Me 109 G6 R3 ?
 

Is there any history to report for a Me 109 G6 R3 with WN 20377 ?

Re: Me 109 G6 R3 ?
 

Hi Stephen,

Bf 109 G-6/R3 WNr. 20.377 damaged 16. Jan 1944 at Frosione/Italy
bellylanding after combat with Spitfires
1./NAGr. 1, Ofw. Kurt Holstein wia
Wreck was later found by British at Aquililla airfield

HTH

Carl

Re: Me 109 G6 R3 ?
 

Just a short note to amend the Italian names in Charles' usual excellent post:

Frosione = Frosinone

Aquililla = Aquila (?) or L'Aquila (the latter seems too far from the place of the crash landing, provided it happened near the combat area...)

Re: Me 109 G6 R3 ?
 

Ferdinando,

thank you very much for your kind words.
Of course you're right, it is "Frosinone", to be exact: "Frosinone area".
Holstein was heavily wounded and taken to field-hospital 200 at Fiugi (or Piugi, hard to read).

Another mistake: it is 1./NAGr. 11, not 1 (I have a new WLAN- keybord and it seems to "forget" some letters sometimes ).

An additional information: tactical code was "5".

Carl

Re: Me 109 G6 R3 ?
 

My pleasure, Charles.

BTW, the field-hospital 200 was in Fiuggi (famous thermal locality).

Re: Me 109 G6 R3 ?
 

Hello,

Regarding the final location of the wreck of WNr.20377, in Dr. Priens JG77 vol.4 page 2466 is a list of captured Luftwaffe Bf109s in the Mediteranean area, based on A.I.2(g) reports.
It says that WNr.20377 "black 5" was found on Aquina airfield, striped for spare parts.

regards,
Tomislav

Re: Me 109 G6 R3 ?
 

Then it can be positively identified as Aquino, a locality which is in province of Frosinone...

Re: Me 109 G6 R3 ?
 

Here's the relevant extract from the report on "Aquina" (as the Allies spelled it!).

Re: Me 109 G6 R3 ?
 

Ha!

Well this is odd!!!!

I JUST listed the original MAIN data tag from the aircraft on eBay...here is a pic.

tag was found in a HUGE pile of tags many years ago burried in England...

Why the question? Do you have other parts from her? ;)

http://www.geocities.com/mr-bigg@sbc...ndataplate.JPG

Mike

Re: Me 109 G6 R3 ?
 

Hello Nick,

The part of report you posted, looks unfamiliar to me, what is the exact ref. of the file it comes from ???

remi

Re: Me 109 G6 R3 ?
 

It's from National Archives AIR24/951.

The same file contains draft versions of some or all of the reports. Attached is an extract of the draft report for Aquino.

Re: Me 109 G6 R3 ?
 

My initial post was the result of receiving a picture of this plate from its owner (now eBay seller) last week. Since the remains of WNr. 20377 was found by the British, I suspect the plate was taken at the time for its intelligence value. Throughout the war, the British routinely removed identification plates from enemy planes in all theaters - hundreds of plates were obtained from Luftwaffe machines. This plate has all the signs of one of many discovered in the ground at RAF Kenley in the 1980s. Numerous plates were disposed of there after the war. Being buried for 40 plus years typically resulted in severe corrosion and pitting. As well, the entire upper portion of the plate is gone. Still an interesting relic from this event in history . . .

Thanks to all who replied with helpful information.

Best regards,
Steve