Trying to find out about Luftwaffe Pilot.

[Big John]

Hi All

My farther has written a book called Too Many Goodbyes, which is about my dad being evacuated at the age of 8 due to the impending out break of WW2.

My dad was sent to Horsted Keynes, West Sussex, U.K.

While my dad was evacuated to Horsted Keynes two German planes crashed near the village, we know one of the planes was a Messerschmitt 109 which crashed on the 30/09/1940, the name of the pilot was Alfred Sander.

We have also managed to find out that he was with unit Jagdgeschwader 27 / 3. Staffel, which I have found out is Fighter Wing 27 / 3. Relay, he was born in Pößneck or Possneck in 19/07/1917, and he was an Unteroffizier which we have found out is under office so would be a Sargent.

I would like to find out as much as I can about Alfred and to try and trace his living relatives.

I have had someone else helping me and when we look on any Luftwaffe related site about pilots or pilots missing in action we cannot find any information about Alfred Sander.

I would like to find as much information as I can about Alfred, flight/pilot records, unit marking on his plane, plane number, airfield he took off from and anything else that any one can think off.

If you need further information please let me know.

Kind Regards

John

[Larry Hickey]

John,

According to the EoE LW Loss DB:

"30 September 1940: 3./JG27 Messerschmitt Bf109E-4 (3630). Shot down in combat with Hurricanes over East Grinstead and crashed into a pond on Cinderhill Farm, Horsted Keynes, near Haywards Heath, 9.45 a.m. FF Uffz Alfred Sander killed. Aircraft 100% write-off.
Site investigated by the London Air Museum and components recovered at time of crash donated by local landowner."

Hope this helps.

[Peter Cornwell]

Richard SANDER was born in Pößneck on 19 July 1917. Recovered from the wreckage of his aircraft, he was originally buried on 30 September 1940 in Grave 1, Plot 1, of St Giles Churchyard, Horsted Keynes. His remains were subsequently reinterred in Grave 17, Block 1, of the German Military Cemetery, Cannock Chase.

[Big John]

Originally Posted by Larry Hickey

John,

According to the EoE LW Loss DB:

"30 September 1940: 3./JG27 Messerschmitt Bf109E-4 (3630). Shot down in combat with Hurricanes over East Grinstead and crashed into a pond on Cinderhill Farm, Horsted Keynes, near Haywards Heath, 9.45 a.m. FF Uffz Alfred Sander killed. Aircraft 100% write-off.
Site investigated by the London Air Museum and components recovered at time of crash donated by local landowner."

Hope this helps.

Dear Larry

Thank you for the information you have supplied.

Alfred Sander was buried in the local churchyard St Giles, Horsted Keynes; my father saw the Alfred being buried in the local church yard through the window of there makes shift school.

Some time in the 1960’s the body of the Alfred was exhumed and taken to the Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery at Staffordshire, U.K.

There is a part in my dads book which reads as follows;


“During any future Remembrance silences, I’m pretty sure that along with several other names that pass through my mind, Alfred Sander’s name will be included”.

Does anyone have any more information about Alfred, any records, photos, information?

I said in my first post that their were two German planes shot down around Horsted Keynes and Haywards Heath, does any one have any information on the other plane shot down, I don’t have any information at all, only that it was around the same time that Alfred was shot down.

Hope you can help.

Regards

John

[Larry deZeng]

Big John wrote in part:

Does anyone have any more information about Alfred, any records, photos, information?

There are two German repositories that would have some information on Alfred Sander: (1) WASt in Berlin, but they would generally only provide the information to family members; (2) the Bundesarchiv-Militaerarchiv (BA-MA) in Freiburg im Breisgau. The BA-MA information would be personal and service data entered on cards (Karteikarten) that were maintained on all aircrew personnel. You could e-mail BA-MA and ask for copies, but your chance of success would be very poor. However, you could engage (hire) a German researcher accredited to BA-MA to obtain the copies for you, probably for not more than 60 quid.

L.

[Big John]

Originally Posted by Larry Hickey

John,

According to the EoE LW Loss DB:

"30 September 1940: 3./JG27 Messerschmitt Bf109E-4 (3630). Shot down in combat with Hurricanes over East Grinstead and crashed into a pond on Cinderhill Farm, Horsted Keynes, near Haywards Heath, 9.45 a.m. FF Uffz Alfred Sander killed. Aircraft 100% write-off.

Hope this helps.

Hi Larry

Thank you for the information, can I ask two things? what does the 4 mean after BF109E-, and what does (3630) have to do with the plane, I am new to this investigation stuff.

Thank you in advance.

I would like to wish every one a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year no matter were you are.

John

[John Beaman]

3630 is the German Werke Nummer, equivalent to a serial number.

Bf 109E-4 is the version number of the aircraft like P-51B or Spitfire Mk V. The Bf 109 went all the way from B to K with different versions within each letter designation.

[Big John]

Originally Posted by John Beaman

3630 is the German Werke Nummer, equivalent to a serial number.

Bf 109E-4 is the version number of the aircraft like P-51B or Spitfire Mk V. The Bf 109 went all the way from B to K with different versions within each letter designation.

Thank you for that info John.

Regards

John

[Nick Beale]

And this is his war grave information (in German):

http://www.volksbund.de/index.php?id=1775&tx_igverlustsuche_pi2[gid]=1aef45e4abf4513981a01d3c78693f17

[Chris Goss]

3/JG 27 was commanded by Oberleutnant Gerhard Homuth and probably based at Guines. He had no recorded air combat victories. As to who might have shot him down, there was only one claim around that time which was Sgt C A Cook of 66 Sqn who claimed a Bf 109 probably destroyed near Tenterden