KG77, 18th September 1940

[srob48]

Carrying on from another thread, I have the following losses for KG77 on 18th September 1940.

Stab III/KG77.
Junkers Ju88A (3173). Sortie to Tilbury Docks, London, and shot down by RAF Spitfires and crashed and at Eastry Mill, nr Sandwich, Kent, 6.30pm. Aircraft 3Z+ED a write-off.
Major Maximilian Kless (Gruppe Kommandeur), killed.Buried at Cannock Chase 9-6-38
Oblt. Friedrich Lauth (B) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 9-6-38
Fw. F. Pröbst baled out and captured.
Fw. F. Himsel baled out and captured. Aircraft 3Z+ED a write-off.

7/KG77.
Junkers Ju88A (5098). Sortie to Tilbury Docks, London, attacked by RAF fighter and ditched in the sea 25 miles off Shoeburyness, 5.30pm. Aircraft 3Z+KR lost.
Fw. Erich Wurche (F) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase1-4-114
Fw. Johannes Nolte (B) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-4-112
Fw. Erhard Friedel (Bf) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 5-14-315
Uffz. Gerhard Stammnitz (Bs) missing.

8/KG77.
Junkers Ju88A (3147). Sortie to Tilbury Docks, London, shot down by RAF fighters and crashed in Thames Estuary off Southend, 5.50pm. Aircraft 3Z+AS lost.
Oberfw. Walter Brendel (F) killed. Buried at Sea.
Uffz. Karl Künkler (B) killed. Buried at Sea.
Uffz. Alfred Smolarczyk (of Lw.Kr.Ber. Komp.4) killed. Buired at Cannock Chase 1-4-111
Uffz. Paul Weidemüller (Bf) baled out and captured badly injured.

Junkers Ju88A (5097). Sortie to Tilbury docks, London, shot down by RAF fighters and crashed at Mocketts Farm, Harty, Isle of Sheppey, 5.00pm. Aircraft 3Z+ES a write-off.
Fw. Heinz Damschen (B) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-11-436
Uffz. Karl Eggert (Bf) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 5-1-18
Uffz. Hans Treutmann (Bs) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase (As unknown)
Oberfw. Werner Semerau (F) Missing.

Junkers Ju88A (5100). Sortie to Tilbury Docks, London, shot down by RAF fighters and crashed in the Thames Estuary off Sheerness, 5.30pm. Aircraft 3Z+HS lost.
Oblt. Hans-Ludwig Weber (F) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-11-437
Fw. Anton Krimpmann (B) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-9-347
Gefr. Martin Neuweg (Bs) missing.
Fw. Walter Häret (Bf) captured wounded.

Junkers Ju88A (3142). Sortie to Tilbury Docks, London, attacked by RAF fighters over the Thames Estuary and ditched in the sea on return flight. Aircraft 3Z+BS lost.
Gefr. Heinz Laga (Bs) missing.

Junkers Ju88A (3162). Sortie to Tilbury Docks, London, shot down by RAF fighters and crashed in the sea off the Nore, Sheerness, 5.30pm. following fighter attacks. Aircraft 3Z+FS lost.
Oblt. Georg Fuchs (B) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-9-349
Gefr. Josef Föhlinger (Bs) missing.
Fw. Hans Stier (F) captured
Obgefr. Paul Baumann (Bf) captured.

9/KG77.
Junkers Ju88A (3168). Sortie to Tilbury Docks, London, shot down by RAF fighters and crashed nr Vange Creek, Pitsea Marshes, nr Basildon, Essex, 5.40pm. Aircraft 3Z+FT a write-off.
Fw. Otto Wahl (F) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-10-389
Gefr. Hans Buschbeck (B) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-12-452
Gefr. Paul Lesker (Bs) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-10-365
Fw. Otto Graf (Bf) baled out and captured wounded.

Junkers Ju88A (5104). Sortie to Tilbury Docks, London, shot down by RAF fighters and crashed at Cooling Court, Cooling, Kent, 5.00pm. Aircraft 3Z+DT a write-off.
Uffz. Alfons Kurz (F) killed. Buried Cannock Chase 1-12-472
Gefr. Rudolf Kuhn (Bs) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-12-471
Uffz. Hans Glaeseker (Bf) baled out and captured
Uffz. Karl Burkant (B) baled out and captured.

I would be interested to know where the killed which are now at Cannock Chase, were originally buried? And if those original burial places also buried the 4 missing as 'Unknown German Airmen'.

[Peter Cornwell]

Here is what I have on file. I would be grateful for any further information you can offer on the details in bold. Thank you.

Stab III/KG77 Junkers Ju88A (3173).
Major Maximilian Kless (Gruppe Kommandeur), killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 9-6-38 Eastry RDC Cemetery Grave No:PA6 21.9.1940
Oblt. Friedrich Lauth (B) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 9-6-38 Eastry RDC Cemetery Grave No:PA6 21.9.1940

7/KG77 Junkers Ju88A (5098).
Fw. Erich Wurche (F) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase1-4-114 Southend-on-Sea Sutton Road Cemetery Grave No:12813 9.10.1940
Fw. Johannes Nolte (B) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-4-112 Southend-on-Sea Sutton Road Cemetery Grave No:12811 9.10.1940
Fw. Erhard Friedel (Bf) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 5-14-315 Washed ashore Hemsby Beach, north of Great Yarmouth. 25.10.1940 Buried Caister.
Uffz. Gerhard Stammnitz (Bs) missing. Found at sea off Winterton, north of Great Yarmouth. 25.10.1940 No identification

8/KG77 Junkers Ju88A (3147).
Oberfw. Walter Brendel (F) killed. Buried at Sea.
Uffz. Karl Künkler (B) killed. Buried at Sea.
Uffz. Alfred Smolarczyk (of Lw.Kr.Ber. Komp.4) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-4-111 Southend-on-Sea Sutton Road Cemetery Grave No:12758 23.9.1940

8/KG77 Junkers Ju88A (5097).
Fw. Heinz Damschen (B) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-11-436 St Clement Churchyard, Leysdown Grave No:129 21.9.1940
Uffz. Karl Eggert (Bf) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 5-1-18 Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham Grave No:300 26.9.1940 (died 24.9.1940 RN Hospital Chatham)
Uffz. Hans Treutmann (Bs) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase (As unknown)
Oberfw. Werner Semerau (F) Missing.

8/KG77 Junkers Ju88A (5100).
Oblt. Hans-Ludwig Weber (F) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-11-437 St Clement Churchyard, Leysdown Grave No:130 3.10.1940
Fw. Anton Krimpmann (B) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-9-347 Halfway Cemetery, Sheerness Grave No:XF212 7.10.1940
Gefr. Martin Neuweg (Bs) missing.

8/KG77 Junkers Ju88A (3142). Sortie to Tilbury Docks, London, attacked by RAF fighters over the Thames Estuary and ditched in the sea on return flight. Aircraft 3Z+BS lost.
Gefr. Heinz Laga (Bs) missing. Rescued by SND & admitted to hospital in Guines.

8/KG77 Junkers Ju88A (3162).
Oblt. Georg Fuchs (B) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-9-349 Halfway Cemetery, Sheerness Grave No:XF213 2.10.1940
Gefr. Josef Föhlinger (Bs) missing.

9/KG77 Junkers Ju88A (3168).
Fw. Otto Wahl (F) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-10-389 Becontree Cemetery, Dagenham Road, Romford Grave No:686 25.9.1940
Gefr. Hans Buschbeck (B) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-12-452 Becontree Cemetery, Dagenham Road, Romford Grave No:685 25.9.1940
Gefr. Paul Lesker (Bs) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-10-365 Becontree Cemetery, Dagenham Road, Romford Grave No:683 25.9.1940

9/KG77 Junkers Ju88A (5104).
Uffz. Alfons Kurz (F) killed. Buried Cannock Chase 1-12-472 Cliffe Cemetery Grave No:1 23.9.1940
Gefr. Rudolf Kuhn (Bs) killed. Buried at Cannock Chase 1-12-471 Cliffe Cemetery Grave No:2 23.9.1940

[srob48]

For Uffz. Hans Treutmann I have (hopefully) attached 2 pics of the report from Dienstelle


Kriegsräberfürsorge records say:
Oberfw. Walter Brendel:
Is a member of the fallen marine in particular either in the Möltenort U-Boat Memorial in Kiel on one of the wall panels or in the navy cenotaph in Laboe in a place to browse the commemorative book lists. Only in a few individual cases, the bones of the fallen soldiers rescued at sea and on a cemetery is buried. In these cases is the name of the relevant with regard to its grave location also registered in our database.
Uffz. Karl Künkler:
Could not be recovered. According to the information available to us, he remained at sea. The names of the members of the army and the air force, the seegrab have been found from the people of the federal government in a memorial book. It is in the memorial of Kiel - Laboe to display.

They do not have records for the Missing, so they must have been confirmed as killed and buried at sea.

[Peter Cornwell]

sRob48

Many thanks for your reply regarding TREUTMANN. Your NVM differs from my own copy which lacks any annotations – hence the question.

Exactly which ‘Unknown’ plot at Cannock does TREUTMANN occupy ? I have no note of him whatsoever and this would be most helpful to know. Of the 65 ‘Unknowns’ buried at Cannock to the best of my knowledge only Grave No: 1-10-362 relates to a KG77 casualty from 18 September 1940 and that is the unidentified fourth casualty (sic) from the mess at Bowers Gifford (as discussed in a separate thread). It would be good to positively identify another if at all possible.

[Joe Potter]

Strangely the VDK Gräbersuche also lists Treutmann as being buried amongst the unknowns at Cannock Chase?

[Peter Cornwell]

Maybe so Joe but my question stands. Which plot at Cannock does TREUTMANN occupy?

[srob48]

Thank you Peter for your replies and the information on the original burial places. Sadly, I do not know the exact grave number for Uffz. Treutmann. A letter to the Dienstelle in Germany might shed some light? While I can understand the reinterment of most (certainly not all) Geman airmen after the war, it has now made it harder to identify any 'unknown' as to their present grave at Cannock Chase. That's why I was wondering, if we know where they were originally buried, is it not possible to work out the burial order at Cannock Chase? ie. Surely all the burials at (for instance) Southend-on-Sea Sutton road Cemetery, were reburied together at Cannock Chase: 1-4-111, 1-4-112, 1-4-114 etc. So if there was an unknown buried at Southend-on-Sea, and there maybe a unknown buried in plot 1-4-113 (for example), would it not follow that this is the same unknown?
There is nothing more I would like to do with my research, than to help in the identification of an Unknown German Airmen. And with the amount of information that members on this site have, I would like to think it is possible.

[Peter Cornwell]

srob48,

Your logic with regard to the burials at Cannock is faultless. The late Peter FOOTE did a lot of 'back engineering' research work of that very kind back 'when Pontius was a pilot' and thankfully his records survived. However, it seems that your theory (predicated upon a systematic approach) was unfortunately not always borne out in practice. Thus the three casualties from (3168) now occupy individual graves at Cannock that are somewhat dispersed: Block 1, Graves No. 365, 389, & 452. Consequently any possible conclusions to be reached on the possible identity of 'Unknowns' solely based upon their current location at Cannock is problematic. I simply hoped that you may have had a note of exactly which plot TREUTMANN now occupies at Cannock but no matter.

[ssg keay]

I know this has been a very late message, but has anyone been able to gather further information on Ju-88 5097, in particular on the missing crewmember? I will be visiting the crash-site next week (hopefully).

[Chris Goss]

Still missing/no known grave