bf 110G exclusively or III. and IV./NJG 4 flying the Bf 110 as well.

IV./NJG 5 was on the Ost front battling the Soviets and the occasional RAF bomber that ran the route over the N.E.

Kollack probably few a the 110 too.

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yes he did probably an E or an F. I see G-4's coming into NJG 4 III gruppe close to Junes end, beginning of July 43. NJG 2 and NJG 3 did not score except for 1 kill by Major Radusch Of II./NJG 3 near the north of Gouda, a Lancaster reported.

7 victory claims for NJG 4.