Luftwaffe casualties in Ireland 1940

[Peter Cornwell]

Can anyone identify the two Lw airmen washed ashore in County Galway on 12 November 1940 ? Any names or ID numbers in Irish records of the period ? What happened to their bodies & where were they buried ? Many thanks.

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo Peter,

The two Luftwaffe airmen in question are;

1/ OberLt. Theophil Schuldt.

His body was found washed ashore on 12 November 1940 at Aillebrack beach, near Ballyconneely, County Galway. He was buried on the 13th in Ballyconneely Protestant Cemetery.
Born 28 July 1913 at Eisenach.
ID No. 7/62753

2/ RegRat. Dr. Johannes (Hans) Sturm.

His body was found washed ashore also on 12 November 1940 on Dynich(sic) (Dinish ?) Island, near Lettermullan, Co. Galway. He was buried on the 14th in Kiggaul Roman Catholic Cemetery, near Lettermullan.
Born 27 July 1909 at 'Haag/Obb.'
ID No. 58240/ ?

Both men were reinterred in the German War Cemetery at Glencree, Co. Wicklow during June 1959. They were part of the crew of a FW 200C from I./KG 40 lost on 22 October 1940 off the west coast of Ireland.

The above information is from File G2/X/0466 held in the Irish Military Archives, Dublin and also from a list of the German dead in Glencree (source unknown, but looks like the German equivalent of the CWGC).

Peter you helped me several years ago, also with a BoB query. Thanks again. Hope the above helps.

Martin Gleeson.

[Peter Cornwell]

Many thanks. Glad to have been of help. Please get in touch again off-line.

[Tony Kearns]

The Blitz T&N list this aircraft as W.Nr. 0024 F8+OK. Nowarra lists 0024 as damaged 27 April 1942. Any idea Peter, as to identity of the Condor? Incidentally an A.I.I. (k) report of the interrogation of another Condor crew states that Dr Sturm was one of the most prominent Weather Frogs.
Regards to Peter and Martin,
Tony Kearns

[Chris Goss]

27 Apr 42 ac was 0025 according to my records

[Peter Cornwell]

Tony,

Thanks for the input. Chris Goss has already provided you the answer. You may have been puzzled as to why I was querying something I clearly already knew from the entry in Blitz T&N ? Truth is I was actually trying to establish exactly what the 'indications that the unit was KG77' RAF Intelligence refer to in their A.I.1(k) Report No.8/1941. It turns out to be the ID number of Reg Rat Dr Hans STURM who,as you rightly say, was a fairly senior weather frog who obviously served in KG77 prior to his attachment to KG40. Thanks again.

[Tony Kearns]

Many thanks Chris and Peter,
Tony Kearns

[dp_burke]

Hello Folks,

has anyone the full names and ranks of the crew for this aircraft, in addition to the men above?

I have simply:
Fw. BERGHAUS +
GRUBER +
PLOEGER +
Gefr. GRESSEL +

Was it F8+OK or F8+DK?

Edit: I forgot this more recent posting on the subject.
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...hlight=ireland

Thanks
Dennis

[Peter Cornwell]

Dennis,

This is where I am at present regarding this loss:

2./KG40 Focke-Wulf Fw200C-2 (0024). Crashed in the Irish Sea during weather reconnaissance sortie. FF1 Oberlt Theodor Schuldt (Staffelführer) and Reg. Rat. Meteorologe Dr Hans Sturm both killed, FF2 Fw Walter Berghaus, BF1 Fw Friedrich Gruber, BM Fw Friedrich Hoeger, and BF2 Gefr Walter Grässle all missing. Aircraft F8+OK 100% write-off.
The body of Theodor Schuldt was found on Aillebrack beach, near Ballyconneely, on November 12. Dr Hans Sturm was found washed ashore the same day on Dinish Island, near Lettermullen, County Galway.

[dp_burke]

Thanks very much Peter,

I can't even recall where I got my spellings at this stage. I'll update my site at first opertunity and give you a mention.

Much appreciated. Dennis