Information concerning the loss of Oberfeldwebel Alfons Geier - killed 14.03.43

[rickback4444]

Hi,

Can anyone provide information on the loss of Oberfeldwebel Alfons Geier who was killed over Russia on the 14th March 1943?

Thanks

Rick

[Matti Salonen]

1943-03-14, 17./LLG 1, He 111 H-6, 4414, 4 km westlich Bagerowo
Flugzeugführer Uffz Winter, Rudolf, +
Beobachter Uffz Preischaft, Wilhelm, +
Bordfunker Uffz Drießen, Walter, +
Bordmechaniker Ofw Geier, Alfons, +
Fluggast Lt Spenner, Ferdinand, +
Fluggast Lt Weingarth, Walter, +
Fluggast Heeresangehörige, +
Fluggast Heeresangehörige, +
Absturz. Bruch 100 %. Spenner und Weingarth von III/KG 4.

Matti

[rickback4444]

Hi Matti,

What unit was LLG - a transport unit?

Rick

[Laurent Rizzotti]

The German military dead 1939-1948 section of fold3 had three possible IDs for the two passengers.
_ Hptfeldw Kurt or Leopold Pfarr (two cards with different first names, no entry on VDK) of "126 Flugh Betr Komp (Qu)" (a Luftwaffe ground unit AFAIK) died in an accident ("Unfall: A") "südl Flüggel Bagerowo" (https://www.fold3.com/image/692759524 and https://www.fold3.com/image/692759501)
_ "Kr Verd Rat" "Günther Polak" (but card shows "Pakmak, (Polak?)" with no first name, so I wonder why fold3 says Günther Polak) died in Bagerowo. Unit is not given but FPN 15941, that was Divisionskommando 13.PzDiv. This division was then engaged in Kuban so a crash in Bagerowo, Crimea, seems coherent. No entry either in VDK
_ another dead the same day for FPN 15941 (https://www.fold3.com/image/692037899). I can read "Hoebald" on the card, fold3 list it as "Hoebald, Franz". Death place is listed as "Bergerowo" (I read the same on the card). Rank is "Werkmstr."

Of the six men listed by Matti, I can find all 6 in the VDK database, Drießen is written Driesen, but I can find none of the three men above (probably due to wrong names).

When the cards show where the men were buried, it was always in Kertsch:
Drießen in grave R/53, Spenner in R/59, Winter in R/54, "Pakmak/Polak" in R/56, "Hoebald" in R/58.

As the two casualties from Divisionskommando 13.PzDiv were buried in the middle of the casualtis of the crash, they were probably the two Heer passengers listed in the NVM, but their identity is still very unclear.

According to https://www.ww2.dk/Airfields%20-%20R...%20Ukraine.pdf, 126. Flugh.Betr.Kp. (Qu) was based in Kerch airfield(s) from March 1943. Bagerowo was very close of Kerch (and was even listed as Kerch VI) so "Pfarr" might have been killed in an accident having nothing to do with this crash.

By the way the card from Weingarth says that he was in an "Uberführungsflug" from Lemberg to Bagerowo.