I have in my possession several items that were taken at the time from a Dornier 17 that crashed at Wimbish near Saffron Walden on 26th August 1940. 3 17’s came down in the area on this day following a raid on Debden airfield. 2 of them are identified in the BOB Then and Now with their Werk numbers but mine is not (no WN shown).
The data plate I have is stamped “3358” and it’s been suggested previously that this could be the “missing” werk number, however internet searches have not been able to link the number with the aircraft type.
I recently came across an account of a “kill” by a 141 sdn Beaufighter pilot in which he claimed a Ju88 werk number “3358” on 5/5/41.
My question is, did every Luftwaffe airframe carry a unique werk number or was it specific to a manufacturer, or are either of the above incorrect?
Hope your able to help.
Thanks
Richard
By: LW206 - 12th January 2017 at 08:10
Hi Andy,
Thanks for your response.
Ok, I think I can now be reasonabily satisfied that the Cole End Dornier was indeed W/Nr 3358.
It’s a shame there’s no easy way of tracing a Luftwaffe aircrafts service records to see what other action it was involved in prior to 26th August.
I would of course be interested in seeing the photo you have if you get a chance to post it.
How could you ever forget the Hellblau debate!! Lol
Cheers
Richard
By: Arabella-Cox - 12th January 2017 at 01:50
LW206 / Richard
I concur all that is said above relating to W.Nr 3358.
Certain pieces of equipment that were specific to the aircraft, such as the Fug radio equipment and D/F equipment, sometimes had the Werke Nummer stamped onto the data plates or components. An example being the tuning dial of a Junkers 88 I have here which carries the aircraft number. This might fit with the item you have being made by AEG?
I’d also add that I have a photo that is either the Thaxted or Wimbish Dornier 17 incidents on 26 August 1940.
Possibly this was the basis of your enquiry to me by email which I missed? However, as I explained, I’m afraid personal circumstances mean my available time to answer non-magazine related enquiries is somewhat limited at present.
However, your query, here, reminded me that this had been discussed before:
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?105753-Battle-Of-Britain-Dornier-Part
By: LW206 - 11th January 2017 at 16:44
Aviart,
Oh ok. I thought from what you were saying you had confirmation that the Wimbish Dornier was indeed 3358. I too have seen the werk number sequence and agree theres a good possibility that 3358 IS the werk number.
Another good sign is the way the number has been stamped on the plate. As this manufacturer was not responsible for final assembly, I would have thought that if they were to add this, being a part number, it would have been included as the other details are, in a specific area of the data plate. The fact that on mine “3358” has been stamped randomly, possibly at a later date, could suggest it was added during final assembly which would add even more to the werk number theory?
What would be interesting is to know what part this plate would have been attached too, because if it was a major part this would also add weight to the argument?
Cheers
Richard
By: adrian_gray - 10th January 2017 at 21:34
Aviart,
Adrian, very interesting story. Wonder if they were from the same crew?
If only I knew!
Adrian
By: Aviart - 10th January 2017 at 17:24
I do not have a WNr. listed for the Wimbish Dornier. It is (or was) currently unknown, but your component plate from that aircraft is stamped 3358. The stamped number could have been the individual WNr. for that component. However, seeing as the Dornier Do 17 factory production lists have WNr.3197 to WNr.3450 as being built as Do17Z-2’s by Henschel and knowing that the Wimbish Dornier was listed as a Z-2 then there’s a pretty good chance that the stamped 3358 number was the WNr. for the Do17Z-2 that crashed at Wimbish… 🙂
By: LW206 - 10th January 2017 at 16:39
Aviart,
That’s fab news….thanks. Where did you get your info from regarding 3358 as it’s not listed in the BOB then and now.
Adrian, very interesting story. Wonder if they were from the same crew?
Cheers
Richard
By: LW206 - 10th January 2017 at 16:38
Aviart,
That’s fab news….thanks. Where did you get your info from regarding 3358 as it’s not listed in the BOB then and now.
Adrian, very interesting story. Wonder if they were from the same crew?
Cheers
Richard
By: Aviart - 10th January 2017 at 11:54
Apologies, I see that you already have posted it. 🙂
By: Aviart - 10th January 2017 at 10:33
Richard, is it possible to post a photo of the plate stamped 3358?
By: Aviart - 9th January 2017 at 18:18
If 3358 is the WNr. then it was a Do17Z-2 built by Henschel. Which is the variant that I have that particular Wimbish, 26th August 1940 Do17 loss currently listed as being…
Each aircraft would have had a specific WNr. allocated to it within that specific aircraft type. So there were other types of aircraft that would have had the same WNr. However WNr.3358 does appear to tick some initial boxes for being the Wimbish Dornier’s WNr…
By: adrian_gray - 9th January 2017 at 17:55
I can’t help you, but I will follow with considerable interest as a distant relation captured two German airmen at Great Sampford that day, who could well have bailed out of this aircraft. Hawkinge have a large chunk of one wing, and there’s an account of the attack as viewed from nearby Hempstead in a book by Hector Bolitho… but I cannot remember which one, possibly Combat Report?
Finchingfield’s parish magazine, The Villager, also covered that day a few years ago as one of the German airmen escaped his aircraft only to break his leg colliding with the village war memorial.
Adrian
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January 9, 2017 at 1:23 pm