An Impossible Task?

[Jock Auld]

Guys,

What an amazing paper trail. It would be nice to think that the majority of the crew jumped before the impact. I am quite busy at the moment at work but I will get round the locals and check the Bergen archives as I am sure there will be something about a shot down enemy plane.

Thankyou for all your time and effort!

Cheers

Jock

[Jock Auld]

Originally Posted by RSwank

Here is the information on the capture of the crew. Note that the Germans had no idea (for most of them) what plane they were from. I think that is why, initially the assumption was that there was a crew burned up in the plane.

P: William Fields Hunt, Jr: Captured June 20 near Bleckmar
CP: Nicholas James Kasunick: Captured June 20 at 9:40 at Dedelstorf, Plane Unknown
N: James Eugene Calahan, (same as CP)
B: Edmund Erland Kuivilla (same as CP)
E: John Joseph Silva, (same as CP)
RO: Everett Earl McCulloch: Captured June 22 a 7:00 at Osterloh, Plane Unknown
RW: William Lloyd Delamater (dead in the ship and burned up in crash, still listed MIA)
TG: William Daniel Flannery (capture place and time not listed)
LW: James Edward Watts: Captured June 23 at 7:00 at Sandlinger, Plane Unknown
BT: Gordon Allen Walker: Captured June 21 at 18:00 at Scharnhorst, Plane Unknown

It is "possible" the "two" who were captured according to the stories were the pilot, Hunt and the tail gunner, Flannery. The rest were captured some distance away and for some of them, days later. The Germans may not have gotten things figured out until the crew were all moved to Dulag Luft. The Germans never went back to "correct" the KU 2262 as they had a KU 819A for this crew.

Firstly thankyou for the detail that you have obviously researched, I have no close interest in air and posted here as an interest only thing. I will make time to try and gather more facts for you but I am quite busy most of the time. I do work in an area that could quite well be a graveyard of aircraft as it covers the Training area of Bergen/Belsen. I think I have located the crash site right on the border of the training area but I need to speak with more locals to be sure. The nearest Luftwaffe base was Fassberg and as such any PW issue may have been recorded there. I am not sure what they have in terms of archive but I will ask!
Best Regards
Rich

[RSwank]

Here are the bombardier's (Kuivilla) recollections.

Interesting that he got the date of the crash wrong.

http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/sto...0001001&page=1

[Jock Auld]

Originally Posted by RSwank

Here are the bombardier's (Kuivilla) recollections.

Interesting that he got the date of the crash wrong.

http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/sto...0001001&page=1

Thanks again for the info, facinating stuff! I will let you know what I find out if anything. I missed the fact that one of the crew is MIA, I shall do my best to locate and confirm the site as I am sure a memorial stone could be arranged. I won't be back on here as I have asked to be removed. You can get me at jockauld@hotmail.com and if I find any other allied planes I will let you know. I found a rather large crater today in the South of the area where no really large calibre ordinance has been used, probably around 20 by 20 meters. I shall keep you updated.
Best Regards
Rich