Gotha 145

[Andy Saunders]

Am I right in the belief that only one Gotha 145 arrived here in the UK during the war/post war? The example I have in mind landed in August 1940 on Lewes Race Course, was impressed into RAF service and subsequently scrapped. I can find no reference to any others ever coming to UK immediately postwar. Can anyone confirm this?

I have acquired a rudder pedal for a Go 145 (ex scrapyard relic) and am now wondering if it originates from the Lewes aeroplane? If there were other known examples in the UK then I can only surmise it may have originated from the Lewes example. If there were no others, then the possibility as to its origin becomes a little more likely.

[Peter D Evans]

War Prizes only lists the example you mention Andy (RAF Serial: BV207, WNr.1115 & coded SM+NQ of Stab./JG27) and it was SOC at a census on 1st April 1942.

Cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

[Andy Saunders]

Thanks Peter. That's the only one I can find, too. Am coming to the conclusion that the rudder pedal I have must be from that aeroplane.

[Peter D Evans]

Not a problem Andy I suppose this pedal could also have been brought back as a souvenir from a wreck by a member of the armed services serving in Europe? Still, a nice article to have nonetheless...

cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

[Andy Saunders]

That is always possible, Peter. However, since it came from a scrapyard it rather makes me think the airframe ended up being broken up there. It is probably less likely that a solitary pedal would have made its way to the scrap yard, I should think. Always possible, though.

[stephen f. polyak]

Andy/Peter,

Here's what a Go 145 main ID plate looks like, albeit after about 40 years below the ground.

http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.p...wyxbs0&thumb=4

This one came from the RAF Kenley hoard that 'surfaced' in the 80s. Only part of the W.Nr. can be read--it's, I believe, 103? or 107?.

Steve

[Peter D Evans]

Thanks for that Steve. Having grown up with the view of gliders flying over Kenley from my bedroom window, its always good to hear stories like this. I'm sure there are countless examples of Luftwaffe types having landed there (and elsewhere for that matter) that never made the official records, or the records have just vanished over the intervening years. So perhaps the rudder pedal did come from another Go145 after all...

cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

[Andy Saunders]

Peter / Steve

The data plate is very interesting indeed. Whilst it is possible that it too came from the Go 145 that landed at Lewes during August 1940 it is equally likely that it originated from anywhere else in Europe or the Med area. In fact, many of the thousands of data plates found at Kenley in the 1980's were taken from German aircraft - or wrecks - inspected by AI(g) overseas as well as at home. Therefore, I still suspect the rudder pedal is from the sole UK example. At least.....I prefer to think so!!!!

[stephen f. polyak]

Andy,

Yes, my plate is from the many assorted ones unearthed in the 1980s. To my knowledge it was removed from a plane found outside England. I also tend to believe that your pedal more likely came from the complete example examined in England; many of those planes ended up in scrap yards. Don't imagine there are too many Go 145 bits around today (in private collections anyway) . . . although the Preserved Axis Aircraft site indicates assorted parts from at least two of these airplanes are held by museums in Norway and Germany.

Steve