The Goldener Sonntag of the Pilot Oblt. EMIL BITSCH , JG 3 .

[Giorgio Pietrobon]

Like WWII free Researcher I am involved in a large search about all the 11 Heavy Bombers USAAF lost on 19 December 1943, the well known battle of the Goldener Sonntag.
One of those stories looks the B-17 Flying Fortress serial # 42-5832 "War Bird II" , Pilot Lt. CYRIL C. STIDD, 99th Bomb Group, 15th A.F. , returning from the second bombardment of the Marshalling Yards of Innsbruck, Austria.
Over the Gsiestal / Val Casies , Suedtirol, the plane was hit by a Luftwaffe fighter in pursuit of the American formation since the Austrian territory. Just after the bail out of 6 Crewmembers the bomber exploded in the sky. The tail fell in a wood with inside 3 young Sergeants gunners dead.
Half fuselage with the wings,the 4 engines , the nose and the cockpit ended the flight off control into another side of a mountain , between high trees.
The Pilot was near his seat, badly wounded but alive. The 7 survived were captured by the local Suedtiroler Ordnung Dienst and after transported as POW to German Luftstalag 's .
My attention is now oriented to the Luftwaffe ' Pilot.
I found his name,rank and Unit in the official O.K.L. Fighter Claims ' List.

" 19.12.43 Oblt. EMIL BITSCH : 107 ( victories ) 8./JG 3 B-17 i.Raum KE . 6.000 m ( Dolomiti di Sesto ) 12,28 h. "

But in truth the exact identification could possible thanks to a signal of a Friend , Walter Boaretto ,Secretary in the Niederdorf / Villabassa ' Municipality, Pustertal ,Bozen.
He found in the Museum of the big village 2 metal plates. Both have traces of the hard war event. The first trophy,aluminium and wood together,was coming from the Allied plane. A fine oil painting represents the round tail of the Fortress with markings.
The claimant Officer Pilot is remembered with date of the combat, serial n. of this B-17, number of victories,his Ritterkreuz. At end the painter ' signature : Josef Tschurtschenthaler.
The second piece is composed in wood and a fragment of crushed aluminium,more hard than other,and a wooden carved frame around. Ever the same written information and the artist ' signature . This time the image presents the Me 109 ' crash place in the Sexten Tal / Val di Sesto , Bozen, Italia.
Both the planes were shot down ,almost in a contemporary time.
The German Airman,he wounded too, was soon recovered in the Cortina' Hospital as I know from a Book of Prof. Thomas Albrich , Historian in the Innsbruck ' University. Arno Gisinger is co-Author.

Because I am studying this one combat and I would communicate what I know to the Bitsch ' Family , I am greatly interested to a touch via mail whit his relatives in Germany or Austria.
Every meet in this Forum with former Colleagues will be welcome.
Anyone has E.B. ' record-service, info ,details or pictures of the two wrecks ?
Other news, if it can be interesting,in a next eventual message.
Attach 1 : Walter & Giorgio.
Attach 2 : The remembering plates.

Thanks ,
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Giorgio Pietrobon

Retired Teacher . Treviso . Italia . giorgiopietrobon@libero.it

[advsmt]

For interest I have attached a copy of mine - postcard with signature and details. hope it worked OK.

[Giorgio Pietrobon]

advsmt : The signature is a personal mark of this Pilot and I prize your card like a very interesting contribution. Thanks.
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Why the pair of plates were found in the old Museum of Wasserman Sisters in Niederdorf/Villabassa ?

Listened some witnesses , Walter and I are believing that following reconstruction of the facts could be near to truth.
After his bail out Pilot Emil Bitsch landed with injures over a mountain in the Sextental / Valle di Sesto.
A farmer who was near transported him into the valley ' bottom by a sledge. The Pilot told after that this very fast experience was "more dangerous than a war ' fight ! "
After a time of treatments and recovering in the Cortina ' Lazarett, 45 km from Sexten, E.B. returned in both the places of his strong but lucky adventure.
He saw the wrecks , probably took many photos and then personally chose two metallic elements with a project.
In Moos / Moso he knew the appreciated painter ready to make 2 works : an enemy trophy and a last "souvenir" from his lost plane.
Entrusted the task he left to reach his fellows who were in far airports in Germany.
Busy at the Reich ' defense his death on 15 March 1944 cut any return in the Alpenvorland Territory.
The war ended , the artist waited the German Pilot for a long time , many years probably , and finally sold or presented the pieces to the Sisters passionate of every type of collectibles.
The wood-alum painting with the Fortress ' tail is now shown in the Schloss Tirol / Castel Tirolo ' Museum near Meran / Merano,Suedtirol, Italia.
The 2nd wreckage dear to Bitsch is always visible contacting Walter in his public Office.