Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The Halifax III crash site can be found just outside the small hamlet of Hirschbach in Bavaria, about 100 km from Munich, shortly after passing Augsburg. There is a small chapel at the site. The actual crash site was in a spinach field when I visited, located in the paddock across the road from the chapel. It lies in the middle of the field near the small forest lining its edge.

Start point: Hirschbach, Bavaria

Driving Directions
+ From Hirschbach centre, head south on Hirschbacher Straße (St2027) toward Nordendorf.
+ After approximately 1.2 km, turn left toward Kühlenthal (look for the sign to Kühlenthal).
+ Follow this road south-east for about 3.5 km until you enter Kühlenthal.
+ After passing through Kühlenthal, watch for a fork in the road after roughly 1 km.
+ Take the left fork here.
+ Continue along this road toward the hamlet where the chapel is located. The chapel will be on your left-hand side, set back slightly from the road.

Parking and Access: Park your vehicle near the chapel. The chapel area is open and contains memorial plaques honouring the crew of Halifax MZ-467.

From the Chapel to the Crash Site: The actual crash site is not at the chapel itself. Cross the road directly opposite the chapel into the paddock/field. When visited in August 2025, the field was planted with spinach. The crash site lies in the middle of the field, near a small forest that lines its eastern edge.

Crash Site Context: Aircraft: Halifax III, serial number MZ-467, 462 Squadron RAAF.
Date of crash: 17 April 1945, around 03:44 hours.
Cause: Shot down by German night fighter pilot Heinrich Schmidt.
Location: Just outside the hamlet of Hirschbach, after passing Augsburg when travelling from Munich.

Memorial: The chapel was built with contributions from the British, German, and Australian air forces.
Two memorial services have been held here — 2009 and 2015
The site is surrounded by farmland and remains a quiet, rural location.

The origins of the MZ-467 memorial can be traced back to a chance phone call. John Colls contacted Greg Weir to say that an old Bomber Command pilot, Allan Lodder, was visiting his workshop with his wartime logbooks. Busy running his small business, John could not spare the time to meet properly with Allan, so he reached out to Greg.

At that time, Greg was a recreational pilot and aviation enthusiast, spending weekends filming a Hawker Hunter fighter jet conducting joyflights from Sunshine Coast Airport, north of Brisbane. Having recently purchased a digital video camera, Greg saw an unmissable opportunity. Although he had no experience in recording oral histories, he understood the importance of capturing Allan’s story.

That meeting and interview became the spark for Greg’s extensive research into Halifax MZ-467 — the very start of the investigation from the Australian side. His work uncovered the details of the crash, brought recognition to the crew, and helped turn the suggestion of a memorial service into a lasting tribute, ensuring their story would not be forgotten.

Rolf Ebnet – A German amateur historian who, after several years of research, located the crash site of Halifax MZ-467 in early 2008. His work has been instrumental in confirming the location, recovering wreckage, and documenting the history of the aircrew. Rolf’s dedication to the project stems from a deep interest in aviation history and the preservation of wartime heritage.

Jürgen Rest – A local amateur historian and collaborator in the Halifax MZ-467 investigation, he has recovered and preserved multiple aircraft parts from the crash site. Jürgen’s contributions have provided tangible historical evidence and valuable insights into the circumstances of the crash.