Am amazing experience.
Berlin is a wonderful city.
My latest co-authored book out in a couple of weeks
- Thread starter Old Blue 2
- Start date
Berlin is a wonderful city.
Mutzo Nutzo
Player Valuation: £70m
To cut a long story short
Old Blue 2
Player Valuation: £35m
@Rita_Poon You gave a 'wow' to my accont of the attack on Manston on 14th August 1940. Of the two crews shot down, only one survived, Ewald Schank. I tracked him down in the 1980s, and he very kindly gave me this account of his being shot down:
“At 7 o’clock on 14.8.40 we left our airfield with our Staffel for Marck airfield near Calais. From there we were supposed to take off for a mission at 1100 hours. Because of bad weather, take off was put back until mid-day. Two Staffeln took off, about 7-9 machines, with Me 110 and Me 109 as escort. Our aircraft carried two 500 kg incendiary bombs. During the flight over the Channel two aircraft had to turn back with engine trouble.
“At a height of about 3,000 m. the Staffel began a diving attack in order to hit the target. After the bombs had been dropped, we pulled our machine higher. In the same instant, our aircraft received a heavy blow from below, probably a hit from the ‘Flak’. Because of this, the aircraft was damaged and crashed. I was thrown out of the machine, but remained attached to the aircraft by a boot. Without thinking, I freed myself from the boot. When I was free of the aircraft, I operated my parachute. Shortly after the parachute opened, I landed heavily on the hard red tarmac. I quickly released my parachute, as it pulled me towards a large fire. When I stood up, I realised I was missing a boot, and was wounded in the head. As I looked around, I noticed pieces of aircraft, undercarriage, a wheel, and bits of the fuselage. The rest of the aircraft was smashed into the red tarmac not far away.
“I dragged myself through the wreckage to search for the pilot, but could see nothing. As I was all alone and helpless on the runway, three men in blue uniforms came. I did not know, or understand, any English words at that time. I said to the soldiers in German: “My friend is in the aircraft.” They took me in their midst and led me to a shelter, in which there were soldiers in brown uniforms and steel helmets, with guns. A soldier spoke to me in German, but I no longer recall what he said. I asked him: “When will I be shot?” “You will not be shot” he replied, “you will go to a prisoner camp with many others. I probably said, “Ich bin glücklich, dass mich Gott gerettet hat.“ (I am lucky that God has saved me). I fainted shortly afterwards.
“When the raid was over, I was taken in a car by two soldiers to a hospital, and was immediately attended to by a doctor. I was in hospital for approximately 10 days. The following day (15th August) I was told that the remains of the pilot had been recovered from the wreckage. After the shooting down, I was presumed dead, as no one had made a note that I was still alive.”
Gefreiter Ewald Schank
He followed the usual route of prisoners: to London for interrogation, then shipped off to Canada for the duration of the war. Back to England post-war and then back to Germany.
“At 7 o’clock on 14.8.40 we left our airfield with our Staffel for Marck airfield near Calais. From there we were supposed to take off for a mission at 1100 hours. Because of bad weather, take off was put back until mid-day. Two Staffeln took off, about 7-9 machines, with Me 110 and Me 109 as escort. Our aircraft carried two 500 kg incendiary bombs. During the flight over the Channel two aircraft had to turn back with engine trouble.
“At a height of about 3,000 m. the Staffel began a diving attack in order to hit the target. After the bombs had been dropped, we pulled our machine higher. In the same instant, our aircraft received a heavy blow from below, probably a hit from the ‘Flak’. Because of this, the aircraft was damaged and crashed. I was thrown out of the machine, but remained attached to the aircraft by a boot. Without thinking, I freed myself from the boot. When I was free of the aircraft, I operated my parachute. Shortly after the parachute opened, I landed heavily on the hard red tarmac. I quickly released my parachute, as it pulled me towards a large fire. When I stood up, I realised I was missing a boot, and was wounded in the head. As I looked around, I noticed pieces of aircraft, undercarriage, a wheel, and bits of the fuselage. The rest of the aircraft was smashed into the red tarmac not far away.
“I dragged myself through the wreckage to search for the pilot, but could see nothing. As I was all alone and helpless on the runway, three men in blue uniforms came. I did not know, or understand, any English words at that time. I said to the soldiers in German: “My friend is in the aircraft.” They took me in their midst and led me to a shelter, in which there were soldiers in brown uniforms and steel helmets, with guns. A soldier spoke to me in German, but I no longer recall what he said. I asked him: “When will I be shot?” “You will not be shot” he replied, “you will go to a prisoner camp with many others. I probably said, “Ich bin glücklich, dass mich Gott gerettet hat.“ (I am lucky that God has saved me). I fainted shortly afterwards.
“When the raid was over, I was taken in a car by two soldiers to a hospital, and was immediately attended to by a doctor. I was in hospital for approximately 10 days. The following day (15th August) I was told that the remains of the pilot had been recovered from the wreckage. After the shooting down, I was presumed dead, as no one had made a note that I was still alive.”
Gefreiter Ewald Schank
He followed the usual route of prisoners: to London for interrogation, then shipped off to Canada for the duration of the war. Back to England post-war and then back to Germany.
Rita_Poon
Player Valuation: £100m
Because of the human detail, the realities, a duty to the person behind the orders. And being reminded of that moment decades later, the sadness and the waste.
Old Blue 2
Player Valuation: £35m
1. I don't think so.
2. A German edition would be up to the publisher.
3. I leave sales figures to the publishers.
The above comments are not intended to be flippant. I just pass the completed work(s) to the publisher, and do a final proof-read when the .pdfs come through to me. Then it's over to them to bring it to completion.
Old Blue 2
Player Valuation: £35m
Hess's flight was May 1941. This book covers only 1940.
Rita_Poon
Player Valuation: £100m
How sad, that some national moment of remembrance isn't available to the history and memory of those that did their best in terrifying situations, against unfathomable odds, and usually were teens and early twenties young men with futures waiting to be cut down. I say this in...
imagine has just come on, sorry.
Congratulations, I didn't even know you had this string to your bow! A book is a serious undertaking, even moreso when its history, fair play
This is incredible. I'm finding out so much in this thread and I haven't even gotten to the aircraft yet
Old Blue 2
Player Valuation: £35m
I have written/co-written 9 books of various types on the Messerschmitt 110. This is the second time that one has gone to a second edition.
Here's the covers of the others:
And this is the first edition (1995) of the one to be published in a couple of weeks time:
Old Blue 2
Player Valuation: £35m
The research was something I started in 1980, never thinking it would get anywhere...
But as it progressed, I was over to Germany interviewing veterans every year. You'll love this photo of me with Joachim Koepsell (shot down into captivity over the west country on 27 September 1940) taken in 1985. Look closely at the logo on the sweater I'm wearing...
Old Blue 2
Player Valuation: £35m
An emblem that was first used in WW1, and I believe still used on fighters today.
Just dropped in to a farmer's garden on 4th September 1940 at Cousley Wood.
Welcome
Join Grand Old Team to get involved in the Everton discussion. Signing up is quick, easy, and completely free.
Shop
