Josef Veltjens
 

Josef Veltjens was an ace (35 victories) and a Pour le Mérite recipient in World War 1. He was killed in a Ju-52 in World War 2, in Yugoslavia, either on October 6, 1943 or August 16, 1943. Can anyone verify the correct date, and the Werke Nummer of the Ju-52, and the location where it crashed?

Frank.

Frank,

According to my info he was killed on the 6th.
… he was killed on a flight to Rome in an aircraft provided by Feldmarschall Kesselring. On Göring's behalf, he was to negotiate with Benito Mussolini for the removal of Italy's gold reserves to avoid capture by the approaching Allied forces. When the plane landed in Milano, the pilot was informed that British fighter aircraft where out to intercept his flight. As the pilot attempted to cross the Appenine mountains, he flew as low as possible to evade the British but the aircraft crashed into the side of a mountain near Piacenza. With the exception of one crew member, everyone aboard was killed.

Kind regards,
Michal

Frank,

Interesting to note is that Joseph Veltjens was Leiter der Aussenstelle Holland des Vierjahresplan. He lived at that time at Groot Haesebroek (the home of Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber in den Niederlanden Christiansen) - renamed as Fliegerhorn. Veltjens' job was to buy goods in Holland with German money, which was useless for the Dutch. During a special operation Veltjens was killed in Italy on 6 Oct 43.

Regards,
Rob

Excellent! That removes the question of Yugoslav partisans. Does anyone have the Werke Nummer, to clear up the final detail.

Many thanks.

Frank.

Veltjens
 

When I transcribed it to my db the name of the other guy killed didn't ring any bells, but this might be the incident your looking for -

Ju 52 0135 Schuster, Hptm. Günther (F)/Zellmann, Ob.Stabsing. Karl (F) Gen.d.Flugbetriebes Tempelhof 06-Oct-43 Both killed in crash. 1 other killed, 1 injured. Lw.Bfh.Mitte BA-MA Signatur RL 2 III/784, p.134 Cervellino 100% H

I'll have to find the fiche this was on and recheck.

Re: Josef Veltjens
 

I am Josef Veltjens' son and live in Australia. I came accross this forum when searching Google.
Fairlop's reply is correct, and his words are very similar to those I had written a few years ago to another website, to correct their information.
My father was buried with military honours in Piacenza, but a few years after the war my mother had his sealed aluminium coffin moved to Travemünde, near Lübeck in northern Germany. She also moved my brother's body, Gerhard, to the same family grave. He was a fighter pilot, and was killed 8 April 1944 when his plane crashed when he tried to land it with a motor revving uncontrollably and far too fast.
I have often wondered whether the message the piulot got in Milan regarding the threat of allied fighters looking out for him. I have the unconfirmed suspicion that this was a lie, as the SS had been after him and the gold. In the end, I believe they did get the gold, according to a newspaper article I read when I had visited Germany a few years ago.

Re: Josef Veltjens
 

Hi.

The loss records are as follows:

http://www.ahs.no/ref_db/lw_loss_pub...?lossid=117250

http://www.ahs.no/ref_db/lw_loss_pub...?lossid=117251

I have included the text from the message by Mr. Veltjens.

Regards,
Andreas B

Re: Josef Veltjens
 

I think that the place of the crash could be probably identified with Monte Cervellino, located between Berceto e Corniglio in the south of the Parma province, north Italy.

Best Regards

gianandrea

Re: Josef Veltjens
 

In WW II my father was Colonel in the reserve, was still a member of the Richthoven Geschwader JG II, but did not fly. He was Beauftragter des Vierjahresplanes in Holland und Sonderbeauftragter z.b.V. (zur besonderen Verfügung) des "Sonderbeauftragten des Vierjahresplanes" (Hermann Göring). This meant that he was responsible for commerce etc in Holland, while Admiral Christiansen was in charge of the military.
Regarding the black market, I quote an extract from the Nuremberg Trial records, Shofar FTP Archive File: imt/nca/nca-01/nca-01-13-spoliation-04.
"No limitations, legal or moral, were observed in the execution of this program. Supplies which could not be obtained through normal channels were purchased on the black market. The disastrous effects of competition among various German agents led the central occupational authorities in Belgium, France, and Holland to take over black market operation directly (1765-PS). On 13 June 1942, by order of Goering, Col. Veltjens was appointed to direct black market purchases in all occupied territories and a new agency, the so-called UEWA, was placed at his disposal. (ECH-7)"
He was trying to protect the local industry and their employees. When it became difficult to buy diamonds for the manufacture of prisms etc, he actually in 1942 bought a diamond cutting factory with his own funds, Grupping & Schaap, Albert Cuypstraat, Amsterdam, which he changed into a public company by the name "N.V. Maatschappij vor Diamanbewerking". He actually spoke Dutch. Although it was not Jewish owned, it hat a large number of Jewish workers. They were under constant threat of encarceration in a concentration camp by the SS, and Josef, a bit like Frits Philips, insisted that they must stay to secure production. He succeeded, although I do not know what happened after his death. The company was confiscated by the Dutch government after the war without compensation. That should help to explain Rob's comment.

Re: Josef Veltjens
 

I have now finished the biography of my father, and found that a lot of information about him was not really always on the right track. This even includes some of the info I had posted. Now that I have spent a lot of time researching his life and death, I can say that the book, "Seppl, a step ahead of politics", will be the most authentic information about him. It iks available from amazon.com, where you can search and read inside it.
Much of the activities in his life had to be secret (for his own protection), and as a result the archives did not disclose much. I had to rely on my mother's oral history, and then start digging from there.