Serching for Luftwaffe Crew & Relatives.

[Ciara Redman]

Hello,
I am currently researching for a BBC TV documentary. I wondered if the members of this forum may be able to help me two enquiries I have? I have listed the specifics below, if anyone can offer any help or advice I'd be very grateful. Both enquires (or appeals for help!) relate to the bombing of Coventry City on the 14th November 1940. The operation was code named 'Moonlight Sonata'.

1. I'm trying to trace any surviving relatives of a four man crew shot down on the evening of the 14th November nr Loughborough. I understand that this was the only loss the Luftwaffe endured during the operation and sadly all four men died. The crew were retrieved from the aircraft and buried at Loughborough Cemetery with military honours.
Aircraft: Dornier 17z number 2892 from 6/KG3
CREW: Karl Dilthey (32) Oswald Preiss (22) Wilhelm Wellenbrock (21) Gunter Kuhne (21)

2. The second appeal for help relates to any surviving members of the Luftwaffe bomber crew who would have been in service on the western front in November 1940. I appreciate that any surviving crew members will be nearing or in their 90's so this element of my research is quite a tall order. However, if anyone has any family members or contacts with ex servicemen that may be able to help or assist with this please do get in touch.

To my knowledge Luftflotte 2 and 3 were responsible for the Western front & Britain, and that within those units the following Kampfgeschwader are known to have taken part in the raid on the 14th November 1940: Kampfgeschwader 4 / Kampfgeschwader 51 / Kampfgeschwader 54 / Kampfgeschwader 55. the aircraft used were Dornier 17, Junkers 88 and Heinkel 111.

Please be assured that the purpose of this search is bring historical context to the progamme by including the thoughts, memories and experiences of crews during what were often very frightening and uncertain times.

Please feel free to reply to this thread or contact me directly by email on: ciara.redman@bbc.co.uk or telephone: 0044 1215677030
Many thanks.
Ciara

[Chris Goss]

There is not a KG 3 Association or history so you will be very lucky to get in touch with relatives.

You are one of a number of researchers trying to contact German aircrew involved in "Mondscheinsonate Korn" (to give it its full name) or the Blitz and I have been contacted to help. Unfortunately, Coventry was just one of many attacks by crews and so far I have not been able to get one to tell me what it was like that night-it was just another bombing mission

As to participating units, it was Luftflottes 2 & 3 and for certain, I, II & III/LG 1, I, II & III/KG 27, KGr 100, KGr 606, I, II & III/KG 51, I & II/KG 54, KGr 806, I, II & III/KG 55, KG 26, KG 76, KG 77, KG 1, KG 2, I/KG 3, II/KG 4 and II/KG 53 took part

[Spanferkel]

There is this website developed by author Walter Waiss which deals a fair amount with KG 3 and it's personnel.

http://www.blitzgeschwader.de/index.html

Not sure if he is in contact with surviving members of the Geschwader but it might be a point of reference.

Regards

Jeremy

[FrankieS]

http://macr.moonfruit.com/#/dornier-...892/4519582402
Aircraft Dornier Do.17Z W/n 2892 6./KG3 code: 5K+BP
Crashed 14.11.1940 at 22:00 in the grounds of Prestwold Hall near Loughborough.

Zum Gedenken A1850183
Nachname: Dilthey
Vorname: Karl
Dienstgrad: Feldwebel
Geburtsdatum: 21.02.1908
Geburtsort: Weidenau a.Sieg (postal code = 57076)
Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 15.11.1940
Todes-/Vermisstenort: Parish of Burton on the Wolds
Karl Dilthey ruht auf der Kriegsgräberstätte in Loughborough Cemetery (Großbritannien) .
Endgrablage: Abteilung 345 Grab 3

Zum Gedenken I1967065
Nachname: Preiss
Vorname: Oswald
Dienstgrad: Oberleutnant
Geburtsdatum: 09.09.1918
Geburtsort: Nürnberg (postal codes = 90402–90491
Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 14.11.1940 - 15.11.1940
Oswald Preiss ruht auf der Kriegsgräberstätte in Loughborough Cemetery (Großbritannien) .
Endgrablage: Abteilung 345 Grab 2

Zum Gedenken M1967069
Nachname: Wellenbrock
Vorname: Wilhelm
Dienstgrad: Obergefreiter
Geburtsdatum: 12.11.1919
Geburtsort: Münster in Westfalen (postal codes = 48143–48167)
Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 15.11.1940
Wilhelm Wellenbrock ruht auf der Kriegsgräberstätte in Loughborough Cemetery (Großbritannien) .
Endgrablage: Abteilung 345 Grab 5

Zum Gedenken G1967063
Nachname: Kuhne
Vorname: Günter
Dienstgrad: Unteroffizier
Geburtsdatum: 11.04.1919
Geburtsort: Magdeburg (postal codes = 39104–39130)
Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 15.11.1940
Todes-/Vermisstenort: Parish of Burton on the Wolds
Günter Kuhne ruht auf der Kriegsgräberstätte in Loughborough Cemetery (Großbritannien) .
Endgrablage: Abteilung 345 Grab 4

[Ciara Redman]

Thank you all for getting in touch, the information you have given me has already helped as it gives me new avenues to pursue!

Would anyone have the Namentliche Verlustmeldung belonging to the crew members, or know where I could search to try and find them?

FrankieS has kindly posted the Volksbund entries for each crew member above, if anyone recognises any of the information or if it rings a bell please do get in touch.

thank you

Ciara

[Ciara Redman]

Thank you Jeremy, I will get in touch with them today!

[Chris Goss]

Not sure if the NVM will add more than you already have apart from their service numbers. If it is an old NVM, you might have the next of kin details (but look at the age of the pilot to give you an idea of ages!) and WASt now will not give away birth places/NOK details etc

[Ciara Redman]

Hi Chris,

I wasn't really what the NVM's were or the amount of information they would contain at first. Like you say even if they contain next of kin details, If it's their parents, uit's not liekly to help. I probably need to find a way of tracing siblings or children.

Do you know if there is a way of searching if they had any siblings who were also in service? Would that have been held on record anywhere?

thanks again
Ciara

[Chris Goss]

I am afraid the WASt (who have these NVMs) do not give away such details nowadays. The NVM would contain just the NOK, not brothers etcunless they were NOK

[paul kroon]

Maybe I was lucky when I wrote to a townhall for information on next if kin.
They sent me the address of a relative. He was as kind as to send me a photo of his uncle, who was a fighter pilot.
I think it is worth trying.
pk