Luftwaffe surrendering

Many thanks. That’s the programme and there it is within the first minute or so. As an Aussie aviator was being repatriated, he witnessed enemy aircraft flying in from the east and trailing white ribbons to indicate they were surrendering. The Focke-Wulf reference is to one enemy pilot who, probably from an ingrainied thought process (that is, almost involuntarily), takes a pot shot at a tank and is shot down. I must say that, to me, it seems odd that an aircraft coming in to surrender would be armed at all but perhaps they were concerned that the white ribbons would not be recognised and they might have to defend themselves and scoot off back whence they’d come.

The Aussie describes the aircraft as streaming in, which suggests they were in large numbers and that this was not an isolated thing. Was any kind of directive issued, or any formal agreement reached, to recognize this as a sign of surrender?

I’m a bit lapsed in my aviation enthusiasm but I cannot recall reading about the trailing of white ribbons in these circumstances before. I wonder if there are any photographs of that. It would make quite a sight and you’d imagine someone would think to take a snap or two.

Unfortunately, I failed to catch the repeat.

Is this streaming of white ribbons so well-known that it isn’t worth a comment or is that it this must have been something unique and thus not recorded?

It’s just that it was new to me.

I’ve read a lot on this period and have never come across white streamers before.

Would it be this…http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00gdb2r/Witness_Victory_in_Europe_Day/
available on iplayer?

In work and supposed to be working so can’t listen until later!

Unfortunately, I failed to catch the repeat.

Is this streaming of white ribbons so well-known that it isn’t worth a comment or is that it this must have been something unique and thus not recorded?

It’s just that it was new to me.

Makes a change. I have lost count of the number of times I have heard “Fokker – Wulf”

Moggy