Nom de Plumes - Luftwaffe aircrew 1940

[BrianC]

Hi guys

In Edmund Blandford's "Target England" (Airlife 1997) there appear several names that may be nom de plumes. Can anyone identify (circa August/September 1940):

Horst Juventus (apparently KG26 pilot)
Ltn Otto Jufen (He111 observer)
Johann Schmidt (He111 pilot)
Karl Haulmeier (KG2 observer)
George Kessler (He111 gunner)
Horst Jentzen
Hans Gilbert (KG2 pilot)
Christian Rossler
Karl-Ludwig Weinfarth
Peter Kroller (KG2)

Peter Winkler (Bf109)
Kurt Henner (Bf109)
Peter Harmel (Bf109)

The author implied that he met all these men but, for some unknown reason, possibly did not use their real names in his book.

Perhaps this has been discussed previously?

Brian

[Chris Goss]

I cannot see why in 1997 he would use such names unless they did not exist! Without a date or incident, I cannot see how anyone but he could come up with the real names if indeed they are real. Sounds like a work of fiction

[Brian Bines]

I had the same problem with the book and contacted the author . As I remember from his reply he had collected all sorts of info about incidents including wartime newspapers . From this I understood the incidents happened but he probably put a name to at least some of the Luftwaffe men . A couple of wartime newspapers I have has a resident, saying about a Luftwaffe airman , we gave him a cup of tea he said his name was Fritz , Karl etc. however when linked to the NVM this was incorrect .

[Chris Goss]

So as good as a work of fiction. To use newspaper reports would mean that they were subject to propaganda so from a contemporary historian's point of view, worthless

[paulmcmillan]

My experience of newspaper reports even before the war talk about “Bob” “Pete” etc and don’t name the pilot but as my interest Is Parachute incidents prior to May 1940 is that their is enough of a clue to sometimes work out the actual incidents based on what has actually been written and if you know enough about your subject area to work out who Bob and Pete really are

What I mean is can you take an incident that mentions a “name” And see
If its criteria meets any other “known” incident

[Peter Cook]

I did a search for each one of the names in a database that I have that includes Luftwaffe pilots from the BoB period that are listed in the Kracker Luftwaffe Archive and DeZeng and Stankeys list of Luftwaffe officers - no matches for any of them!

[BrianC]

Thanks guys

I've taken all on board but tend to agree with Paul.

Cheers
Brian

[Chris Goss]

Allied is one thing. German totally different. I would agree with Brian Bines especially in this case where the author is very vague

[BrianC]

Thanks Chris

Cheers
Brian