[gerbil]

Stephen,

I have some photos but not sure how you attach them on this forum. I have to enter the uRL of the photo and not sure how I get this. The plate is definitely made of an an alloy and is only a couple of inches across..

Thanks for the information as to where it may have been fitted on the aircraft. I have taken a photo showing the paint colour on the edges. It does have three rivets, which you will see when I work out how to insert a photo!

George, thanks again for the information on the "posible "pilot", I have searched his name and see he is listed in the JG 27 site. Could you help me in telling me where the details of his going missing are recorded if at all possible. Is it certain that this plate could only have come from that aircraft?

I have a military map of El Hamman (1:250,000 of El Daba) from The officers papers that came with the aircraft id plate and I see that about 12 miles south of El Hamman is a British "Landing Ground" marked "LG No.172". Could it be that Ofw Herbert Krenz was attacking this airfield when he was shot down? (I would assume that that is the sort of location that a Light Anti Aircraft Battery such as 113th Battery would be stationed - and of course the sort of place Ofw Krenz would want to attack!)

My next step will be to try to access the War Diaries of the 113th Battery for that date if possible to see if there is any mention in them of the aircraft being shot down on 1.09.42. The trouble is the records are kept about 250miles from me at Kew!

Any further information you may be able to give me as to where to search for information on the subject, especially any records of Herbert Krenz's presumed fate, would be gratefully received.

Thanks again for the help you have provided with this (You will have gathered I am not an expert in the field - I actually collect military campaign maps which is how I came into possession of the Werk Nr plate, with a collection of maps and papers of the Western Desert.)

Peter
(Gerbil)