Wilhelm Schneckener

[gilles collaveri]

Any information about Wilhelm Schneckener ?

He died on 20 July 1944 in Do217K3 Wnr 4713 upon coming back from an attack against the allies forces in Normandy. It appears that he was one of the most experimented pilot of KG100 at the time (dixit Ulf Balke).

He belonged to 9/KG100, and crashed in a hill close to the runway. In his crew, one survived : Werner Hetsch the three others were killed (see NVM attached).

Pictures or contacts with family would be welcome.

Further information on the crew as well.

Thanks a lot, as usual.

[Chris Goss]

Experimented or experienced?

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Chris Goss

Experimented or experienced?

Expérimenté (French) = experienced (English)?

[Chris Goss]

His EKM and age might indicate he was experienced but he was not awarded the DKiG or EP

[gilles collaveri]

et oui, Nick & Chris, you are right : expérimenté (French) = experienced,
this is a "faux ami" (false friend") word and I was trapped.

Chris, i understand that he had the EKM ?

Any picture of him or his crew would be welcome;

The aircraft crashed at 10.30 PM at Toulouse Blagnac, a few kilometers from the runway, at night, they most probably missed the approach and collided with a hill.

One of the crew was able to get out of the aircraft and knock at a door at a farm nearby, asking for help, in the middle of the night, yelling "machin kaputt".
The next morning, the aircraft was there, a witness said that it was "flat", and the wreck was evacuated the following days.
One month later (Aug. 20), the German army left Toulouse.

GC

[Chris Goss]

EKM=Erkennungsmarke which is his service number, not an award. Sadly photos from KG 100 at this time are very rare-crews were struggling just to survive

[gilles collaveri]

I received this data : he was not killed in the crash, but had two legs broken, and he died later at the hospital.

Hard times ...