Jonny Fest - comrade of Heinz Knoke mentioned in "I Flew For the Fuehrer"

[kennethklee]

Although I have not read Heinz Knoke's autobiography for several years and do not have immediate access to the book, I have long been curious about Jonny Fest, a comrade Knoke mentions prominently in his autobiography and whom is credited with downing three B-17 bombers with one bomb dropped during the brief air-to-air bombing campaign conducted by Knoke's staffel. Fest was among the last of Knoke's comrades killed in battle to fall. I have found varying amounts of information on most of Knoke's comrades mentioned in the book, but I have not found any on Jonny Fest. I'd be appreciative if anyone could provide some information on this pilot. Was Fest an ace? What was his official first name?

Thanks much for reading and any information.

Ken

[Juri_JS]

There was a Wilhelm Fest in 5./JG 11 who was one of the units aces, I guess this was Jonny's real name.

[Johannes]

Hi Ken

Wilhelm Fest did get at least six confirmations:-

19th May 1943 B-17 south of Hallig Sudfall 1318 hrs 7400 metres Nr.1
28th July 1943 B-17 X 3 0906 hrs 6000 metres Nr.2-4
6th March 1944 P-47 Lingen area 1155 hrs 7000 metres A.S.M
29th April 1944 B-24 west of Minden 1340 hrs 6500 metres

The first five were as a Unteroffizier, the last as a Feldwebel. The Micro Films during January 1944 are generally recording only the date and time of "Kill" and perhaps he could be responsable for some of these, so I have left the last two without number!

On 8th May 1944 he was shot down in combat with U.S Thunderbolt's, he bailed-out of his Bf109 near Uelzen, Germany, but his parachute failed to open, and he fell to his death!

Regarding Knoke:- he was rebuffed from post war meetings as was an outspoken Nazi(allegedly), and over the years we have been given variously differing totals for "kills" 52, 44 and 33 have all been declared, and as he survived the war, I can only think these came from himself, though it would appear that only fifteen were ever confirmed(thirteen of them viermots). He has been also sited as being not that honest with his claims, but as so few were actually put forward offically, I would give him the benifit of the doubt!

Regards

Johannes

[kennethklee]

Juri_JS-Thanks for the information about Wilhelm "Jonny" Fest.-Kenneth

Johannes-

I greatly appreciate the additional detailed information about Fest, as well as Heinz Knoke. I didn't know about Knoke's alleged pro-Nazi stance and activities postwar, but I am not surprised, as he supported right-wing politics (I could be wrong, but I vaguely recall he mentioned this in "I Flew For the Fuehrer").

From my initial reading of Toliver/Constable's Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe 30 years ago as a pre-teen, I still recall the authors' emphasis that the Luftwaffe fighter pilots were only soldiers and did not support Nazism and even opposed it. Of course, I know now this was naive and that at least some, if not many, Luftwaffe pilots and staff were pro-Nazis, such as Knoke and Nowotny.

Thanks much again,
Kenneth

[Ruy Horta]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz_Knoke

Short look at his political career that is easy to follow up in terms of political spectrum.

[Johannes]

Hi, so officially Knoke was a Nazi! Seems that Nazi's were particulary liable to fraudulent claims if as suggested Nowotny was, and Dickfeld was a Nazi until his death aged 99, and his I would say were suspect! With Knoke I think he did not make fraudulent claims, more he exagerated post war his totals, his book lists 33, so I guess we must assume that is what he claimed un-officially, though his book contradicts as on page 184 he states fifty-two shoot downs, his log-book survive's, but this seems to come purely from his own lips, with no supporting evidence. Generally Jg1/Jg11 were pretty honest. I also think that Nazi's got more than there share of decorations, if Knoke had only fifteen confirmations, even his thirteen viermots wouldn't generally warrant the Ritterkreuz, and his Deutsches Kreuz in Gold is not recorded in the book on the subject......but neither is Hermann Graf's, and both are known to have worn them!

Regards

Johannes

[GMichalski]

I don´t known about Dickfeld political position ...
I imagine that G. Gollob and Ulrich Rudel also were Nazis....
regards

[Brian Bines]

Ken,

An NVM for his injuries in a crashlanding on 27-9-43 just shows Uffz. Wilhelm Fest born 4-5-1922 at Lackhausen, Kreis Dusseldorf admitted to Marine Lazarett Emden. It is then notated in hand 8-5-44 gefallen buried Gernd Heroes Cemetery, Obrighoven bei Wesel - Grabenfeld IF grave no. 61,
Regards

Brian Bines

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by GMichalski

I imagine that G. Gollob and Ulrich Rudel also were Nazis....

Read Rudel's memoirs and you won't have to imagine.

[GMichalski]

hi,
i read some months ago the book of Knoke...
you know more german aces in the same politics direction...
regards