1 April 1943 I. Gruppe

[Nokose]

Question on the 1 April 1943 in JFV 13/III page 173 it has Lt. Petrasch (?) 3./JG 54 making claims for Il-2 (1) 16:55 and Il-2 (2) 17:31 but in Tony Woods list it has Rudolf Rademacher for these claims. Has anyone heard of Petrasch? If not the score numbers for Rademacher just got knocked off by two numbers for the book.

[Johannes]

Hi

I would say neither. The microfilm for April 1943 are the faintest of all microfilms. However I did get mine professionally cleaned to the effect of them being quite readable, however I was unable to identify these two claims, but believe it's a Leutnant who's name begins "B". However I could find no lose for anybody who looked like this name.

Drop me, and anybody else who'd like to try their luck with this one your private e.mail address via TOCH, and I'll forward you a digital copy.

Kind Regards

Johannes

[Nokose]

Johannes, Thank You! I noticed that Rademacher never left the 1. Staffel during that time period, so I am not sure how Tony came up with him as the one for this date.

[Kapper]

Johannes,

I hope you don't mind me putting an extract of the file for all to see. I've worked on it a bit more to make it clearer.

It definitely starts with Capital "B" as it's the same Capital "B" as that for "Beutin" mentioned later in the files. I think it's "Bednarski". Unfortunately the only Bednarski's I can find are Polish pilots and I cannot find anyone in the Luftwaffe with that name. The closest I found to this was "Budnowski" but that doesn't match the circumstances.

Maybe someone has a better listing than I have.

Regards,

Craig...

Attachment 14854

[PMoz99]

Is there a handwriting expert of that era who can confirm the name? I've had a look through everything I can find for Bednarski or similar, even names starting with Pr or Tz and all I can find is Piotr Bednarski who flew with the RAF and was shot down in Halifax DT627 on 12 May 1943.

[Johannes]

Hi Guys

Many thanks for your work. I agree with your Bednarski, but cannot confirm without knowledge of the guy. There was a pilot who flew a few sorties with JG 52, and made claims, but didn't hold a pilots license!

Like yourselves I used Beutin's name from 3rd April 1943 to establish it began with a "B", even before having my mikrofilms cleaned I thought it began "Bed".

I'll look through all my loses and claimants for such a name........perhaps he was on loan/just visiting, but possible a rare guy who claimed twice in a day, then never again claiming or wounded.

Kind Regards

Johannes

[Matti Salonen]

1944-01-31, 2./JG 102, Bf 108 B-1, 909, SD+DN, Goldberg bei Zerbst
Flugzeugführer Lt Bednarski, Karl-Heinz, +
Flzg.-Mech. Gefr Berger, Fritz, +
B.P. Wd-Insp. Michel, Martin, +
Absturz infolge technischer Mängel. Bruch 100 %.

Matti

[RolandF]

Bednarski is correct. A mixture Sütterlin(minuscules)/Normschrift(capitals)

Regards
RolandF

[Johannes]

Hi Guys

First place I looked(training units) I found two Bednarski's. The first is an Uffz Gerhard Bednarski killed 22nd January 1945 with JG 105, clearly not our man. The second is a Karl Bednarski, a Leutnant killed 31st January 1945 flying a Bf108 for JG 102. I would think Gerhard was a trainee, while Karl a trainer, and quite likely our guy.

Hopefully somebody can prove that.

So definitely "Bednarski", likely Karl Bednarski.

Kind Regards

Johannes

P.S

It's taken me eighteen years to establish that name.......thanks for all your help.