after several years of researching the crash of this aircraft i have hit a wall with two questions
1) 58 mu removed the wreckage for disposal.where would they have taken it?the crash was at Bonby north lincs(about 5 miles from elsham wolds) i know two lorries were used but nothing else,i have been told that a place near what is now Newark air Museum called white cliff or scare cliff was used as a dump for wrecks but this is about 40 miles from the crash site and this sounds improbable.
2)taking into account that as far as i can see there are no claims for british night fighters (people who witnessed the shooting down claim a two engined fighter shot the aircraft down) and a Z battery from near Hull can be discounted as bullet holes were evident on the burnt out wreckage the only conclussion i can come to is a friendly fire incident.the problem i have is that i cannot find how many intruders were flying that night and from which units they flew.i dont want to point the finger of blame at any pilot i am more interested in getting the story correct.i has seen records that claim 4 and maybe up to 8 intruders crossed the coast on the 23/24 july 1941, one reported over cambribge later in the evening,one crashed at bonby after dropping bombs on elsham wolds where were the other aircraft? were they all from 4njg2 at Gilze -Rijen?
any help with this would help clear my mind
By: fuji - 30th April 2005 at 09:31
From the National Archives.
Hull. Red alert from 0026 to 0140. Four hostile plots crossed the coast East to West. Raid 641 approached barrage area, engaged by AA and rocket batteries. AA at Z2 claim aircraft down over Lincolnshire.
Aircraft at Bonby A4734, still burning at 0145 hours. Balloons at 6,500′
From my own records.
24-7-1941 0110 hrs. Ju 88 crashed at Bonby
Ju88C-2 1/NJG2 Werk Nummer 0854 R4+LM
Burial Register at Kirton Lindsey 26/7 gives:-
Fw. J Belbo 27, killed at Bonby plus 2 unknowns.
Luftwaffe Records give Fw. Josef Beblow
By: keith falla - 29th April 2005 at 23:22
a gun from the aircraft was found during a dig in the 70s which is on display at Hemswell Cliff.it is slightly bent but is in very good condition to say it was found very close to the surface of a ploughed field.intruders over Britain has details of the crash and does use the same reason for the crash as you mention without giving any further information.
By: kev35 - 29th April 2005 at 20:26
Luftwaffe Night Fighter Combat Claims by Foreman, Matthews and Parry has no claims recorded for the date concerned, supporting the ‘blue on blue’ theory. 2/NJG2 were active over England the previous night when a Wellington was claimed by Lt. Volker.
Regards,
kev35
By: von Perthes - 29th April 2005 at 17:56
Keith,
‘The Blitz, then & now’ has ‘believed shot down by another aircraft of NJG2 during a night intruder sortie.’ It also mentions parts are held by the Humberside Aviation Society, who might be worth trying.
A book that might help you is ‘Intruders over Britain, the Luftwaffe’s nightfighter offensive over Britain 1940 – 1945’ by Simon Parry. Maybe someone on here has a copy they could check, or try Googling to find a copy.
I would also try posting this question over on ’12 O’clock high’ at http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/forumdisplay.php?f=8 as both Simon and Peter Cornwell, who did the losses for ‘The Blitz, then & now’ can be found there.
Geoff.
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April 29, 2005 at 10:01 am