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Re: 4 Bü 131 claimed on 2 May 1945 by 130 Squadron
Hallo Christian
Vielen Dank. A few thoughts, based on information you have kindly provided in your replies.
1. You may wish to have a look at the link provided by edwest in his post "German a/C interned Switzerland" on this site, as it shows four Bü181 and an FW44 interned in 1945.
2. In his memoirs of this period, which are deposited with the Imperial War Museum here in London, Flt. Lt. John Wilkinson relates a story about when 41 Squadron arrived at Celle on 16 April 1945. He describes how he found that the Luftwaffe had left a number of aircraft scattered around the airfield and in the surrounding forest. Some had been smashed with sledgehammers and others burned. However, using good pieces from a number of different aircraft, he, Flt. Lt. Farfan and Flt. Lt. Fisher built their own composite aircraft, painted it yellow, added RAF roundels, and managed to get it to fly. The aircraft they (re-)built they believed to have been a Bücker 181, which remained with the Squadron during their future moves.
3. I was interested in your mentions of the Fieseler Storche flying to Berlin and back, and was wondering if these might have been the same aircraft (or the same unit) as claimed by 41 Squadron's pilots Chalmers and Fisher. As I don't have the book you mention (Taghon, Peter, Geschichte des Lehrgeschwaders 1, Vol. 2: 1942-1945, 1. Ausgabe, Zweibrücken/Germany 2004, p. 435-437), would it be possible to obtain a scan of this from you, please?
Danke im voraus
Steve
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