Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

I was flying from Eindhoven (in a Ju 88, KG54), to Normandy. On the night of July 30/31st 1944 in the vicinity of St. Lo I was shot down by flak.

The remains of the aircraft engines were discovered in 1983-84, I believe, by a French local historian. What I would like to know is where they were found. Also, whether any remains were found with it. The rest of my crew went down with the plane I beleive.

Can anyone help?

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

According to Radtke's "Kampfgeschwader 54", two aircraft from 8./KG 54 were lost on the night of July 30/31, 1944 in the area just south of Saint Lo:

• Ju 88A-4, B3+IS (p.217) or B3+JS (p.370), all crew missing (Uffze Pohlschmidt, Schubert, Wischers & Ogefr Möller), Le Mesnil (probably Le Mesnil-Herman)
• Ju 88A-4, B3+ES, 1 POW (Ogefr Ernst Specht) + 3 missing (Uffze Baumgart, Kaupa & Ogefr Sitek), Gavray

I did a quick google for info about a recovered Ju 88 in that area around 1982-83, but didn't find anything. No doubt others will know more.

Hope that helps,
Leon Venter

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

Hello Woodpecker,

Echoing Leon’s comments, in Siegfried Radtke’s 1990 book “Kampgeschwader 54: von der Ju 52 zur Me 262 – Eine Chronik nach Kriegstagebüchern, Documenten und Berichten 1935-1945”, he notes three Ju 88 losses for that period that might by your aircraft. Information comes from the text (p.217), Appendix 8 - Personalverluste (p.336) and Appendix 9 – Flugzeugverluste (p.370):

30 July 1944 – Ju 88 A-4, WNr.3665, B3+CH, 1./KG 54, 100%, Le Mesnil, France
FF: Lt. Hans Sickfeld – missing
BO: Uffz. Oskar Winter – missing
BF: Uffz. Hermann Mittelstaedt – missing
BS: Fw. Erich Leimbach – missing

31 July 1944 – Ju 88 A-4, WNr.????, B3+JS, 8./KG 54, 100%, Le Mesnil, France
FF: Uffz. Karl Pohlschmidt – missing
BO: Uffz. Wolfgang Schubert – missing
BF: Uffz. Heinz Wischers – missing
BS: Ogefr. Wilhelm Möller – missing

31 July 1944 – Ju 88 A-4, WNr.????, B3+ES, 8./KG 54, 100%, near Gavré, France
FF: Uffz. Horst Baumgart – missing
BO: Ogefr. Bruno Sitek – missing
BF: Ogefr. Ernst Specht – missing
BS: Uffz. Ernst Kaupa – missing

In the text, Radtke offers more information and states that the two losses on the 31st – presumably very early on that date – were at Granville, Gavray [Gavré] (B3+JS) and Le Mesnil-Herman (B3+ES) respectively. He also states that the BF (Bordfunker ) of Baumgart’s aircraft B3+ES, Ogefr. Ernst Specht, was later determined to be a POW. Presumably, this is you?

Regarding the discovery and excavation of the aircraft and crew remains, I don’t have any information, but perhaps John Manrho in the Netherlands would probably be able to help you. I’ll send you his contact information separately. If you go to the following website - http://www.volksbund.de/graebersuche/content_suche.asp - you may be able to locate the resting place of your fellow crew members.

All the best with your search,

David

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

Laut ADI/k JS/IS is the one quoted above ES,from this plane

FF: Uffz. Horst Baumgart – missing MISSING
BO: Ogefr. Bruno Sitek – missing MAYBE RETURNED TO ONE LINES
BF: Ogefr. Ernst Specht – missing Prisoner
BS: Uffz. Ernst Kaupa – missing MISSING

Maybe the question comes from Mr Sitek or Mr Specht ???

Remi

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

Hi Gruppe,

'Specht' is the german word for Woodpecker..........

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

So , even 2 weeks late happy birthday Mr. Specht

Remi

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

The only note I have is this ac was shot down by Flak 15 kms south of St Lo at 0015 hrs. Baumgart & Sitek were killed, Specht POW & Kaupa missing. The only 'digger' I thought could be J-P Benamou but St Lo is away from his area. Trouble is so many 'diggers' have come and gone over the years and this is a long time ago

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

What detectives you are!
Yes I am Ernst Specht. We were shot down in the early hours of 31st July. I was thrown from the aircraft as it spun in. After "debriefing" in London I went as a POW to the USA (Alabama and South Carolina), then to Belgium and the UK. I eventually settled in the UK. A recent visit to Normandy brought back many memories and a desire to try again to see if I could find out what happened to my comrades.
Thanks for your interest and help.
Ernst

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

Dear Mr. Specht, when you were "interwied" by the brits you told them you started from Châteaudun ?? In that case are you briefed before missions to tell to eventual interrogators, a "correct" story, ??

Remi

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

Woodpecker-if you are intersted, I have been in touch with 2 KG 54 crew members lost around your time-Helmut Guldenfels and Hans Gehentges. You might have met them on the way to POW camp

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

Please find hereby a link to the website of the A.N.S.A. Although they seem to specialise in Allied Air Force losses in the Normandy area, maybe they can help you with your query.

http://ansa.ornemaine.free.fr/pages/0.html

Kind regards,
Rudi.

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

Ernst, from the KG54 book it shows you and your crew were injured following an engine failure on take off from Marx on 18/19th April 1944, for raid on London. Had you recently returned to operations prior to the crash on 31st July ?

Regards

Brian Bines

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

I have just read this thread with great interest.

it is nice to hear from a true veteran.

I am involved with Sywell Aviation Museum in Northampton and I have been asked to arrange evening talks to our members and the public.

I see you are located here in the Uk and i was wondering if you might like to do an evening talk for us on your experiences. It would be very interesting to listen to your flying experiences and all about what happened.

my email is philip.studfast@btconnect.com

kind regards

philip

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

Hi All,
If the crash site was in an American area of operations, any burials were most likely by them, the problem is the US Army burial tag numbering system, the VDK have several unnamed graves in France that were re-examined in the 1950's only to find American tag numbers, for some reason the documents relevant to the tag numbers were not made available to the VDK, post war, so the dates and original places of death, and any personal info could still be in the American Archives, access to these records could possibly resolve several cases.
Joe.

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

I had the pleasure of meeting Ernst on saturday. He told me that he buried his parachute in a hedge and marched off. He went through a town/village full of sleeping American soldiers with tanks and jeeps and nobody stopped him, not until that is he got to the other side when he was taken prisioner.

Really interesting chap to talk with.

years later he went back to try to find his parachute............but no luck. He says a french lady must have made a silk dress from it.

Ernst has agreed to do a talk for us at the sywell museum. It should be fascinating.

philip

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

Just an update.

Ernst and his Wife came along to Sywell last night and Ernst gave a very interesting talk of his like and experiences in the Luftwaffe to a very appreciative crowd of about 100.

Later he was asked to sign several books and prints people had brought along.

They were very kind and would not accept any expenses or any charity donation. They also gave us all of the photographs they had scanned. These included Ernst with the crew he was with on the night they were lost, portraits and a super shot of Ernst in front of his JU88.

Ernst's story is one which should be heard. It is hoped he will do another talk at some point down in london.

At Sywell Aviation Museum we have American displays, British Displays but at present only a very small Luftwaffe display. We strive for balance and would like to expand our Luftwaffe display within our soon to be started extension. Ernst's life story will be presented within the new exhibition area and i would urge people to come along and see it.

A large display centred around the crash of a dornier will be incorporated also.

I would just like to thank Ernst and His Wife Carolynne once again for coming to see us.

If the research carried out on this site had not revealed "Woodpecker" as the survivor of the crash of this JU88 then we would not have met Ernst and his story would have never been revealed.

To Ernst, a veteran & a true gentleman

philip

Re: Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy
 

I am sad to advise that Ernst Specht passed away on the 5th April. He was 91

I propose to dedicate a special place at Sywell Aviation Museum to the memory of Ernst who was a really nice chap.

There will be some special items included in the display......this might not be incorporated in the 2015 open season but hopefully will be fully integrated for the 2016 season.