RE: German Night Fighter Ace - Manfred Meurer

[Bandlaw Charlie]

Hi everyone.

I'm currently looking into the death of my Great Uncle. He was a British Bomber Pilot shot down over Holland on June 17th 1943 by Manfred Meurer.
I believe that Meurer flew with III/NJG I at the time from Venlo and that his Radio Operator was Gerhard Schiebe....but that's it.

Does anyone have any additional info on him and is there any way I could get my hands on any records regarding that day? Do the German Authorities have access to combat records?

He shot down 4 bombers on June the 17th 1943.

thanks heaps

[Alain57]

Hi ,

Perhaps this link can help ?

http://www.luftwaffe.cz/meurer.html

[Tom Semenza]

If you can provide the Squadron and serial of the plane your great uncle was in it would be helpful. Theo Boiten in his new Nachtjagd War Diaries gives the following details of Meurer's claims for 17 June 1943:

01.20 Lancaster ED737 (467 Sqn.)
01.41 Lancaster EE122 (156 Sqn.)
01.55 Lancaster ED497 (49 Sqn.)
01.55 Lancaster ED945 (103 Sqn.)

Hope this is useful to you,

Regards,

Tom

[Zippy1]

In Luftwaffe night fighter combat claims the four kills are timed at :

00:55 SW Ndr Krüchen (presumably actually Niederkrüchen)
01:20 2km west of Braunsrath
01:41 South of Boerdonk
01:55 North of Bortel

[Doug Stankey]

Here is what we have on this guy:

MEURER, Manfred.
(DOB: 08.09.19 in Hamburg).
1939 entered service as a cadet in Flak-Rgt. 6.
c.07.40 trf to the Fliegertruppe and then attended a Zerstörer-Schule.
c.01.41 assigned to 9./NJG 1.
10.41 pilot in 2./NJG 1.
01.01.43 Oblt., appt Staka 3./NJG 1 (to 05.08.43).
15.03.43 Oblt., awarded the Ehrenpokal.
31.03.43 Oblt., awarded DKG, 3./NJG 1
16.04.43 Oblt., awarded Ritterkreuz, Staka 3./NJG 1.
02.08.43 Hptm., awarded Eichenlaub, Staka 3./NJG 1.
05.08.43 Hptm., appt Kdr. II./NJG 5 (to 28.09.43).
28.09.43 Hptm., appt Kdr. I./NJG 1 (to 22.01.44).
21/22.01.44 KIA – in He 219 mid-air collision with an RAF bomber over the Magdeburg area.
Credited with c.130 combat missions and 65 night victories.


We hope this helps.

LdZ
DGS

[Leo Etgen]

Hi guys

I can add that he was wounded on 22 June 1943, when his Bf 110 G-4 (W.Nr. 5475) crashed at Klsendorf due to engine trouble although his Bordfunker was unharmed.

Horrido!

Leo

[Bandlaw Charlie]

Thanks everyone for your kind help and time.

The lancaster in question was ED497 and was a 49 Squadron Lancaster. I'm desperately trying to find a combat report for that night but a collector/historian friend of mine says that it is near impossible to find such a document.

Theo Boiten's records would appear contradictory as I've always been led to belive that the a/c was shot down at 01:41.
It would be difficult to shoot down 2 lancasters in the space of one minute, surely.....who knows?

kind regards to everyone with an interest in the past.....

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Dear Leo,

The correct location was Elsendorp, a small hamlet ENE of Gemert.

All the best, Marcel Hogenhuis
www.fliegerhorst-venlo.net

[Leo Etgen]

Hello Marcel

Many thanks for the correction. Every little bit helps.

Horrido!

Leo

[Holdtgrefe]

Hi Charlie, I am an American living in Holland and interested in the WW2 air war.
I happened to come across your request for help in the search for your uncle.
I am a member of the Dutch organization called Air war 39-45 (SGLO). I am going to search our records to see if ED497 is mentioned in any specific detail. I do have info regarding ED945 which was shot down near Boxtel Holland. At the request of a family member of the Captain we searched the area and found the crash location. This was just north of Boxtel in a hamlet called Esch.
Quite a number of parts, alu panels, ammo etc were dug up and handed over to Monte Banks, nephew of Keith Dexter, pilot of this aircraft. Take care, Eric