Hugh

I don’t think there is any doubt at all about the timing of ‘Rusty’ Rushmer’s loss. Also, not sure why you suppose that I implied it was mid-afternoon? I think I state quite clearly in the book that it happened around 10.00am and, in my mind, that is accurate. This was borne out by the time ‘Rusty’ Rushmer’s watch had stopped, too. (10.10 to be precise) Have another read of Chapter 14 in “Finding The Few”.

I think you are getting a bit muddled, Hugh. Not sure why you think it “unlikely” that he was shot down at this time? Your comments in the post above rather fly in the face of the contents of your letter to me of 18 August 2011.

As to who shot him down, that was something I never really looked into apart from a cursory look at possible claimants – of which there are several.

Without going further into my research I see that I noted claims by Beyer and Stange of 8/JG.3, by Lessman of 2/JG.52 and Ihlefeld of LG.2 were made over Spitfires at around the right time, but I rather fear you won’t be able to tie a particular claim to his loss. However, these are timed at around 11.10, which ‘fits’ the time frame given that this was Central European Time, one hour ahead of UK time. Thus, it is likely it was one of these but there are probably other contenders, too, although there were also other RAF fighters being lost around this time as well.

I always tend to shy away from who shot down who unless it is absolutely clear and unequivicoal – which it usually isn’t!

I think tying his loss, even tenuously, to a possible “claim” by von Werra would have no sound basis unless some much clearer evidence emerged. Any reliance upon such a claim seems to be based upon press interviews von Werra gave in the USA after his escape and each of those, that I have seen, vary in content and ‘factual’ (I use the word loosely) detail.

In your letter to me you spoke of von Werra’s unpublished manuscript. I think the book was to have been published by either Steirische Verlagsanstalt Graz or Verlag Scherl (Berlin) although I suspect the latter publisher was due to publish his book, as they were a book on Walter Oesau. I doubt that either publisher exists today…..but….!!!

My involvement, really, was in establishing that the “unknown” grave at Staplehurst was Rushmer’s which ultimately was achieved and I didn’t go any further into who shot him down, especially as there seemed to be no clear evidence linking a specific pilot to his demise.