[avoigt]

Martin, I only noticed now that you requested info on 10th May, 40 not 3rd Mar. 41!! My apologies - My father's account of his crash on May 10th runs to 70 odd pages. I will give you a brief account for the moment , if you want clarification on anything later you can let me know.

The mission was a dawn attack on an airfield near Lille, France. They left Muenster (9 machines) and headed west for the Dutch border. Having passed over Arnhem and Rotterdam they turned south and then east into Belgium (over Ostende) , then on to Lille. Just as the bombload was dropped the plane was hit twice from the rear by a Spitfire. Both engines were disabled, radio operator killed. mechanic wounded and voigt wounded in shoulder, neck and mouth. Pilot was the only crew member uninjured. He managed to crash land the plane in Belgium. Belgian police took the survivors to a nearby town (Lens) where they were kept in custody (seperated). Next day, Voigt was taken to a hospital in Mons and had a bullet removed from his mouth. He never saw the mechanic again. Next day he was taken to Brussels and following that transported by hospital train westwards to Ostende (due to advancing German forces). From there he was moved by train (in cattle wagons) to Dunkirk along with hundreds of other POWs. After a week in this train in Dunkirk they were all moved to ships (used as prisons) in Dunkirk harbour. He was renuited with his pilot on this ship but after some days of shelling by German artilary on the harbour, the ship took a direct hit. As all the POWs were lying in the hold together both men either side of Voigt were killed, one the pilot. Voigt took severe shrapnel wounds to his lower left leg. Survivors were then taken to a hospital near the beach in Durkirk where he witnessed the evacuation of British troops to England. He was finally freed by German troops on June 4th. He was taken home to a hospital in Leipzig to recover. Voigt rejoined his squadron in Tours in Nov. 40. Of the 9 planes departing Muenster that morning (May 10th) only 6 returned. Two other crews were sent to Canada as POWs. Most of the returning planes were damaged.