He 111 loss photograph - 1940

[Andy Saunders]

On a visit to Fox photos in Farringdon Road, London, with Peter Foote during the early 1970s (how I wish I had acquired more photos then!!) this image was one of those that surfaced.

Now, I am sure that Peter Cornwell or Larry Hickey will have already seen this photo and identified it, but I am sorry to say that it is one that has eluded me and always been in my "unknown" box.

Can anyone i/d it for me?

I had noted: "Could it be V4+FA of Stab, KG1 at Camber, 11 Sept 1940?"

Peter?

[Delmenhorst]

Well, it is not unknown any more. Check http://www.flensted.eu.com/g194002.shtml

He 111H 5390 crashlanded at Hjemsted near Skærbæk 11/1 1940.

The aircraft belonged to 2./ KG 26 and was coded 1H+EK.
T/o 14:00 Blankensee. Op: Anti shipping.

The Heinkel was seen over the island of Rømø at 21:20 hours on a north-easterly heading, at 21:25 hours over Brøns on a southerly heading and dropping flares south of there and at 21:28 over Brøns on a northerly heading. At 21:35 hours it did a rather ruff belly landing near Hjemsted as it crossed a number of ditches.

(Via Finn Buch)

When it lay still, the crew set fire to it and told onlookers to keep distance as there were ammunition and flares onboard, but no bombs as these had been used. The police constable from Skærbæk soon arrived and arranged for the flyers to be driven to the police station in Skærbæk for questioning. Later they were taken to the police station in Tønder and finally at 24:00 hours handed over to the Danish army at the barracks in Tønder.

The flyers who were Pilot Unteroffizier Alfred G. Reimer, Navigator Unteroffizier Richard J. Hilland, W/Op Feldwebel Carl W. Wiedmayer and Flt. Engr. Oberfeldwebel Walther M. K. Schmidt were next send to Hald near Viborg where they were interned until the German occupation of Denmark on 9/4 1940.

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

The loss report indicate that WNr. 5390 a Ltn. Naether was on board. Any thoughts?

Norbert

[Andy Saunders]

Thank you!

I must say that the terrain seemed a bit of a puzzle. I had taken it to be light coloured soil (or even sand!) with stubble showing through - and despite the fact that it looked like snow I had more or less discounted that it was. Now it all makes sense and I realise that what we are looking at is indeed snow!!

Thank you for enabling me to strike this off my UK "puzzle" list!

I know one or two others had been mystified as to the incident and its indexing amongst Fox photos was a bit of a red herring in that it SEEMED to be a UK incident by virtue of how it was originally filed and catalogued and by its neg number.

Thanks again.

[PRITCHIE]

HI i am new here can you tell me how i can post a question to everyone
Q is , is WILLIAM TEX ASH still alive and if so has anyone got a contact address for him ? THANKS