Looking for Photos & Eye-Witness accounts of wipe out of Fairey Battle Recon Formation over Western Front on 30.09.39

[Larry Hickey]

Hans,

Do you have a copy of this photo that you could supply? Springett is supposed to have been captured. Did he die soon afterwards in captivity? Do you know anything further about this. Are any photos known in Germany of the crash site for the Battle that was shot down on German territory, and where is specifically crashed? I would have expected that photos of this might have appeared in the German press at the time, and certainly there was likely some information published about the crash and the capture (?) of one of the British airmen.

Thanx for helping.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE project Coordinator

[paulmcmillan]

Springett was not killed he was definately POW he is mentioned in Footprints on the Sands of Time: RAF Bomber Command Prisoners of War in Germany 1939-45

Paul

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Hans and Paul, here is what we carry on this one in the EoE Luft Loss DB:

"30 Sept 1939: Battle K9484. Shot down by Bf109s of 2./JG53 south-west of Saarbrucken during photo-reconnaissance sortie. (Pilot) Pilot Officer John Richard Saunders and (AG) AC1 Donald Leighton Thomas both killed, (Obs) Sergeant G. J. Springett baled out and captured. Aircraft a write-off."

Since Paul confirms that Springett was a POW, the photo of the funeral that Hans Halprich refers to must be that of Saunders, the pilot, and Donald Thomas.

Hans, do you have a copy of the photo to which you refer, showing the funeral of these airman, or have any other information that would help us document and illustrate this incident?

Does anyone else know of a source for Springett's experiences in this incident have been recorded? Perhaps someone has interviewed him, or something was published in some local newspaper after his release?

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

[Horst Weber]

Originally Posted by Larry Hickey

Hans,

... Are any photos known in Germany of the crash site for the Battle that was shot down on German territory, and where is specifically crashed? I would have expected that photos of this might have appeared in the German press at the time, and certainly there was likely some information published about the crash and the capture (?) of one of the British airmen.

Thanx for helping.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE project Coordinator

Good morning Larry !

You can find this Dudweiler funeral photo along with more details on the website: http://www.flugzeugabstuerze.saarlan...arbrucken.html

For further information, please contact me by PN.

Best wishes !

Horst Weber

[Larry Hickey]

Horst,

Thanx for contacting me. I can't get this website to load.

I have sent you a PM with my personal email address, so looking further to contact with you.

Regards,

Larry

[paulmcmillan]

Larry


Try
http://www.flugzeugabstuerze-saarlan...html#Dudweiler



Paul

[Larry Hickey]

Paul,

That worked. Thanx. So now we know more details of the Battle and its crew that crashed in Germany on 30 Sept 1939, and the photo of the funeral. Don't know if it will be reproducible.

Now if we can find some similar material on the crashes that happened in France, with detailed locations, and hopefully some photos of the crash sites. Still no reference material for 150 SQ Battles from this period for creating a Color Profile. However, important progress. Persistence pays off.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator