Am seeking crash location and photos for He111H V4+AW of 6./KG1 down in France on 9.9.40

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

I think I've found a photo match up for He111H from 6./KG1 down in France on 9.9.40 after combat damage over London. German QM loss report doesn't state location, and there were no crew casualties for an NVM.

Our EoE Luft Loss DB currently records this as: "9 September 1940 Operations over Britain: 6./KG1 Heinkel He111H-2 (5124). Damaged during sortie to London and belly-landed following port engine failure on return flight. No crew casualties. Aircraft V4+AW damage state not recorded."

Peter Cornwell's comment about location: "somewhere in northern France on a rough line from southern England to the south-east of Amiens (where they were based) is my guess." The possible photo of this incident doesn't provide any useful landmarks to work from.

Does anyone have any further info on this incident, or possibly other photos of the force-landing? Based upon the a/c code, it may have been flown by the Staffel Kap and his crew. I'm quite keen to learn if this a/c carried the 6./KG1 bat/moon emblem that was believed to have come into use sometime by the fall of 1940. This would be a little early for that, but it would be most helpful to know if this a/c carried that or any other unit insignia.

There is only a single photo that I know of showing an He111 down with that bat/moon insignia. It is captioned 20 Sept 1940, with a location of "Loon Beach," which is near Dunkirk. However, there was no loss recorded anywhere near that time and place for a 6 Staffel a/c, which in this case was a 100% loss (broken back). This plane probably did come down during The Blitz, but to my knowledge is the only example in available photography of an He111 from the 1939 to early 1941 period carrying this or any other insignia.

Who can help with this, or has information or examples of aircraft with a 6./KG1 insignia during this period?

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator