1940 - Who, what, where and when?

[Andy Saunders]

Horst

Well, thank you very much kind Sir!

Of course, I am very interested in the story you mention.

[Chris Goss]

Andy: Scan & post photo-too busy to do it myself as I am off to sunnier climes (Gibraltar, not Afghanistan which is the week after) until middle next week
Chris

[Andy Saunders]

Thanks Chris.

What is the verdict?

Could the man striding up the beach be Karl Raisinger, centre on this image.

[hihotte]

Here it comes: The "demonstration" for all fighter pilots in the range of Jagdfliegerfuehrer 2 in northern France happened on Sept 19th 1940. It was planned that a parachutist from the Erprobungsstelle Rechlin (Flight Test Command Rechlin) should bail out of a transport plane, carry with him a 1 man rubber dinghi, dive into the sea and inflate the rubber boat with the attached compressed air tank and climb aboard. Due to the heavy swell, the jump was cancelled and instead the "jumper" was brought out to the sea with a motor-boat. Once in the water he rid himself from the parachute, blew up his dinghi and brought himself safely into the boat. During the effort to reach the coast the dinghi went upside down due to the heavy surf and the inmate nearly drowned. Nevertheless the look-on fighter pilots were convinced of the usefulness of the 1 man rubber dinghi in operation especially with all the "heavy brass" in between the crowd clapping and nodding. The experience proofs that this dinghi saved more than one pilots life.

[hihotte]

I vote, yes its him. As soon as I get other images of him I will post them here. BTW Andy, "google" gave me the attachments for Karl Raisinger, There is a row of his belly landed Messerschmitt and even a colour profile. I own your "Baders last flight" its great, so if you plan to publish the story of Raisinger, let us know here in time.

Cheers
Horst

[Andy Saunders]

Horst

Thank you very much for that.

I'd welcome other views as to whether or not it is Karl Raisinger in the beach shot, by the way.

Certainly an interesting set of photographs and an intriguing story behind their arrival in the UK during 1940 - albeit unseen and unknown by RAF Air Intelligence. One supposes that they might have made interesting viewing for AI(k) officers of the time.

Yes, Horst, I have a number of Karl Raisinger related photos - most of them are quite well known. However, I haver recently seen a "private" shot of the aircraft on site which has not previously seen the light of day.

Thank you again, and thanks for your kind words about "Bader's Last Fight". And no, there aren't any plans for a book about the 'Raisinger photos'. I fear it would make a rather small and uninteresting publication to say the very least.