LW Ace PoW from BoB ‘Exchanged’ in 1943 –becomes a Bomber Killer!!!

[Tom Semenza]

According to Prien et al. in their history of I./JG 27 Blume was with I./JG 300 in August 1943 before being posted to I./JG 27 at the beginning of 1944. He was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 27 on 22 Feb. 44. On 3 Apr. 44 he was made acting Kommandeur of I./JG 27. Sometime toward the end of April Blume was transferred to the Verbandsführerschule (VFS)which operated with I./JG 27. On 29 May 44 he was appointed Kommandeur of I./JG 27 but on 12 June 44 was again transferred to the VFS (or Stab/JG 26, contradictory info here.) This is the last mention I can find of him.

Although in their history of JG 27 Ring & Girbig list Blume with 14 victories, including 5 with JG 27 and a total of 8 4-mots, Prien lists only 4 claims for 4-mots in April 44, two of which were "engültige Vernichtungen" (final destruction.) So that would give him a total 8 or 10 depending on whether or not you count the e.V. claims; unless someone has better info.

Tom

[VtwinVince]

My uncle's successor as Kapitaen of 9. JG 3 was Oblt. Egon Troha. He was shot down over England late in the Battle, losing an eye in the process. He was repatriated later in the war and, as a Hauptmann, flew more ops. Also don't forget my uncle's old comrade, Hasso von Wedel, captured during the Battle as Oberstlt. and official Luftwaffe historian, later repatriated and lost in ground fighting in 1945. Walter Kienzle of JG 26 was captured seriously wounded over England during the Battle, was repatriated, but I'm not sure if he continued flying later.

[Alex Smart]

Hi,
From the UK or North Africa, how were they repatriated ? By air or by ship ? How was this done and how did the oposite side know not to attack the transport involved ?
Alex

[Rob Romero]

I assume they were flown or shipped to Neutral Portugal or Spain where they travelled over land back to Germany. I assume (but do not know for sure) that neutral shipping had flags & lights prominently displayed, and were not attacked by U-Boats. Thanks to all for fleshing out this issue.

Rob Romero

[Chris Goss]

Kienzle told me he did not fly operational sorties after being repatriated

[Boomerang]

Gentlemen:

The following passage appears in Caldwell's JG 26 War Diary Volume Two. It relates to a prisoner exchange involving Fw Heuser of 2/JG 26, shot down by light flak over Normandy in August 1944, captured and taken to a military hospital in Tennessee. It is an account from Heuser:

On 24 November a mixed medical commission, comprising an American and two Swiss military doctors, visited the camp. They decided to exchange me for a wounded American in German captivity.

In late December the wounded prisoners to be exchanged were taken to Brooklyn and loaded on an American hospital ship, which took us to Marseille, France...After the arrival of further exchange ships, we were put on a train of The International Red Cross, which took us to the German border in Constance. The exchange between German and American wounded prisoners of war took place in Constance on 18 January 1945. I saw no further employment in the war.

I'm glad this thread got going, I'm intrigued about what seems a most unlikely exchange program. Hope more imformation comes to light.

Cheers

Don W

[christian]

Hi

Feldwebel Fritz Schweser from the 7.Staffel of the III./JG 54 was captured on the 09. Oktober 1940. He came back 1943, but never flew another mission.

Greetings Christian

[Nokose]

I saw in a German March 1944 newsreel some returning exchanged soldiers getting off a ship at a French port but can't seem to find the old VHS tape it was on now.

[RT]

Someone ask about his fate , I mean the one of Walter Blume, he died in 19.juli 1965, maybe up-above they grant him some plane to hv some more fun, seems non-uncommon to die in the age of 40/50 among the pilots, gen of car accident

remi

[hanshauprich]

Hptm. Kurt-Heinz Weigel, a Bomberpilot became PoW in England 1940 and was sent to an PoW Camp in Canada. He played his roll of an mentally ill madness men so perfect, that he was exchanged in 1944 to Germany. He goes to Nightfightertraining and become Staffelkapitän 11./NJG 6. In the morning of 5. March 1945 he crashed his Ju 88G-6 2Z+BV during the landing of the Fliegerhorst Gerolzhofen. He and his other 3 Crewmembers are killed on impact. Weigel has 3 Abschüsse against Bomber Command.