Andy, it’s likely a Bf109E-4 of 4./JG26 coded ‘White ?+-‘ and I’ll let you know if I find anything else out.

Jayce:

Fw. Wilhelm Roth Bf109E-?/N ‘White 3+-‘, WNr.779, of 4./JG26, location possibly Douai 30 km south of Lille (Needs confirmation!). Shot down by a Bloch MB152 on 3 June 1940. POW for a short time. Originally built as an E-3 but being that it’s clearly a DB601N engined Bf109 in these photos of it’s crash landing this was likely upgraded to E-4/N standard by the time of it’s loss. Notice the small vent just in front of the exhaust stubs. The purpose of this small vent is thought to aid the cooling of the spark plugs and was a common feature on DB601N engined Bf109Es especially those serving with JG26.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]226453[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]226454[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]226455[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]226456[/ATTACH]

Regarding Me109, 1190, couple of relics here:-

Hi Tony,

I thought WNr.1190 made a good belly landing and was for the most part intact? There are crashsite photos showing the canopy in perfect condition which is somewhat different to the current state of the canopy relic in your first photo. What’s the story behind them?

Made in Germany – Finished in England: Spitfire Fund Postcard

Andy, would you happen to know if a better copy of that postcard is available or whether the original photo is in a press collection?

Thanks

Clint

Melvin, are those KG76 Do17Z photos you posted originally from Michael Payne’s collection?

Nice shots. 🙂

The fixed armament was pretty much standard from the B – F series with the 4 x MG17 and the 2 x MGFF cannon. The E series had additional bomb racks on the wings and the F series also could carry Rüstsatz modification packs with an assortment of either extra fuel or armament capabilities. The fixed armament only really changed with the Bf110G-2 with the 4 x MG17 but instead of the MGFF it had MG151/20.

Interested by these stories of a He111 coming down into a reservoir I have had a little search around and the following is what I have located. I’m unsure as to whether any of the following information is accurate.

I believe the said reservoir was Abberton Reservoir in Essex: Wikipedia.

The He111 is believed to be the following:

24 August 1940
He111H-2
9./KG53
A1+??
Crew: Alfred Kramer, Erich Salomo, Erwin Gleissner, and Karl Waldemar Ritscherle. More on Ritscherle who was a pilot in WW1 can be found on his Wikipedia page and on this page here chronicling some of his achievements in WW1 as a fighter pilot.

Extra info:

“A Heinkel He 111, Al+/R, of 9/KG53 left from Lille in France at 1500 hours and joined a force of bombers attacking Hornchurch Aerodrome. The plane dropped 16 x 50 kilo bombs at Hornchurch and was caught over Abberton on the return flight by 2 RAF planes, which shot into and stopped the left engine. Sergeant W. Dymond of 111 Squadron had hit the engine. The Heinkel flew around on one engine and tried to make cloud cover. However, the second plane, a Defiant of 264 Squadron flown by Pilot Officer M. H. Young and Sergeant L. P. Russell delivered a second attack, which set fire to and completely riddled the aircraft -the pilot estimated 600 strikes. The three men in the rear of the aircraft were all wounded. The observer went back to attend to them but did not return. All the controls were damaged and the pilot and observer baled out. The aircraft crashed on the far side of the reservoir and three bodies were recovered from the wreckage. The observer was posted as “missing” and subsequently as “Killed in Action”. His parachute was found near the crashed plane but he fell into the reservoir and drowned. His body has not been recovered.

The three recovered from the plane were buried in the Military plot at Colchester Cemetery on the 30th August. They were :-

Unteroffizier Alfred Kramer, Feldwebel Enrich Salomo and Erwin Gleissner.

At the same, time another 4 German airmen, who had been killed near Colchester on the 26th August were buried in the same ceremony. They were Unteroffizier Herbert Heinrich and Oberfeldwebel Kurt Rosler at Great Tey and at Great Bentley, Unteroffizier Paul Nick & Feldwebel Werner Opper

The service was performed at the graveside, by the Reverend W. J. Heaton M.A. (Chaplin to His Majesty’s Forces) (reference 2). Post war, these 7, along with many other German casualties were transferred from our local churchyards and cemeteries to the Cannock Chase German War Cemetery in Staffordshire.

The crew of the Heinkel 111 brought down at Abberton were :-

Alfred Kramer was born 14th April 1917. He is buried at Block 5 row 7 grave 163 at Cannock Chase.

Erich Salomo was born 30th June 1920. He is buried Block 9, row 5, grave 27.

While Erwin Gleissner was born 8th July 1916 is buried in Block 5, row, grave 164.

Their observer was Major de Reserve Karl Waldemar Ritscherle, 69041/19. His name is commemorated at Cannock Chase. His body was recovered and was found in the same grave at Colchester Cemetery as Erich Salomo, when they moved the bodies to Cannock Chase in 1963. Karl was born 1st May 1898 in Karlsruhe, Baden and was a war hero from the First World War. He joined as a sixteen year old on the 5th September 1914 and served on the Eastern Front for 2 years with the 1 Badisches Lieb- Dragoner- Regiment Nr.20. Karl was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class on the 6th September 1916. He subsequently became an aerial gunner with Schutzstaffel 8 on 16th April 1917. He won the Iron Cross 1st Class on the 15th November and on the 8th December was awarded Baden’s Silver Verdienst-Medaille. Karl was commissioned on 27th December and became a pilot on 22nd June 1918. He flew Fokker DV11s with the Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 60, where he had a further 4 planes and an Observation Balloon added to his list of victories. Overall he is listed with 8 victories. On the 18th September 1918, Karl was awarded the Knight’s Cross with Swords of the Order of the Zahringer Lion from Baden. Karl was not a member of the official crew of the Heinkel 111 but was flying as a passenger on the raid on which he died in 1940.”
Source

The following is taken from page 20 of an Essex & Suffolk Water .pdf here about the history of Abberton Reservoir and the Abberton Reservoir Expansion Project:

“On 24th August a German Heinkel bomber was shot down over Abberton on its return from a bombing raid on Hornchurch airfi eld. The plane was reported as catching fire on impact and being destroyed. One of the crew bailed out and was captured another drowned in the reservoir. The crash site is believed to be on the northern side of the reservoir between Blind Knights and the water to the north east. Jim Bunting was ploughing at Birch and witnessed the Heinkel being shot down.”

A related story on the Essex County Standard Newspaper website here.

Quite whether there is still a Heinkel at the bottom of the reservoir I don’t know? None of the stories seem to mention that wreckage was recovered or whether it actually fell into the reservoir and sank? Interesting stories though… The loss entry on the http://www.aircrewremembrancesociety.co.uk/ website seems to indicate that the aircraft dived into ground at South Essex Water Works, Layer de la Haye, Colchester, Essex.