Oblt Helmut Zilken III./JG 54

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello,

I'm searching confirmation of the details of the loss of Oblt Helmut Zilken of III./JG 54, a 12-victory ace.

Gunther Rosital's JG 54 losslist shows him as MIA on 16 March 1942 but gives no other details: location loss and aircraft are unknown. It is the only loss listed in this file for this day

The Volskbund database confirms the date of death as 16 March 1942 and gives as death place "3km westl.Tigoda (500m v.Rand d.Tuschin-
skij-Sumpfes)" and says he was buried on 18 September 1943 in Tscherwino.

I was able to find a "lake Tigoda" on Google Map here:
http://maps.google.fr/maps?hl=fr&q=T...-8&sa=N&tab=wl

The location is north of Novgorod and in JG 54 operation area.

Another (Russian) source, probably coming from Luftwaffe loss lists, show one JG 54 for this day: the Bf 109 F-2 WNr 9651 of Stab III./JG 54, a 100% with the pilot KIA. Sadly this source is not listing crew or pilot names. For the loss location, this source says it is not easily readable but is probably written as "Myasnoy Bor". This place is also north of Novgorod.

I would like to know if someone has the Quartermaster loss file where Zilken is listed, to confirm the aircraft listed above was his, and the loss area was north of Novgorod.

Even more interesting will be the NVM file of Zilken.

My personnal hypothesis so far is that Zilken went missing in one of the actions flown this day by III./JG 54 (that claimed 12 victories during the day in several air battles) and was last seen in Myasnoy Bor area. In fact his damaged aircraft flew 25-30 km westwards before crashing in a marsh near lake Tigoda, where he was found more than a year later, hence the late burial date.

Thanks in advance

Laurent