Heinkel III IG+HL. Crashed Eire 3.3.41

[Tony Kearns]

Originally Posted by avoigt

Tony, have checked as best I can on the loss on 10th Feb. There is mention of a plane crashing into a wooden building on return in bad fog, killing all crew and those sleeping in the building at Tours sometime in Jan/Feb. This may be the plane Hengst was talking about as it is unlikely that such damage to a plane would allow it to be repaired for flight in mid Feb. to Brest. There seems to be more than a few differences in accounts given by Voigt & Hengst which are causing me extra work!

Arthur
The landing accident that I was referring to did not involve loss of life or injury but from the description of the incident certainly suggested that the aircraft was a write off. I agree that there are more than a few differences in the accounts given by your Dad and Rudi Hengst. I will check my notes further, one thing I have difficulty in resolving is the date when the crew which landed in Ireland actually came together as a crew
Regards
Tony K

[avoigt]

Martin, I only noticed now that you requested info on 10th May, 40 not 3rd Mar. 41!! My apologies - My father's account of his crash on May 10th runs to 70 odd pages. I will give you a brief account for the moment , if you want clarification on anything later you can let me know.

The mission was a dawn attack on an airfield near Lille, France. They left Muenster (9 machines) and headed west for the Dutch border. Having passed over Arnhem and Rotterdam they turned south and then east into Belgium (over Ostende) , then on to Lille. Just as the bombload was dropped the plane was hit twice from the rear by a Spitfire. Both engines were disabled, radio operator killed. mechanic wounded and voigt wounded in shoulder, neck and mouth. Pilot was the only crew member uninjured. He managed to crash land the plane in Belgium. Belgian police took the survivors to a nearby town (Lens) where they were kept in custody (seperated). Next day, Voigt was taken to a hospital in Mons and had a bullet removed from his mouth. He never saw the mechanic again. Next day he was taken to Brussels and following that transported by hospital train westwards to Ostende (due to advancing German forces). From there he was moved by train (in cattle wagons) to Dunkirk along with hundreds of other POWs. After a week in this train in Dunkirk they were all moved to ships (used as prisons) in Dunkirk harbour. He was renuited with his pilot on this ship but after some days of shelling by German artilary on the harbour, the ship took a direct hit. As all the POWs were lying in the hold together both men either side of Voigt were killed, one the pilot. Voigt took severe shrapnel wounds to his lower left leg. Survivors were then taken to a hospital near the beach in Durkirk where he witnessed the evacuation of British troops to England. He was finally freed by German troops on June 4th. He was taken home to a hospital in Leipzig to recover. Voigt rejoined his squadron in Tours in Nov. 40. Of the 9 planes departing Muenster that morning (May 10th) only 6 returned. Two other crews were sent to Canada as POWs. Most of the returning planes were damaged.

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo Arthur,

Thank you for posting that very interesting information. There is more often then not a much more gripping story behind the dry facts, and such is the case here.

70 pages is very impressive. I am sure the EAGLES OVER EUROPE team should be interested. Did you ever think of writing a book on your father's life ?

By the way there are photos of two of your father's crew on 10 May 1940 in THE BATTLE OF FRANCE, THEN AND NOW by Peter Cornwell (2008), an excellent work on the campaign in the west during May/June 1940.

Regards,

Martin.

[avoigt]

Yes, Martin, it has crossed my mind many times. That is why I'm keen to get as much detail as I can. I am not interested in writing a war story. My father hated the war and had nightmares of that time in Dunkirk until the day he died. I believe if such a book is in me it will be as factual as I can make it and hopefully do a little service to the millions who died during that trerrible time.

[avoigt]

Tony , the new crew was put together at Xmas 1940. The Captain decided to mix some old hands with the newcomers. Alfred Heinzel (pilot) was new to the staffel. Voigt, Hengst and Rister were all of kg 27 but had not flown together before. This crew was together during the battle of Britain. When they were transferred to Brest the rear gunner Max Galler was added to the crew as the compliment was increased from 4 to 5 to provide more firepower. During that fateful day on 3rd Mar 41 Gerd Rister (mechanic) went to the rear of the plane to fix Galler's machine gun which had jammed and subsequently suffered 2 fatal gunshot wounds in the back during the second attack on the ship.

[Tony Kearns]

Thank you Arthur for that, I know that Freddie Heinzel made his firrst mission on 21 December 1940 to Liverpool. From what you say this appears to be the date the crew came together.
Regards
Tony K