Me 109 G Photograph

[Dénes Bernád]

There were defections to the opposite side, too.
E.g., two Rumanian Bf 109 pilots defected to the German side as late as March 1945.
I guess, to some it was better to be a prisoner with the Germans than serving the Soviets...

[Franek Grabowski]

Two did defect on Me 109s to Yugoslavia in early 1950s, did not they?

[RT]

There were some extraordinary defections. On 9 September 1943 Lt Josef Thurner of JG 77 flew over from northern Italy and deliberately force landed in Gorski Kotar area in what is today Croatia, near the village of Klana - his birthplace, and joined the XI Partisan Corps. He fought with them until the end of the war and later settled in Zagreb.
What is interesting is that he is listed as MIA on 5 January 1944 and the Yugoslav documents are clear about the date being 9 September 1943.

I wonder how he knew about the right area to land ???
Seems to occured during a transit flight from Rumania to Italy
in january 44 the III.JG77 was in Siena but it is stated that they arrived at Isola San Antonia near Turkey on 10.sept. 43..
, what are your sources Boris ??

Remi

[RT]

Further to III.JG77 , no losses reported for their stay in San antonia, from 9.sept to 23.Sept , maybe Andreas hv some more ???

Remi

[Boris Ciglic]

Hi Remi,

my source is Thurner's personal file sent to 1st Aviation Base of Yugoslav Peoples Liberation Army (from Military Archive in Belgrade), where he was deployed in autumn of 1943. The file states that he was a member of Luftwaffe for two years and several fighter schools that he finished, that he defected with Me 109G but does not mention he was a member of JG 77. However there is a person with same name and rank from JG 77 which disappeared over Yugoslavia on 5 January 1944 during a ferry flight from Roumania to Italy so I established a connection (I might be wrong however).
He was born in Klana on 11 November 1922 and I suppose he knew the area very well and knew where to land. It is a rural area with small population where most of people knew each other, he was local and knew the language, so he should not have encountered any problems when confronted by local partisans. He is described as "advanced" in ideological sense so it is even possible that he had some sort of earlier connection with the communists.
And small correction, the exact date of defection is 10 September 1943.

[Dénes Bernád]

Originally Posted by Franek Grabowski

Two did defect on Me 109s to Yugoslavia in early 1950s, did not they?

Yes, they did, but that's another story.

[Dénes Bernád]

Originally Posted by Boris Ciglic

...he was local and knew the language, so he should not have encountered any problems when confronted by local partisans.

OT: Pardon me, Boris, but how could this be a life insurance against partisans? He was still an ethnic German wearing a Luftwaffe (sorry, "Nazi") uniform. We know of many cases that e.g. Rumanian airmen wearing own uniform and speaking the local language (including colourful swearing) were almost beaten to death by the locals thinking that they were Soviet spies.
Or, something else. Wasn't an ethnic German automatically guilty to Tito's Communist partisans and potential candidate for summary execution?

[Primoz]

Originally Posted by Dénes Bernád

Wasn't an ethnic German automatically guilty to Tito's Communist partisans and potential candidate for summary execution?

Not necessarily. It was a bit riskier for an ethnic German, of course. But, for instance, more than 70 Gottscheer Germans joined the Partisans in southern Slovenia and there were also many Wehrmacht defectors (who simply went to the woods while on leave).

[Boris Ciglic]

Originally Posted by Dénes Bernád

OT: Pardon me, Boris, but how could this be a life insurance against partisans? He was still an ethnic German wearing a Luftwaffe (sorry, "Nazi") uniform. We know of many cases that e.g. Rumanian airmen wearing own uniform and speaking the local language (including colourful swearing) were almost beaten to death by the locals thinking that they were Soviet spies.
Or, something else. Wasn't an ethnic German automatically guilty to Tito's Communist partisans and potential candidate for summary execution?

I got your point but he simply got away with it. How exactly I don't know. As far as I know there were no serious atrocities in this area by that time, which by the way was a part of Italy, and Italy capitulated a day earlier. Had he landed in an area controlled by Montenegrian or Herzegowinian partisans I assume he wouldn't have a chance to explain his intentions...

[raus_punk]

oi!

Just short notice about Josef Thurner. I went today to registry office and found that Josef Thurner or Josip Vladimir was born on 11. February 1922 in Klana.
Later found some old people from Klana. Thay remember that he come with plane near Klana. I found also some familly members that know more things and I will visit them in next few days....

good night
Radovan