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Loss He.111 KG53 (KG3?) on 25th November 1944
Dear researchers,
On 25th November 1944 a He.111 (carrying a V-1) was claimed at 05.10 hrs 10 miles off Texel by F/O F. S. Stevens and F/O W. A. H. Kellett in Mosquito RX-J serial HK290 from 456 Squadron. They chased the Heinkel for 25 minutes and saw it exploding on the water surface.
According to the Fighter Command War Diaries written by John Foreman it concerned a He.111 from 1./KG53 piloted by Fw Kurt Hillmann.
According to local burial reports Fw Hillmann washed ashore on 27th November 1944 near beach pole 16 near the coastal village of Callantsoog, some 10 miles South of Den Helder, The Netherlands. His body was buried on 30th December 1944 at the cemetery of Huisduinen, 1 mile West of Den Helder. Again the grave reports mentioned the unit 1./KG53.
However, I cannot find any corresponding loss of KG53 in the book "Legion Kondor 53" by Heinz Kiehl, Motorbuchverlag. As KG53 was reformed to KG3 for V-1 operations against the UK I pressume the Heinkel (and Fw Hillmann) might have belonged to KG3.
Perhaps somebody can shed a light on this loss?
Thanks in advance,
Hans Nauta
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