Uffz. Herbert Koch, III./JG76

[Eagle0025]

I am seeking any and all information on the subject German pilot. I decided to make a separate post in hopes of discovering additional details on Koch. I found in another thread that Koch was shot down and killed in a dogfight with P-47s (anyone know which group?) on 17 Oct 44 by Effringen-Kirchen near Wintersweiler. He was shot down in III./JG76 Bf109G-14, werknummer 462967, with the markings of "White 3". The loss listing also showed FSA or Fallschirmabgesprung meaning he was able to bail out. The end of the loss listing also states "RLV, Trendle, Brennendes land, , Raum Mappach in den Berg, 100%, F". I know 100% indicates complete destruction of the aircraft, but can someone decipher what the rest means?

III./JG76 was in a large dogfight with the 474th FG on 25 Aug 44. My father, Don Koch, was a fighter pilot assigned to the 428thFS/474th FG. He was shot down on the 25 August mission and held as a POW in a local French farmhouse. While waiting to be interrogated, my father remembered a tall, lanky German fighter pilot walk into the farmhouse after being shot down in the very same fight. He saw my father's name on his Mae West and asked him "Koch, ist das deine Name?" or "Is that your name?" My father understood what he said and nodded. The German replied "Ah, das is meine Name auch!" or "That is my name too!". A 429th FS pilot shot down in the same fight also remembers a tall enlisted German pilot with a good sense of humor with the name of Koch.

Fw190s from I./JG26 and II./JG26 participated in this same fight against the 474th FG, but my sources indicate there was no JG26 pilot by the name of Koch that flew on that mission. This, along with the severe Bf109G losses, led me to deduce that this German pilot had to be a Bf109 pilot with III./JG76. Odds are this may be the same "Koch" that I am seeking. It makes sense that Koch (if the same person) would be returned back to his same unit shortly after the 25 August fight because he was not wounded during his shootdown. Any information or leads would be gratefully appreciated. III./JG76 is a difficult group to research since they weren't around very long.

Cheers, Gary Koch (474th FG Historian)