German aircrew shot down over UK

[Brian Bines]

A lot of the abuse cases appear to be by servicemen rather than civilians, and as Peter says a lot of tales turn out to be Urban myth. One story was that a Ju88 crew shot down over Portsmouth on 12-8-40 were excecuted by French Sailors and the bodies deposed of in their ships boilers. However three of the crew of one Ju88 shot down over Portsmouth were taken POW, and the body of one of the crew of Ltn Seidel's aircraft, which was reported as hit by AA over Portsmouth was washed ashore in France.
There is a darker version of the report that troops shot dead a 109 pilot as a mercy killing because he was trapped in his blazing cockpit after crash-landing.
Uffz Perez of II/JG26 shot down 30-9-40 claimed to have been shot/beaten up by troops after he belly-landed I do not know how true his claim is.
Fw Koslowski of 7/JG51 baled out badly burned on 25-10-40 and was treated by an off duty nurse who resisted the hostile attitude of other onlookers who wanted to leave the German to die. A case of both sides of human nature.
The surviving crew of the He177 shot down near Saffron Walden on 18/19-4-44 claimed to have been roughly handled bu US servicemen when taken to a US airfield.
The book Eagle Day by Richard Collier mentions a couple of 1940 incidents in Chapter 7 but these include the East Wittering incident dealt by Peter.
The victims of air-attack are not always likely to see enemy aircrew as 'Knights of the Air'.

[Brian]

Many thanks Brian - just what I'm looking for.

Cheers
Brian

[Andy Saunders]

Along with others on this forum, I have looked at cases of numerous "missing" Luftwaffe aircrew during 1940 (and later) who we KNOW were killed in various crashes. In some cases it seems that the Germans were notified that death was confirmed, and yet there are absolutely no graves to be found for them - not even as "Unknown". In many of those cases we also know that grisly remains of crew were found, but certainly never afforded the dignity of formal burial. There is little doubt that in some cases the hostile feelings of locals and nearby troops may have contributed to this attitude and resulted in remains being thrown back into the wreckage, buried under a nearby hedge - or worse. There are oft repeated tales of hostility and resistance towards the burial of Germans in local cemeteries and churchyards although I have never come across any actual evidence to substantiate this. Maybe others have? I have certainly come across cases where the remains were allegedly treated with disrespect. Really just an extension of the feelings that gave rise to the treatment meted out to some Luftwaffe POW's. As Peter pointed out, it was a shame that Zehbe's unfortunate end was glossed over - nay, silenced - in the "Fighter Dig Live" programme.

[Joe Potter]

A verbatim copy of an entry in Weymouth Crematorium records.

"The body of an unidentified officer of the German Air Force, recovered from the sea near Portland on Sunday 25th August 1940. The body which had apparently been in the sea for several weeks was in an advanced stage of decomposition, and consequently the Town Clerk and the Medical Referee (Dr Gordon Wallace) decided that the body should be cremated for public health reasons, and that no fuss should be paid in connection with the cremation, and no service held, Identity disc found on the body contained the following, BLGR/O, 67010/7.
The carrying out of the usual statuary formalities in connection with this cremation was impracticable in this case. (Note) On 18/4/47 information from Imperial War Graves Commission that the body was that of a A. Trutwin a German A.F. Feld"

His family are not impressed.

[Brian]

Thanks guys for your contributions

A most interesting collection.

Cheers
Brian