Identification of Luftwaffe prisoners in England

[rickback4444]

Hi,

I'm sure I ask the impossible but . .

Can anyone identify any of the Luftwaffe personnel in this photo of POW in England?

On the back there is some information about an Oberleutnant but who I don't know!

Thanks

Rick

[RolandF]

The Oberleutnant is Heinz Viehs.
If he´s member of a bomber crew the other POWs marked with a red cross might be his crew members.

Regards

Roland

[Bombphoon]

POW Camp No.4 was Gilling Camp, Richmond, in North Yorkshire.

Source: www.islandfarm.fsnet.co.uk/LIST%20OF%20UK%20POW%20CAMPS1.htm

[Brian]

Hi guys

Do we know when Oblt Heinz Viehs and his crew came down?

Cheers
Brian

[Joe Potter]

Hi,
Could this be Oblt H. Viess, 5/KG40, 24/5.07.1942, his crew were all POW's?
Cheers
Joe

[Brian Bines]

I could not find an Oblt. Viehs (but I make mistakes) could it be Oblt. Heinrich Viess of II/KG40 flying U5+CN shot down Gedney Hill near Holbeach Lincs. 23/24-7-42.

[Chris Goss]

It is Viess of 5/KG 40. Back row 3rd from keft is Hptm Alfred Kindler 6/KG 2 POW 31 Jul 42. To his left is Oblt Hans Wolff 6/KG 2 POW 23 Aug 42. Sitting 3rd from left is Hptm Albert Hufenreuther of 5/KG 53 POW 11 May 41. I have the photo taken at Windlestone Hall?

[BC]

Rick,

Thanks for sharing this fascinating picture and caption. Oblt Hans Wolff was pilot of 6/KG.2 Do 217E-4 Werk-Nr.1152 U5+LP shot down 2250 hours 22 (NOT 23) August 1942, Lodge Farm, Worlingworth, Suffolk. And that's ALL I'm saying on the subject.

BC

[RolandF]

For our script specialists:
Again this was written in a strange mixture of "Sütterlinschrift" and "Normschrift". Thus it is not "hs" but a so-called "sharp s", written "ß". (Learned to write it that same way at school in the 60ies)
So the name would be "Vieß", transcription "Viess".

Just for further inquiries and a further fact how different names can be written or spelled in their own German language, not to mention the bureaucracy of an Anglo-american POW camp

Regards

Roland

[RolandF]

In connection with this photo a small story about the other side of war.
Viess' wife or parents obviously lived in Crailsheim. For Viess the war was over after his capture, but in the final days of WW2 Crailsheim was destroyed 85%, the medieval city 95% during the so-called "Battle of Crailsheim" April 5th - 21st 1945 with e.g. heavy Me 262 attacks on Crailsheim airfield and hundreds of the approx. 10.000 inhabitants killed during the heavy fights. Maybe Viess' relatives were among them.

That´s what the POWs was expecting when they returned home.

Regards

Roland