Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

Hi all,
I´am looking for information dedicated to Luftwaffe ace (14 vics) Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann of JG27. I´m interesting in which particular part of JG27 he was attached between 15. - 30. June 1944. Different sources states that he was member of IV/JG27, 7/JG27 or Stab III/JG27.
thank you in advance
Munro

Re: Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

Hi Munro

He was born on 27th February 1922. He completed his training with 1./JFS 4 and 2./JGr.Sud during 1942. On 17th July 1943 his BF109 was hit by flak and crashed uninjured at Catania. He was the Staffelkapitän of 7./JG 77 from December 1943 until he was reported missing after combat 15th East of Lisieux, France, probably shot down by Spitfire pilot Flight Lieutenant P.G.Johnson of 421 squadron. His claims were(all as Leutnant):-

Stab.III./JG 27 3rd November 1943 B-26 SW Eleusis 0805 hrs Nr.1
Stab.III./JG 27 17th November 1943 B-25 S Athens 1250 hrs Nr.2
7./JG 27 9th February 1944 Beaufighter S Lamos 1202 hrs Nr.3
7./JG 27 9th February 1944 Beaufighter Samos 1206 hrs u/c
7./JG 27 9th February 1944 Beaufighter Samos 1206 hrs Nr.4
7./JG 27 22th February 1944 Baltimore NNW Iraklion 1225 hrs Nr.5
7./JG 27 3rd March 1944 Baltimore 50km S Milos 0935 hrs Nr.6
7./JG 27 6th March 1944 B-26 SW Milos 1210 hrs Nr.7
7./JG 27 24th May 1944 B-24 30km N Berck-am-der-Mer 1012 hrs Nr.8
7./JG 27 28th May 1944 B-17 near Zerbst 1430 hrs Nr.9
7./JG 27 14th June 1944 P-47 6-8km S Bayeux 1550 hrs Nr.10
7./JG 27 17th June 1944 P-51 S Dreux 1945 hrs Nr.11
7./JG 27 27th June 1944 P-51 S Soissons 1955 hrs Nr.12
7./JG 27 27th June 1944 P-51 S Soissons 2002 hrs Nr.13
7./JG 27 28th June 1944 P-51 E Caen 2016 hrs Nr.14

As you can see there is not much scope for him being with anything other than 7./JG 27 for the period your interested in.

Kind Regards

Johannes

Re: Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

Johannes,
thank you very much for your prompt reaction to my query.

Am interesting for his 11th victory on 17th June 1944 when he shot down CO of No. 122 squadron RAF S/Ldr E. L. "Nipper" Joyce, DFM (NZ.40770), South of Dreux at 19:45 hrs.
British sources mentioned 3 Me109´s attacked 6 122 sq Mustangs on Arm Recce over Dreux.

I´am looking for name of base from where Lt. Culemann and two others JG27 pilots (or more) took off for this particular flight and for names of two other attacking Me109 pilots during this occasion.

best regards

Munro

Re: Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

Yes, this was 43-6346/FX986 of S/L Ernest Leslie "Nipper" Joyce DFM. Please note that the CWGC website gives his date of death as 18.6.44. Does anyone know if this means he was rescued and died in hospital or similar or is the date simply in error?

Nick

Re: Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

His 2nd claim, B-25 on 17.11.43:

Day's only known loss was 42-64540 of 486th BS, 340th BG. 4 KIA, 1 POW, 1 evaded (It was likely one of Bartels' claims as it was lost near Kalamaki)

His 3rd claim, Beaufighter on 9.2.44:
252 sqn. 3 losses, includes LZ141 of P/O Frank Phillip Stanger and F/S S L Reynolds both MIA-KIA. Can anyone add anything else with regards to the other two losses?

His 5th claim was this Maryland on 22.2.44:
43-8486/FW329 of 454 sqn RAAF. MIA on mission to shadow convoy S of Melos. Does anyone have crew details, I have yet to go searching for them....

His 6th was one of these Marylands on 3.3.44, the other was downed by Uffz. Hans Giese:
454 sqn. 43-8457/FW300 of F/S Allan Wilfred Joseph Kempnich and one other KIA, remaining two crewmen both POW plus FA601 of F/O Frank Neville Scott and crew all KIA

His 7th on 6.3.44 was one of these SAAF Marauders:
24 sqn SAAF. Four losses: Includes B-26C-30-MO 41-35519/FB481 and B-26C-45-MOs 42-107500/FB496, 42-107508/FB504 (all lost off Milos) and 42-107511/FB507 (lost off Santorini) Again, can anyone assist with crew details...?

His final victory on 28.6.44 was AG591 of 430 sqn. F/O F H Byron KIA. The CWGC has nothing on Byron so I do wonder if the initials are incorrect or the name otherwise wrongly recorded.

I hope this helps for your interest in Culemann and I would like to sincerely apologise to any brilliant authors whom I may have discredited in the construction of this post.

Nick

Re: Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

Hello,

Crew of Baltimore FW329, on 22 February, 1944 (5th claim):

AUS413504 F/Sgt (Pilot) Brian Edwin "Kid" RAWLINGS RAAF +
AUS415218 W/O (Nav.) Douglas Henry PADMAN RAAF +
AUS420798 F/Sgt (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Thomas KING RAAF +
AUS413941 W/O (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Gordon Ross PARKER RAAF +

No.24 Sqn SAAF losses on 6 March 1944:

Marauder FB481 "E"
Lt L L DOVETON SAAF - survived - back via Turkey
Lt STEENKAMP SAAF - survived - ditto
Lt F W PHILLIPS SAAF +
Lt S RUTKIN SAAF +
WO1 D H COLLINS SAAF +
WO2 J F FOURIE +

Marauder FB496 "V"
Lt G A BOWLES SAAF +
Lt G P ROWE SAAF +
Lt J van EDEN SAAF +
WO1 K R HEALY SAAF +
WO1 R R JOHNSON SAAF +
WO1 S SMITH SAAF +

Marauder FB504 "L"
Capt G FROLICH SAAF +
Lt G M H du PLESSIS SAAF +
Lt A M BAIN SAAF +
WO1 G A DINGLE SAAF +
WO1 A B AIKEN SAAF +
WO1 P J PRETORIUS SAAF +

Marauder FB507 "W"
Lt G R BELL SAAF +
2/Lt M L QUENEN (Belgian) SAAF +
Lt R A ZIMMERMAN SAAF +
2/Lt C W HEAVEN SAAF +
WO2 T TRELEAVEN SAAF +
WO2 J P L SNYMAN SAAF +

Culemann's claim on 28 June 1944, was J12786 F/O (Pilot) Frederick Harry BRYON RCAF.

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2331758/

Col.

Re: Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

Col,

Brilliant. Thanks.

Nick

PS - I'll totally own up to having misread the surname.

Re: Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

III./JG 27 was based at Romilly on 17 June, as far as I know, having moved there on the 6th.

Re: Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

This is how awesome this forum can actually be....

Hi Nick,

you are right, might be he was rescued and died next day or it is CWGC error ...

Munro

Thank you very much Nick.

Thank you for this information.

Thank you for information Colonel, much appreciated.

Re: Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

Anytime

Nick

Re: Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

Re Joyce, the unofficial 122 Sqn diary states for 17 Jun 44:

"Weather cleared in the late afternoon and at 1825 hrs Sqn Ldr Joyce took out 6 ac on an armed recce. No movement seen over target area but a train was bombed and 2 direct hits and 3 near misses were observed. Shortly afterwards the Section was bounced by 3 Me 109s; it split up and more e/a were seen in the Evreux area. One of these, an Me 109, was destroyed by Plt Off Thorne. Sqn Ldr Joyce did not return from this sortie and nothing is known of what happened to him..."

Re: Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

Thanks Chris,

Kind of spells it out a bit, hey....

Nick

Re: Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

I have much material related to Nipper Joyce, New Zealand 'Ace' with ten victories, five of these at night (also 3 probables and 10 damaged). He flew with 3 Squadron in the UK and 73 Squadron in North Africa (Hurricanes (9 victories) and Spitfires, OC 1943) then with 122 Squadron (Mustang (1 victory), OC 1944). He undertook 267 operations. He died 18 June 1944. His Mustang was seen by the villagers of Marville les Bois to be shot down. Abbe Gautier of the local Catholic Church wrote to Nipper's mother in late 1945: Ernest Joyce fell with his plane in flames about 5 o'clock in the evening. He found himself separated from his group of planes of which he formed part. A German airman took him by surprise and machine-gunned him. His plane fell at Marville-les-Bois. Immediately we went to his aid. The Germans returned but they did not remain long. After their departure we drew from the plane your dear boy . He was dead. On the Monday morning we had for him a beautiful ceremony in the church. The whole population of Marville and neighbourhood was there. I had with me all the priests of the neighbourhood. The church was filled. The casket was covered with numerous wreaths. The body was accompanied to the ceremony in beautiful procession, young men and girls on both sides of the casket carrying flowers. ... Fortunately the Germans never learned what we had done , otherwise, I, a priest, would have been led away to prison. We recovered the greater part of his belongings which were not burnt... Be assured that we often think of him in our prayers. Next week a mass will be celebrated for him. Equally I pray for you to ask God to give you courage for this mother of an airman who died for France...

A very poignant message from the people of Marville-les-Bois.

Coincidentally I also have a group of many items to the only other New Zealand airman listed as killed on 18 June 1944, F/O Frank Stout 547 Squadron RAF Coastal Command, shot down in a Liberator off the French coast near the Ile de Batz, Roscoff. Stout was even more dramatically buried and honoured by the local people, in defiance of a ban to do so by the Germans, as the Germans stood nearby with guns at the ready. This could very easily have ended in great bloodshed. The locals honour Frank Stout every year.

I hope this information is helpful.

Re: Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

I have much material related to NZ40770 Squadron Leader Ernest Leslie (Nipper) Joyce. This includes all letters sent to his mother, other letters he sent to family/fiancee/friends, log book, documents, over 100 photos etc. Amongst the letters is one from the Priest at Marville les Bois where he is buried, to his mother in 1945 after the end of the war.

The Priest indicated his Mustang was witnessed by locals as 122 Squadron aircraft flew nearby. Nipper Joyce separated from the others in his flight and had been attacking a train when he was surprised by a German fighter and shot down, flames seeming to break out around the cockpit. It seems, from the comments made, that the hits on the Mustang were concentrated on the cockpit and it appeared that Nipper would have been killed by the canon fire.

The Mustang crashed near the village but did not burn out or completely disintegrate. Local German troops noted what had happened and visited the crash site. It appears to have been left unguarded and the locals led by the Priest extricated Nipper from the aircraft. This would probably not have unusual in the circumstances of post D-Day landings. He was confirmed dead, personal belongings retrieved and kept for return to his family, and arrangements were made by the Priest for his burial. This was on 18 June 1944.

He was buried the following day, thousands attending the funeral, his coffin covered in flowers and attended by local youths and children. I have a photo of his flower-covered grave immediately after the funeral, taken by a local farmer's daughter and sent to his mother with the Priest's letter.

Coincidentally I have the medal group, log book, etc. of the only other RNZAF aircrew killed on 18 June, Flying Officer Frank Stout, pilot, 547 Squadron RAF Coastal Command. He was commemorated dramatically by the local French in defiance of the Germans at Roscoff, in Brittany. Thousands attended a service for him organised by the local Abbe. This was widely reported in the British press as 'an unidentified allied airman' and a few days later it was realised it was New Zealander Frank Stout.

At the time Joyce was shot down he had destroyed 10 aircraft (2 Bf 109s, 5 Ju 88s (all at night), 2 Italian CR 42s (these 9 when with 73 Squadron (Hurricanes) North Africa) and 1 He 111 (with 122 (Mustang) Squadron Frisian Islands). He had three aircraft probably destroyed (Bf 109s) and 8 damaged (5 Bf 110s, 2 Bf 109s, 1 Ju 88). Nine of the aircraft he destroyed were in the six months from late May - December 1942 flying the Hurricane IIc. He was a fighter ace and also a night fighter ace.

He had the pleasure of flying the Hurricane, Spitfire and Mustang in operations. He led 73 (Spitfire) Squadron 1943 and 122 (Mustang) Squadron 1944. He completed a total of 267 operations.

I hope this information is helpful.

Re: Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

Nick, preparing a page for this chap, would like to hear more from you if at all possible?
Many thanks.
Kelvin at Aircrew Remembered

Re: Lt. Hans – Gunnar Culemann JG27
 

Hi Kelvin,

How can I help?

Nick