Madum Sø drop zone

Aage Møller Christensen, 1921-1992. Sailor, SOE agent. Airdropped into Denmark near Madum Sø on the 26 July 1943. He worked as a weapon and sabotage instructor in Southern Jutland until March 1944, when he travelled to Sweden.

The area south of Madum Sø near Rold Skov, where airdrops were made in the summer of 1943. Photographed after the war by SOE agent J.P. Jensen.

English S-phone. It was a kind of walkie-talkie used by the reception team on the ground to talk to the pilot of the aircraft who should drop containers of weapons, explosives and ammunition.

The area south of Madum Sø near Rold Skov, where airdrops were made in the summer of 1943. Photographed after the war by SOE agent J.P. Jensen.

Truck used to transport containers from the drop zone near Madum Sø on 17 August 1943. Bullet holes can be seen on the vehicle from the gunfight with the Germans.

Truck used to transport containers from the drop zone near Madum Sø on 17 August 1943. Bullet holes can be seen on the vehicle from the gunfight with the Germans. Niels E. Vangsted was killed and Poul Kjær Sørensen was captured and later executed.

Truck used to transport containers from the drop zone near Madum Sø on 17 August 1943. Bullet holes can be seen on the vehicle from the gunfight with the Germans.

Intro

The plane was carrying three SOE agents, several containers and a radio...

The plane was carrying three SOE agents, several containers and a radio. Agent Erik Boelskov was to be airdropped at Mustard Point near Hvidsten, after which the plane would continue to the drop zone at Madum Lake, where SOE agents Erik Jens Peter Petersen ("Tripe") and Aage Møller Christensen ("Margarine") were to be airdropped. The airdrop at Boelsgaard went according to plan, although the use of an S-phone was of little help. It was a kind of walkie talkie that allowed conversation between the team on the ground and the pilot in the plane, but since the crew on the plane was Polish and did not speak English, the S-phone was rather useless. The airdrop at Madum Lake was not successful as a dense fog had settled over the drop zone. From the ground, the team could hear the plane and despite using the S-phone, failed to make contact with the plane. The plane with agents and containers had to return to England.

23.07.1943

The Åalborg Group lead by SOE agent Jens Paul Jensen

Jørgen Hæstrup: Kontakt med England 1940-43, 1954, s. 251. Birkelund og Dethlefsen: Faldskærmsfolk, 1986, s. 65

On the night of July 27, an airdrop was once again reported at the drop zone at Madum Lake. A few days before, a plane had tried to airdrop two SOE agents, Erik Jens Peter Petersen ("Tripe") and Aage Møller Christensen ("Margarine") down to the drop zone. It was unsuccessful because of the fog, but now they were to try again. The parachutist jumped prematurely, which meant that Aage Møller Christensen landed approx. 20 metres out in the lake. It was not very deep so he could wade ashore. Erik Jens Peter Petersen landed at the drop zone. Worse was to come - they could not find the radio that was dropped with the containers. The radio was believed to have landed in the lake and could not be located. It was found in the reeds by some boys a few days later. It remained in a hayloft until 1949.

26.07.1943

FLEMMING

The Åalborg Group lead by SOE agent Jens Paul Jensen

Jørgen Hæstrup: Kontakt med England 1940-43, 1954, s. 219, Birkelund og Dethlefsen: Faldskærmsfolk, 1986, s. 65. Jens Fræer: Den hemmelige sender, 1987, s. 164. Hans Bonnesen: Hemmelig Dansk Radiotjeneste under 2. verdenskrig, 1992, 165ff.

On 2nd August, containers were airdropped to the drop zone, but the amount is unknown.

02.08.1943

The Åalborg Group lead by SOE agent Jens Paul Jensen

Jørgen Hæstrup: Kontakt med England 1940-43, 1954, s. 250f. Birkelund og Dethlefsen: Faldskærmsfolk, 1986, s. 66. Beretning FM 1220-21

The drop zone was used several times within a short period, and the group now felt that the Germans may have noticed the activity. Even so, on the 17th August 1943, the drop zone sent a message declaring it was ready for airdrops. A group of 12 men drove to the drop zone in a truck. The English aircraft arrived early, but apparently had difficulty orientating itself across the lake. It was not until the third overflight that the aircraft dropped 6 containers, which landed scattered in the nearby woods. Instead of emptying the containers and "drowning" them along with the parachutes in the lake, the leader, Paul Jensen, chose to load the containers and people onto the truck because of the necessity to leave the site as quickly as possible. On their way home, they were pursued by a German "prairie wagon" and at the crossroads after Skørping came under fire. They managed to get a head start, but the petrol-powered German car soon caught up with the generator-driven Danish truck. Most of the team managed to escape through the woods, but Niels Erik Vangsted was hit and killed. Poul Kjær Sørensen was wounded and taken prisoner. The goods and the truck were seized by the Germans. The shooting episode led to the dissolution of the Aalborg group. Poul Kjær Sørensen was sentenced to death and executed on 28th August 1943 – he was the first Dane to be executed.

17.08.1943

The Åalborg Group lead by SOE agent Jens Paul Jensen

Jørgen Hæstrup: Kontakt med England 1940-43, 1954, s. 249f. Birkelund og Dethlefsen: Faldskærmsfolk, 1986, s. 66. Ber. FM 1220-21

Region: Jutland - District: 4 Zone nr.: 0 - Zone name: Madum Sø Place in the Military Map: Volume 1 - Page 19 - C3: Ved søens sydspids Sources: Jørgen Hæstrup: Kontakt med England 1940-43, 1954, s. 219, Birkelund og Dethlefsen: Faldskærmsfolk, 1986, s. 65. Jens Fræer: Den hemmelige sender, 1987, s. 164.