REASON FOR LOSS:

Started from Chievres to attack Southampton. The weather was very bad at the time this aircraft crashed, with rain and low cloud. The aircraft was heard circling the area for some minutes before twelve bombs were dropped in the vicinity and the aircraft dived vertically into a hillside. It is assumed that the pilot had decided to come down through the cloud to investigate and had just flown over a hill which dropped away steeply. The aircraft was completely destroyed and burnt out, with wreckage spread over a wide area. Engines: BMW 801. Armament: one MG 131 in the dorsal turret and one MG 131 in a ring mounting, dorsal rear.

Extract from the (Wiltshire) Chronicle & Herald; Enemy Plane Down!

Local N.F.S called to Kilmington. The local N.F.S was called to the scene of an enemy aircraft crash on Monday evening when the plane – a Junkers 88 – was brought down near Kilmington. Reports indicate that it had flown over Warminster in a southerly direction. The plane was a mass of flames and the firemen were unable to carry their intentions into effect. It is understood that the plane carried a crew of four – all of whom perished, Firemen could not approach the plane with any degree of safety owing to the flying bullets and the danger of bombs exploding.

Extract from the (Wiltshire) Chronicle & Herald dated 9th November 1943;

Four unidentified German airmen – whose plane, a Junkers 88, was shot down between Kilmington & Mere, near Maiden Bradley, Wilts last Monday evening – were buried at Haycombe Cemetery, Bath, today. The service was conducted by an RAF Chaplain, and the coffins, draped with the Swastika, were borne by RAF Personnel – There were no flowers.

Below: Flowers appeared on the graves a little later.




The crash site in the foreground, note the slight depression in the ground


Excavation of the crash site with the help of Mr. Meaker and his JCB (Croft)


Badly corroded parts due to burning, undercarriage leg, Oxygen bottles (Croft)

BMW 801 Radial engine after some cleaning (Brownless)

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Fragment of uniform & St.Christopher

Various coins found including one Russian with CCCP inscription. (Brownless)

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Unteroffizier Karl Weisskamp (via Weisskamp)

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Researched and compiled by Melvin Brownless & Mike Croft, with special thanks to Mr. Meaker and Herr. Weisskamp for all their help.
(Updated May 2013).