In the meantime I have researched the two guys who carried out the ghastly
deed :---
OBERLEUTNANT;-( RAF= Flt/Lt.) Harry Kurt Wappler who.s Heinkel 111 (serial
No2670) collided with barrage-balloon cables after a night attack on
Ellsmere port Fri.13th (unlucky!) Sept.1940 at 3.30am. He bailed-out, 3
other perished, A/C crashed at 32 Stow Park Avenue, Newport, S/Wales.
LEUTNANT:-(RAF= Pilot/Off.) HEINZ ("not 57") Schnabel shot-down in
Messerschmitt 109 (serial No1985) 10am.Thurs.Sept.5th. 1940 at Handen Farm,
Nr, Aldington. Kent. *--------*-it's interesting to note that almost to the
minute, OBERLEUTNANT:- Frans Von Werra, ( notorious as the only German
airman to escape ), was shot-down at Marden, Kent. This was depicted
in the film :- "THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY",-------rather ironical
!!!!!!!!--------- did'nt do him any good though,----he was killed in
Oct.1944. Perhaps WAPPLER & SCHNABLEL should thank their lucky stars that
they did'nt "make it".!!
The"culprits" met up in a converted hotel for prisoners-of-war at SHAP
WELLS, Cumberland & from there planned the escape for Sun, Nov.23rd.1941
The "Maggie" used was R1967 based at 15 EFTS. KINGSTOWN, north of CARLISLE,
they were fitted with "blind flying hoods" to the rear cockpits. ====
R1967 bore large No 29 on port & starb. cowlings ( I wonder if there are
any pictures of her around ? ).
You may like to print-out the above details to add to what I will
photo-copy, it should make a good item in your records.
Footnote:-
I have always been a bit dubious about the colour scheme of O/Ws. "Maggie",
as I never saw one with yellow rudder with serial No.'s. on it when in
wartime training scheme, ---- could it be wrong???
The above got posted prematurely - I was still working on it! Finger trouble....?
It is a cut and paste from an Email sent to me by my good friend Les 'Dusty' Miller regarding a Maggie that got nicked by 2 German POW's.
I'll post the rest of the story when I receive it.
Nearly 10,000 hits! A lot more to come I reckon. This thread contains some very interesting material indeed.
Plenty to read when the weather is as cr@ppy as this and we can't fly!
All the best
HP