Gotha Crashes in Holland Aug/Sept. 1917

[Brian Bines]

Seeking information on these losses did two Gothas come down on the 18th August in Holland ( 1055/16 & 1059/16) and two more on the 28th Sept. (668/16 & 602/16) and are crew details known. Some reports give Lt.d.R Martin Emmler as being on one of these aircraft and others say his body was washed ashore from a Gotha that came down in the North Sea. According to a site about the Vollenhove Cemetry Martin Emmler, Heinz Schreiber and Emil Haes (Haas) are buried there from Gotha GIV 1065/16 lost in the Zuiderzee on 29th Sept.1917 (28/29th raid) One list shows Oblt.Rudolf Bauerle interned on both the 18th.Aug and 28th Sept. incidents. Any help on this and clarification greatly appreciated,

Regards

Brian Bines

[Chris Goss]

According to 'A Glint in the Sky' 1 Gotha was lost over the sea, 1 in Belgium, 2 in Holland and another 9 were wrecked in crash landing on 18 Aug 17-the only name I have is Lt Adolf Hochgräbe of KG 3 being killed at Gent. On 28-29 Sep, Schreiber & Emmler were reported killed off the Dutch coast (I cannot find Haas/Haes). Another apparently came down off the Dutch coast and a third was reputed to have crashed but I can find no crew casualties

[Brian Bines]

Thanks Chris what I have now from web sources for the 28/29th Sept is :-

GIV 1065/16 16/Kag.3 Vfw.Emil Haas, Lt.d.R Martin Emmler Vfw. Heinrich Schreiber all killed crash in ZuiderZee wreckage recovered 13-10-17. One source credits this to a HP 0/100 gunship no 3134 but I believe it engaged two Gothas on the next night 29/30th. Sept.

GIV 602/16 13/Kag.3 Ltn. Metzer wounded, Oblt. Rudolf Bauele St.Kap, Ltn. Boman wounded in crash landing Sas-van-Gent all interned

GIV 668/16 Kag.3 Lt.Hans Starck, ? Herbert Fliege, Fw Wolfgang Dietz landed at Sneek and crew set fire to aircraft all interned.

GIV 15/Kag.3 Uffz Kurt Delang, Lt. Paul Doge, Uffz. Jodicke all injured in crash in Belgium following AA damage over Sheppey.

The only name I have for 18th Aug. is the same as you Lt.d.R Adolf Hochgrabe, I cant find any crew details for the Gotha at Beerta credited to a lucky shot by a Sergeant Lok or the one burnt by its crew at Blijham,

Regards

Brian Bines

[Leendert]

Brian,

There's a pretty much detailed account of the two Gotha's at Beerta and Blijham in the Dutch newspaper "Het Volk" of 21 Aug. 1917.
The reporter writes that the Gotha at Beerta had landed on a farm field and was virtually undamaged, only missing part of a propeller tip. It was marked S.S.W.W. 1055/16. Crew is described as a "young German officer, an NCO and a soldier" and were having bread and milk offered by Dutch military. Crew told they had taken off at Ghent and had planned to fly to Germany. The airplane made an emergency landing in Holland, and when crew was notified that they had landed there, made a futile attempt to take off again.

The Gotha at Blijham was marked 1059 and crew composition was same as above. But here the plane was set on fire and "some iron remained".

No names are mentioned.

On the website www.kranten.kb.nl you can find back quite a few incidents in Holland like the ones above in old online Dutch newspapers, but then, a bit knowledge of Dutch is an advantage to sift through the articles.

Regards,

Leendert

[Leendert]

Website volksbund.de gives Emil Haes, with date of death 29-09-1917.
He's buried at the German war cemetery at Ysselsteyn, Netherlands, Block A, Grave 23.

Regards,

Leendert

[Brian Bines]

Leendert, thanks very much for the information and the website,

Regards

Brian Bines

[NUPPOL]

Gotha lost Oct 13, 1917 in Holland

Fate of Crew/Unit?

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/ai...tml#post596556

http://www.thomasgenth.de/html/beim_kg_iii_.html

[Leendert]

A Dutch newspaper writes on 14 October 1917 as caption under the picture of a wrecked airplane: "Big German aeroplane, crewed by three officers, was forced down in Zeeland (province) by a Dutch torpedo boat. The officers were all three more or less wounded, the machine was partially destroyed".

But when you look at the photo, not much was left of it.. See http://resources2.kb.nl/010245000/pdf/DDD_010249223.pdf

Perhaps Gotha experts can say if the picture points to the one you're after.

Regards,

Leendert

[Brian Bines]

Leendert,

Thanks very much for the info.,

Regards

Brian Bines