Adolf Dickfeld

[Ruy Horta]

Weller might be Oblt Albert Hinrich Waller, POW 6-9-1940 (that is dd-mm-yyyy). Source Barbas I./JG 52

Can't find anything on Dickfeld in either Barbas his I. and II./JG 52 histories (*), nor Prien et al in JFV 3 or 4/II covering the Westfeldzug and the Battle of Britain.

Dickfeld is bit of an enigma.

But I may be overlooking the obvious here.

(*other volumes still in the making).

[sveahk]

In the german version of Dickfeld's book he refers two times to "Erprobungsgruppe", and one time even "Erpr-Gr.". He also says he arrived after two days travelling (no date as usual) at ("in der Nähe von...") St. Omer.
In Prien 4/II the only Gruppe that fits this description would have been
3./Erprobungsgruppe 210, which obviously used St. Omer in July/August 1940.
But there the similarities end - no names mentioned by Dickfeld fit here. Prien acknowledges that the losses-list is incomplete, as is the mission-list, so...

Greetings
Hans

[Merlin]

Gentlemen,

Adolf Dickfeld set down at his writing desk in a high age without the help of his Flugbuch or other historical data for this book. He put on the paper those stories he or others had told during the last years when sitting in the club while having a beer. Except his own crash during the Tunisian campaign no one of the described accidents can become proved by official loss reports. Most of the names of other pilots or the “test unit” during the BoB are born in his fantasy.

This book is good for a lazy hour during winter times in front of the fireplace but not useable for any serious historic research.

[Brian]

Many thanks for your contributions, guys.

I hope he is not going down the same road as Gottfried Dulias!

Cheers
Brian

[Andy Fletcher]

Hi Brian,

Unlike Gottfried "Dubias" most of Dickfeld's claims are listed in reliable sources (RLM claims lists/Prien etc). His awards are also well documented.

DKiG 22Jan42, RK 19Mar42, EL 18(or 14)May42

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher

[NickM]

Originally Posted by Brian

NickM, Frank, Hans and Sis

Thanks for your responses BUT no one has yet been able to answer my queries:

What was the 'Test Unit' he joined during the Battle of Britain? Who were the pilots he mentioned (see above) and were they their real names? What date was he shot down during the Battle of Britain? What date was he shot down over Crete?

Hopefully one of our expertes has the answers!

Cheers
Brian

Sorry Brian....I was wanting to say that Dickfeld's book was a great story but due to it's being written WAAAY After the war, from memory without any supporting docs, it was not a very good tool for historical research....I apologize for not being clear;

NickM