[David E. Brown]

Hello Woodpecker,

Echoing Leon’s comments, in Siegfried Radtke’s 1990 book “Kampgeschwader 54: von der Ju 52 zur Me 262 – Eine Chronik nach Kriegstagebüchern, Documenten und Berichten 1935-1945”, he notes three Ju 88 losses for that period that might by your aircraft. Information comes from the text (p.217), Appendix 8 - Personalverluste (p.336) and Appendix 9 – Flugzeugverluste (p.370):

30 July 1944 – Ju 88 A-4, WNr.3665, B3+CH, 1./KG 54, 100%, Le Mesnil, France
FF: Lt. Hans Sickfeld – missing
BO: Uffz. Oskar Winter – missing
BF: Uffz. Hermann Mittelstaedt – missing
BS: Fw. Erich Leimbach – missing

31 July 1944 – Ju 88 A-4, WNr.????, B3+JS, 8./KG 54, 100%, Le Mesnil, France
FF: Uffz. Karl Pohlschmidt – missing
BO: Uffz. Wolfgang Schubert – missing
BF: Uffz. Heinz Wischers – missing
BS: Ogefr. Wilhelm Möller – missing

31 July 1944 – Ju 88 A-4, WNr.????, B3+ES, 8./KG 54, 100%, near Gavré, France
FF: Uffz. Horst Baumgart – missing
BO: Ogefr. Bruno Sitek – missing
BF: Ogefr. Ernst Specht – missing
BS: Uffz. Ernst Kaupa – missing

In the text, Radtke offers more information and states that the two losses on the 31st – presumably very early on that date – were at Granville, Gavray [Gavré] (B3+JS) and Le Mesnil-Herman (B3+ES) respectively. He also states that the BF (Bordfunker ) of Baumgart’s aircraft B3+ES, Ogefr. Ernst Specht, was later determined to be a POW. Presumably, this is you?

Regarding the discovery and excavation of the aircraft and crew remains, I don’t have any information, but perhaps John Manrho in the Netherlands would probably be able to help you. I’ll send you his contact information separately. If you go to the following website - http://www.volksbund.de/graebersuche/content_suche.asp - you may be able to locate the resting place of your fellow crew members.

All the best with your search,

David