Hi folks,
I wonder if anyone is able to assist?
I have recently received an e-mail from a gentleman regarding the Nottingham Blitz, May 8th-9th 1941.
Part of his e-mail as follows:
A German air-raid took place on the 8/9th of May 1941, over Nottingham. As well as wiping out half the houses in the street (Moreland St), the Co-Op bakery took a direct hit and killed many of the night-shift workers. I was 10 yrs. old at the time. On the morning after the raid, workmen were repairing the Public Shelters. A ‘plane appeared flying over Colwick Woods towards us and a shout went up “Here’s one of our lads going to give them (Germans) one back!” How wrong we were because the ‘plane started shooting at us, Workmen were literally diving of the roofs of the shelters and we children scattered for safety. To this day I can see the Rear Gunner’s face as he was shooting at us. I believe the ‘plane crashed near Lenton, but I’m not too sure of that.
I have no record of any German losses in Nottinghamshire for that timeframe, so, my questions are – Where did this aircraft come down, if indeed it did crash? What type of aircraft was it, and what was its unit?
Thanks in advance,
Don
By: antoni - 5th October 2013 at 20:29
Before looking for crash sites you need to find out what time the Ju 88 crashed. An aircraft that was shot down in the early hours of the morning is not going to be one seen at Colwick in daylight. As for the crash site, official records say no enemy aircraft crashed in Nottinghamshire on 9th May 1941. The crash site for the Ju 88 is most likely in Derbyshire and it is in that county’s records you need to look.
The Heinkel crashed at SK 650890 at 00.30 8th May 1941. Scrooby in in the far north of the county, practically in Yorkshire. The quarry was gradually extended and the area of the crash dug out. In 1969 a tail fin from one of the bombs was dug out.
The full story is told in Nottinghamshire Air Crashes, David Needham ISBN 978-1-84306-425-1. Too much to recite here. If anyone is particularly interested in this incident then email me through the forum.
By: critter592 - 5th October 2013 at 19:35
Thanks Andy. 🙂
Look forward to that! 🙂
By: Arabella-Cox - 5th October 2013 at 18:27
I will get the relevant file out later. If there was a photograph taken, there is a good chance I will have it.
By: critter592 - 5th October 2013 at 14:27
Blimey, that was quick!
I’m thinking that the aircraft in question may have been a Ju.88, as those eyewitnesses state that it was alone, and appeared to be on a recce mission.
Now to find the crash site.
Thanks chaps! 🙂
Andy – have you photos of the remains of the Ju.88 by any chance?
By: Beaufighter VI - 4th October 2013 at 20:01
- He111H-3 – WNr.3210 – coded A1+BA (blue B) of Stab./KG53 – 100% loss, Scrooby, near Bawtry, Nottinghamshire (St.George’s Channel), England on 08-May-41 during a mission to Liverpool. Shot down by an enemy Defiant of 255 Sq. (Sgt. Johnson & Sgt. Aitchison). Bombs exploded. Fw.Günther Merten , Oblt.Emil Kölnel (B) KIA, Mertens and 3 others POW [sources: Gen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #3)-Vol.4; Foreman, “1941-The Turning Point, II”, p.173; “The Blitz, Then & Now II” p.598 txt]
Cheers
Pete
Dived in vertically, bombs exploded, in sand quarry Scruby Top, spinners light green. POW’s Gefr. Erhardt Schonberger, Fw. Hans Muller and Gefr. Oskar Wilfingseder.
By: Peter D Evans - 4th October 2013 at 19:02
From memory, KG53 lost a He 111 at Bawtry that night or thereabouts?
Cheers
Pete
By: Peter D Evans - 4th October 2013 at 18:56
I have no record of any German losses in Nottinghamshire for that timeframe, so, my questions are – Where did this aircraft come down, if indeed it did crash? What type of aircraft was it, and what was its unit?
Could be this loss Don:
Cheers
Pete
By: antoni - 4th October 2013 at 09:23
According to David Needham “The Battle of the Flames Nottinghamshire’s fight for survival in WW II”.
“Nottingham’s anti-aircraft guns had fired 254 rounds during the air raid but no aircraft had been brought down by them. An RAF nightfighter had sighted and damaged a Heinkel He 111 west of Nottingham at the height of the raid and another fighter had destroyed a Junkers Ju 88 in the Derby area at about twenty-five past midnight.”
By: Arabella-Cox - 4th October 2013 at 08:00
From memory, KG53 lost a He 111 at Bawtry that night or thereabouts?
I will check for photographs, but I think I was in contact with one of the crew c.1975.
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October 4, 2013 at 1:08 am