|
I met Dr Kratz in the 1980s just after he retired from being a dentist. He had been a career flyer, promoted to Leutnant in 1936.
Interested to know how you came to know about him.
He also flew a search flight for Oblt Schmid when he and his crew defected with the Ju88 and landed at Dyce.
Will dig out my notes but think that after NJG 5 he was transferred to Berlin.
In 1940 he was with KG30 and attacked RAF Driffield. Chris was correct about article he wrote about the attack. He said he had been asked to write it and that it had been "padded out" to make it "acceptable" for publication!
He told me that he came off combat flying due to his health, I think it was a heart condition. He still had heart problems when I met him.
His association with the Italian Air Force was in 1941. By 1942 he was in 4/NJG 2 and either here or with NJG 3 he claimed a Wellington destroyed whilst flying an Me110.
He was one of the pilots that flew an airsea rescue flight looking for Oblt Schmid (NJG 3) who flew his Ju88 to Dyce. He described finding an empty dinghy and they assumed Schmid had perished. They later learned of his defection and one of their unit later heard their radio transmission.
Kratz told me that he ended the war in the Air Ministry in Berlin.
Later he was approached by a government department and asked if he would vouch for Schmid who was wanting to return to Germany. Kratz refused.
He passed away maybe 10 years ago now, his widow recently.
|