[Peter Cornwell]

Oberfw Erich KUHLMANN was one of two 3./JG53 pilots reported ‘missing’ following operations over southern England on September 2, 1940, and, as Brian has already stated, was flying Bf109E-4 (1167) on his last mission. According to Lw records the two missing pilots were (67005/15) Lt Herbert RIEGEL, last seen in action over Ashford, and (67007/5) KUHLMANN lost over the English Channel between Dover and Calais.

At 08.50 hours on that date a Bf109E crashed at Bridge Farm Field at Bilsington in Kent the aircraft being totally destroyed and the pilot killed. Unable to be identified, he was buried as an ‘Unknown German Airman’ in Grave 1133/1 in New Romney Cemetery. On his exhumation on October 10, 1962, prior to transfer to Cannock Chase, it was documented that he ‘possibly’ carried the Erkennungsmarke 67007/15 so the possibility certainly exists that the Unknown German Airman in Grave 1-5-152 at Cannock Chase may be KUHLMANN although similarities between the two identity numbers of both pilots concerned makes this conclusion unsafe.

There is indeed a photo of KUHLMANN on p132 of Chris Goss’ excellent Brothers in Arms (Crecy 1994) showing him with Staffelkapitän Wolfgang LIPPERT and others following the award of the EKII.