Lone JU88 3rd May 1941 over Dry Drayton?

[jamesinnewcastle]

Hi All

Apologies if this sort of request has been covered before!

I'm looking for any German records of a JU88 that (apparently) was flying over/near Dry Drayton at around 02:30 on the 3rd May 1941. This aircraft apparently attacked a Stirling bomber flying back to its Oakington base.

I'd like to know all about this event if it happened. The date and time should be right but around that date time might be interesting too.
In the event that no-one has all the answers (worth a try) how would one go about finding this information?

I would like to find out this information as the Stirling that crashed narrowly missed my Mother! I'd like to know if a JU88 was actually involved in the incident and to what extent.

Not so important, but has anyone got info on a similar scenario but on the 20th April 1941 at nearby Stambourne? This incident involved the same crew whose Stirling (apparently) (crash) landed on a Q-site and was bombed by the JU88.

Many Thanks

James

[Julian]

Hello James. I believe that I have researched this incident and other associated Luftwaffe intrusions into this area of Cambs in my book "War Torn Skies Cambridgeshire" by Red Kite books. Three were several incidents in 1941 of late night Ju 88`s circling around and around Cambs on dark nights in 1941 Some dropping the odd bombs here and there. The incident that perhaps you refer to is Fw Koster of NJG2`s attack on a Stirling bomber about to land at Oakington, the Stirling aborted landing and flew on...with the Junkers 88C-2 nightfighter in pursuit..they both crossed the path of another Stirling that actually gave chase the Junkers. The nightfighter eventually scored hits on its victim which crashed and burst into flames at Caxton Gibbett. Included in the book is an eye-witness account to another incident of a Ju 88 dropping bombs near to Oakington. Hope this is some help
Kind regards
Julian Evan-Hart

[jamesinnewcastle]

Hi Julian

I'll certainly have a look at your book - Currently I have two problems, one, trying to find out where exactly my Mum (and Aunt) were staying, and the other to find out exactly where the crash was. I want to know just exactly how narrow the miss was!

I don't think that they were at Caxton Gibbitt, that's too far, they say the crash was at the bottom of the garden in Dry Drayton! The Stirling in question was N6012 which was apparently shot up and came in to land too low. All the crew died eventually. Interestingly Dry Drayton is lined up with one of the runways at Oakington.

The same crew just ten days before were (apparently) attacked as they tried to land in N6009, they (apparently) were misled by a nearby Q-Site at Stambourne (are Q-Sites in your book?) and crashed there - the nightfighter (apparently) dropped bombs on them but missed!

But while lots of help is coming in, nothing is yet comfirmed eitherway!


Thanks
James

[Julian]

Hi James trouble with Oakington and Dry Drayton area is that so many incidents occurred that inevitably confusion and myth and rumour creep in. On 3/05/41 only a Lt Feurbaum put in a claim for a Hamden near Church Fenton.....no other claims are recorded ..this does nowever not account for any Luftwaffe nightfighter crews who may have attacked a Stirling but not sufficiently enough to merit a claim...Sadly I dont include Q sites in my book. I must admit durimng my research in Cambridgeshire I have not come across the incident of a Stirling landing on a Q Site that was then bombed by a Junkers 88....if this caused a conflagration I suppose any old "run of the mill" night raiding Junkers may have been attracted to the scene, and not necessarily a nightfighter variant from NJG2. Again there are many Stirling crashes in the area in question including 3 seperately dated crashes adjacent to the same house!!Also apart from the actual occupents of premises thus affected there is a great tendency for everyone who lives locally to claim some sort of connection "crikey it landed 10 feet away from our garden" and the passing of 70 years has simply accepted this as fact...perticularly when handed down to descendants.....All the very best with your research, please keep in touch to let me know how you get on...Julian

[jamesinnewcastle]

Hi Julian

Know what you mean about the passing of time - I'm 'interrogating' a 70 year old about what happened to her when she was 7! However she does remember the 'screams' of the crew and seeing the sky 'full' of flames. Also she says that the Farm Labourer she lived with got a commendation from the King for rushing out and pulling the crew from the plane. I'm having trouble linking that event to any records (because I can't find any records) but if I did, then I could link the events. Also I have someone asking round in the village for other cross references. If I can find a site I guess I could use a metal detector to find some metallic remnants of a plane. The area is massively farmed as you must know so most of the few remaining bits would be dug over. but I suspect that the area around clumps of trees would remain unfarmed. I'm aware of the rules about raking up crash sites but I don't want any bits, just a confirmation that it landed next to their cottage.

Also I'm told that my Aunt went back to the spot 8 years later and remembered the scars on the trees that the aircraft struck, they would still be there growing with the tree - if the trees haven't been felled that is!

It's actually all rather exciting - lots of people are helping but there have been loads of dead ends and false leads.

James