Name of location on the reverse of a photo

[John Vasco]

Can anyone decipher the name of the location shown on the reverse of two photos, please? '...flugzeug auf der Strasse zwischen St. Vith und ???...'

Photos are from a crash during the Western Campaign in the Spring of 1940.

[bn785371]

The town is MARCHE.

[Nordpol54]

John,

1. Abgestürztes deutsches Flugzeug auf der Straße zwischen St. Vith und Marche.

2. Notgelandetes deutsches Flugzeug ...?... (bei?) Marche.

Possibly it means Marche-en-Famenne.

Best Regards
Norbert

[John Vasco]

Thanks to you both for your prompt replies - appreciated.

Is it possible therefore, to roughly locate the place where this occured, if it is between St. Vith and Marche? Any airfields in the vicinity in 1940?

[F19Gladiator]

Hi John,
The same aircraft on another reverse side of a photo has the handwriting "Emergency-landed German military aircraft by the road St.Hubert - Houffalize (Belgium)". As seen from photos the aircraft landed to the left of the direction of the advancing German columns, i.e. they had the aircraft on their left side when advancing.
Another gives the location along what I suppose can be a march route :"St.Vith, Malmedy, Eupen".
Br
Goran

[John Vasco]

Goran,
Thanks for that.
Another photo says La Roche.
I think the location is now pretty much sorted out. What is still to be determined is the date. From all the photos of this one, I think the pilot has simply run off the airfield into a ditch. Perhaps insufficient damage to report it up the line (and not show the pilot to be a clot at the same time!), and enough spare parts to get it airworthy again...?

[F19Gladiator]

Hi John,
I have only seen the date of 19 May 1940 on one reverse side of a photo.
Br
Goran

[John Vasco]

Originally Posted by F19Gladiator

Hi John,
I have only seen the date of 19 May 1940 on one reverse side of a photo.
Br
Goran

Goran,
So have I. But that date turns up nothing with regard to the aircraft in question. And nothing before that date either. I think it is as I stated in my previous post: not reported up the line as damaged, and also no injuries to the crew to report...

[ClinA-78]

Is it possible to get the pictures of the aircraft in order to pin-point it if able? There was an airstrip between Marche-en-Famenne and Jemelle.

Best regards

ClinA-78

[John Vasco]

I doubt you'll be able to pinpoint it from the photos. Rolled wheels-down into a ditch at the edge of a field: