Lancaster NE172 582 Sqn - Captured German Report

[johanb49]

I do with a Belgian friend a research of Lancaster NE172 of 582Sqn crashed at my hometown De Panne - Adinkerke on the 14th June 1944 Ops as Master Bomber to mark Marshalling Yards Douai (France). Last week 7th June we held a ceremony for the Crew and their relatives at Coxyde Military Cemetery. The families are searching after German Report KE 8876 that is on the Loss Card. On the card the date, crew and squadron are correct but the S/N from the aircraft is misspeld. ND714 must be NE172.
Also on this card a German report is mentioned that the allies found after the war concerning the crash of Lanc NE172. This captured German report is: KE 8876. They were shot down by Oblt Werner Hopf 8/NJG5.
Who can help us to find this German Report?
Kind Regards,
Johan SAMYN
Warrant Officer
Belgian Air Force
Maintenance Engineer Sea King / NH90
Koksijde Air Base
P.S.: You can always find us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/496493920512931/ for more information.

[Horst Weber]

Originally Posted by johanb49

I do with a Belgian friend a research of Lancaster NE172 of 582Sqn crashed at my hometown De Panne - Adinkerke on the 14th June 1944 Ops as Master Bomber to mark Marshalling Yards Douai (France). Last week 7th June we held a ceremony for the Crew and their relatives at Coxyde Military Cemetery. The families are searching after German Report KE 8876 that is on the Loss Card. On the card the date, crew and squadron are correct but the S/N from the aircraft is misspeld. ND714 must be NE172.
Also on this card a German report is mentioned that the allies found after the war concerning the crash of Lanc NE172. This captured German report is: KE 8876. They were shot down by Oblt Werner Hopf 8/NJG5.
Who can help us to find this German Report?
Kind Regards,
Johan SAMYN
Warrant Officer
Belgian Air Force
Maintenance Engineer Sea King / NH90
Koksijde Air Base
P.S.: You can always find us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/496493920512931/ for more information.

Good evening Johan !

Those reports were compiled by the German Durchgangslager Luft or DuLag Luft which was the central evaluation center for allied aircrews in the ETO and MTO for each allied crew-member coming down after an aircraft crash on German occupied soil in WW 2.

KE-reports were for RAF crewmen and KU-Reports for USAAF crewmen.

When U.S. troops reached this place, all the files were tranported to the United States for evaluation purposes. Since those files were a big help in clearing fates of crew-members, I guess, that the KE-Reports were handed over to representatives of the UK e.g. the RAF.

Evaluation and researches on the base of the reports lastet at least until the end of the 1950's.

In the 1960's an enormous mass of captured German files of all kind were handed over to the German authorities for achival purposes.

But there was an agreement with the U. S. government and Germany, that this individual files, concerning allied airmen fates, filed the reports in question, stay in the U. S.

Here they are stored at the NARA and you can free order a copy of a particular in German origional or an English translation.

Unfortunately, I've never found a source, where you can order KE-reports.
Presumeasly, they are somewhere, but not available for the wide public.

But I'm sure, that the are some people in this forum who know more about this matter and may help you.

best wishes

Horst Weber

[johanb49]

Horst,
Thank you very much for your explanation, I hope we will find the KE-Report.
When I have the answer about KE-Reports, I will sent it to you
Kind regards,
Johan

[Luc Vervoort]

Dear Johan and Horst,

Nara has some KE files, but unfortunately KE8876 is as far I could check not mentioned on the so-called “ crashes by date “ list.



If interested I can supply a copy of this list for June 1944 as pdf file (contact can be made via pm).


Best wishes from the other side of Belgium !


Luc

[johanb49]

Originally Posted by Luc Vervoort

Dear Johan and Horst,

Nara has some KE files, but unfortunately KE8876 is as far I could check not mentioned on the so-called “ crashes by date “ list.



If interested I can supply a copy of this list for June 1944 as pdf file (contact can be made via pm).


Best wishes from the other side of Belgium !


Luc

Luc,
I'm interested in the June 1944 pdf file
Thank you very much,
Johan
johansamyn@telenet.be

[johanb49]

Luc,
I can't make contact with you via pm. I doesn't work & don't know why?