Ju 88 A-1 21 August 1940, Kings Somborne

[Icare9]

HNY all
There is a Memorial erected in the early 50's by the community and RBL for the 4 crew of a Ju88A that crashed near Kings Somborne.
The Memorial gives the date as 23 August with 4 unknown aircrew.

Further research locally seems to have produced 4 Names,
Ogefr. Gerhard Freude - pilot;
Oblt. Max-Dankward (Dankwort?) Birkenstock - observer
Uffz. Rudolf Schulze - radio observer
Gefr. Franz Becker - gunner
which appear to have been furnished by the VdK but none of those Names appear in the CWGC database.
http://www.astoft2.co.uk/hants/hoplandsmemorial.htm
It's obviously possible that the crew may have been incinerated in the crash, but as someone described the aircraft as a Ju88A-1 presumably there was something left for identification at least of the aircraft (not too difficult as I think only the A-1 and A-4 (just) would have been in service in August 1940).

If the locals and RBL were able to forgive and forget so soon after the War, is it possible to rectify the "forgot" aspect so as to identify the aircraft, crew and their final resting place?

Appreciate anything further to help complete.

[Larry Hickey]

Icare9

Here is what we carry in the EoE LW Loss DB for this crash:

"21 August 1940: 1./KG54 Junkers Ju88A-1. Shot down by SL J.S. O’Brien and P/O R.F.T. Doe of No.234 Squadron during armed-reconnaissance over southern England. Jettisoned bombs and crashed in flames and burned out at King’s Sombourne 2.15 p.m. BO Oberlt Max-Dankwart Birkenstock, FF Obergefr Gerhard Freude, BF Uffz Rudolf Schulze, and BS Gefr Franz Becker all missing. Aircraft 100% write-off.
No prescribed burial of the remains of this crew took place and they now lie in an unconsecrated and unregistered grave close to the spot where they crashed. A memorial stone inscribed to 'To 4 Unknown German Airmen Aug 23 1940' was erected alongside a lane on nearby Hoplands Farm."

I think that this is what you wanted.

[edNorth]

Yes, easy find date and crew, but yet not that simple. Wherever you have that info from on the Ju 88 A-4, that is incorrect. No production Ju 88 A-4 (Dive-Bomber) had left the factories by that month, and this not appearing until spring 1941. The Ju 88 A-1, A-3, A-5, A-5 F, C-1, C-2 and C-3 existed, beside single Ju 88 B V prototype and several prototypes. Over 1000 had been produced, and deliveres were on the increase.

But date was 21st August 1940. It was Ju 88 A-1 (Dive Bomber = Stu.Ka.) of 1./KG 54 "Totenkopf" (Matti Salonen NVM listings) - Please note my typing and where spaces are placed in the designation - thats correct spelling, dictated by the RLM (German Air Ministry). After 70+ years we (all) should know how to write it correctly.

Max-Dankwart Birkenstock was Bombardier, Freude was pilot, Schulze was Radio Operator (& Gunner) and Becker was Gunner (usually in underfuselage gondola, facing aft.) are reported killed. Serial number of the plane and individual code (B3+?H) is not known, but if parts of it can be found, there is always chance serial might be found on a component or a part plate. Time and place of crash is given "Kings Sombourne 14:15 hrs".

-Ed

[Joe Potter]

Has anyone the dates and places of birth for this crew?
Thanks
Joe

[Peter Cornwell]

60024/67 FF Obergefr Gerhard FREUDE 14.10.18 Koslitz, Luben
60024/4 BO Oberlt Max-Dankwart BIRKENSTOCK 16.12.15 Neustettin, Stettin
60024/64 BF Uffz Rudolf SCHULZE 29.9.19 Liegnitz
60024/79 BS Gefr Franz BECKER 18.1.19 Hurth, Koln

[Joe Potter]

Peter,
Thanks very much, Happy New Year,
Regards
Joe

[Icare9]

Larry, Ed, Peter and Joe
Much appreciate the additional details and the tutorial on the art of setting out the aircraft designation.
It's not a location on my doorstep, I can pass the info on to the locals to see what transpires.
I felt that were this a Bomber Command crew in Germany some effort would be made to provide the dignity of a known grave, if possible.
The details provided are fairly scanty, but it apparently crashed in a mustard field somewhat to the north of Kings Somborne near the Stockbridge Road and in sight of schoolchildren looking out of a window. As the school is to the south, then perhaps it was somewhere near the New Lane junction to be visible from the school.
Much appreciate the personal details, it transforms them from "unknown" to men we can identify with.
Bob Doe is reported to have visited the site soon after, and reports say the area had bloodstained bandages, indicating that some of the crew were wounded before the aircraft crashed.
This is as far as local research had got, so you can see how much more you have contributed.
http://www.astoft2.co.uk/hants/hoplandsmemorial.htm
Thank you.

EDIT: Original post corrected for designation and location

EDIT 2: I have now found the link to Andy Saunders book in which on p69 he details this crash and has a photo of the wreckage in a mustard field and photo of Franz Becker https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...201940&f=false

If Andy hasn't found the site or what may have happened to the crew, it's unlikely to progress much further.
The wreckage must have been salvaged, so what became of the crew?

EDIT 3: It appears Andy Saunders has thoroughly investigated this, see Chapter 8 Down on the Farm here: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...NSTOCK&f=false
and the crash site identified by the farmer as Manor Farm.
http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/21495
Even Andy doesn't seem to have been able to unravel what became of the 4 crew.