Crash site of Luftwaffe bomber Ju88 6213 of KG76
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Luftwaffe bomber Ju88 6213, Staffordshire
May 8th 1941. The crew of Junkers 88 6213 had successfully dropped their bombs on Liverpool and were heading home when downed by either anti-aircraft fire south of Manchester, or the Boulton Paul Defiant night fighters sent up to intercept them.
Pilot Major D H von Ziehlberg, holder of the Iron Cross, had radioed his intent to abandon the aircraft. However, with one wing ablaze, the Ju88 crashed near The Roaches in Staffordshire, killing all on board. Apparently one crew member, Georg Mahl, was found some metres distant from the others, suggesting he managed to bale out, but alas was too close to the ground to have time to deploy his parachute.
crew;
Major Dietrich Heistermann von Ziehlberg (Pilot)
Oberleutnant Walter Lemke (observer)
Oberfeldweber Rudolf Schwalbe (Wireless Operator)
Feldweber Georg Mahl (Air Gunner)
Below; The graves of the crew at the German Military Cemetery at Cannock Chase.
At the crash site (grid reference SK00407 64709) all that remains are lumps of molten aluminium, nothing recognisable as coming from an aircraft. Any such remains have long since been nicked. A scout about in the vegetation nearby might reveal the odd fragment of perspex and in the undergrowth all the way down to the stream there are more lumps of aluminium.
Summer visit showing remaining molten aluminium at the crash site.
Crash site of Heinkel 111 which was shot down near Stockport the same night
Crash site of a Heinkel bomber 2871 GI+LH which was shot down near Stockport during an air raid on Manchester, May 8th 1941. All crew members successfully baled out.
Photo © Stockport Express.
Very poignant memorial, it is good to see the German airmen commemorated in England, time is a great healer.
Indeed very nice to see a poppy cross on a German crash site. Great artist’s impression I have to say, though the fighter looks a bit big in comparison to the bomber..some bias? 🙂
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Seen on your photo stream. (?)
Very interesting; as cessna comments it’s nice to see the German crews remembered too.
There’s 2 German nightfighter crews buried in Scampton churchyard; their graves are still maintained as are the RAF graves there. The 2 crashes resulted in 9 casualties – a mechanic had been along for a ride.
So much depth to the content here Ian.. very interesting narrative & image.. Always interesting to read your contacts comments too.
Have a wonderful new year Ian.
Nicely taken Ian – great detail as always and I see you found snow and green shoots which make a super shot
Congrats again on sharing another aircraft crash site with the rest of us Ian. I think it would be safe to say that airmen’s graves all over Britain, whether they be friend or foe, are well looked after and given the respect that they deserve in this day and age.
Thanks very much everyone.
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/25949002@N06/]
You may be right looking at it again!
Nice shot Ian , thoughtful composition
Thanks again. There are not many German crash sites with wreckage left (there are just scraps at this particular site) and it’s nice to be able to pay my respects to these airmen too. They had even less say in what they had to do than our airmen, and far less chance of surviving the war, whatever their individual beliefs.
Below is a photo of a WWII German military mass grave in France.
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/maycontaintracesofnuts/2831400518/in/set-72157606722891438/]
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/tagel55/]
Thanks Sonja, lovely to hear from you whatever photo!
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarscot/]
I’m very interested in what you find. Re; the lights on the river, during bombing raids on Sheffield and Manchester, people would light fires on the surrounding moors, so newly arriving bombers would think the moors were burning cities and drop their bombs harmlessly on the hills.
beautifully shot, wonderfully researched and fitting to add in the comments about the time had of it by German airmen.
The pilot’s father was a General implicated in the 1944 bomb plot. The General’s aide de camp supplied the explosive to the plotters. The General was arrested and tried and finally disposing of any need for clear proof he was executed in early 1945. The pilot’s brother died on the Russian front. The Von Zielbergs are to be remembered.
interesting notes, thanks Stephen
Hi Stephen, interesting stuff. Where did you find the information re the pilot’s father and brother?
5/3/2020 visited site today on Goldsitch Moss of Ju88 1941, if it had not been for the help of the occupants of Moss End Farm I don’t think I would have located it as the site is very concealed, only visible at a distance of 10′ as there are no markings only a handful of molten aluminium, certainly needs a plaque or cross.
Another site worth looking at: Boeing B17 Flying Fortress on Birchenhough Hill approx. three miles away in a north westerly direction.