[Peter Cornwell]

Andy,

As far as I know, the German advance went through the Sercus area between 26-28 May 1940 so a tentative date of 27 May for the crash there seems like a good working hypothesis. If we also accept the potential 'hard evidence' of the suspected WNr.2889 and the fact that this can be linked (via the ALTMANN Flugbuch) to I./ZG52 two months earlier then there are four losses to consider on that date. I currently have these documented as follows:

Stab I./ZG52 Messerschmitt Bf110C. Shot down in combat with fighters of Nos. 56, 145, 601, and 610 Squadrons north-east of Calais 7.20 p.m. FF Lt Christian-Friedrich von Neumann (Gruppenadjutant) killed, BF Uffz Hermann Laudemann baled out and captured wounded - admitted to hospital in Dunkirk and later released. Aircraft 100% write-off.

I./ZG52 Messerschmitt Bf110C. Shot down in combat with fighters of Nos. 56, 145, 601, and 610 Squadrons north-east of Calais and abandoned over German-held territory 7.20 p.m. Crew baled out unhurt. Aircraft 100% write-off.
Possibly the aircraft excavated at Sercus, south-west of Hazebrouck. Werk Nummer ‘2889’ found on wreckage identifying it as on the strength of 1./ZG52 in March 1940 when coded A2+LH.

2./ZG52 Messerschmitt Bf110C. Shot down in combat with fighters of Nos. 56, 145, 601, and 610 Squadrons and crashed in the sea off Dunkirk 7.20 p.m. Possibly that claimed by S/L Franks of No. 610 Squadron. FF Lt Gerhard Borrmann and BF Uffz Hans Riebesell killed. Aircraft 100% write-off.
The body of Gerhard Borrmann was washed ashore near Calais on June 8, that of Hans Riebesell coming ashore near La Panne eleven days later.

2./ZG52 Messerschmitt Bf110C. Shot down in combat with fighters of Nos. 56, 145, 601, and 610 Squadrons off Dunkirk and crashed onto 125 Veurnestraat at De Panne 7.20 p.m. FF Uffz Karl Kübler and BF Obergefr Fritz Günther both killed. Aircraft 100% write-off.
The aircraft demolished the house killing 16 inhabitants. The bodies of Karl Kübler and Fritz Günther were subsequently recovered and now lie in Block 42 at Lommel in Graves 299 and 367 respectively.

Two of these can be discounted immediately while that of NEUMANN, in my opinion, also went into the Channel. To the best of my knowledge he remain 'missing' which would not be the case had he been recovered from the wreckage at Sercus. His gunner, LAUDEMANN was apparently treated in hospital at Dunkirk before being released during the German advance. This is consistent with his aircraft being lost somewhere over/off the coast.

So the identity of the 110 at Sercus remains elusive. However, it strikes me that if a body was indeed recovered from the wreckage there it should have received a local burial which opens an entirely new line of enquiry.