[Brian]

Hi Steve

Referring to my 1987 co-authored 'Air war for Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete', on 3 May 1941 during a raid on Suda Bay by an estimated 24 Ju88s from I/KG51 and L/LG1, 1/KG51 lost two aircraft (9K+GH flown by Ltn Rudolf Ortner into the sea off Suda Bay and 9K+LH Fw Georg Fanderl that crashed on the island). My books says that Ortner at least was rescued, but it now seems that this may not have been the case. Two Ju88s were claimed by Hurricane pilot Sgt George Genders (V7800), who also claimed two damaged, while Flg Off E.J. Woods claimed one, Flg Off David Moir claimed a probable and Flg Off Ping Newton two damaged. The guns around Suda Bay also claimed two destroyed but these were probably the same aircraft that fell to the Hurricanes.

Next day (4 May), 16 Ju88s repeated the raid on Suda Bay, one from I/KG51 being badly damaged and crashed at Krumovo on return, while one from I/LG1 landed at Eleusis on one engine. Lt Rupert Brabner in a Fulmar of 805 Squadron claimed one shot down, while Hurricane pilots Flg Newton claimed a probable, and Flg Off Woods and Flg Off George Noel-Johnson claimed two damaged. The guns also claimed two damaged.

IIRC, Lt Brabner MP later became Under-Secretary of State for Air and was killed in a plane crash in 1945. George Genders DFM became a test pilot postwar and was killed testing the DH108 tailless jet. And by way of coincidence, I met George Noel-Johnson's son a few years ago when he was piloting a passenger jet from Morooco to England on which Val and I were passengers. I recognised the unusual surname - and was invited to the cockpit for a chat!

Hope this helps

Brian