REASON FOR LOSS:

Attacked by night fighter. Caught fire in the air and crashed, the wreckage falling on a row of empty shops, which collapsed onto the burning aircraft. Aircraft totally destroyed.
Markings: Undersides spray painted black whilst the upper surfaces were duck egg blue over which wavy black lines had been painted. The spinners had a 1½ inch green band painted near the propeller blades; further forward there was a 1½ inch black band and then a 1½ inch red band with the remainder of the spinner black.

This aircraft was shot down by W/Cdr D. Hayley - Bell DFC and F/O H. W. Uezzell in a Beaufighter Mk VI of No.68 Squadron. Uffz. Prodehl baled out but was seriously injured and died the following day from wounds sustained. Uffz. Eger baled out and captured injured. Lt. Kohn and Uffz. Donzyk were killed in the crash.
Here is part extract from the Combat Report of W/Cdr D. Hayley - Bell DFC and F/O H. W. Uezzell;
The operator (Uezzell) noted there was no I.F.F. showing and it was throwing out window. Target was jinking extremely hard, diving and climbing up to 5,000 feet, and altering speed from 140 to 230, doing 360 degree turns. Fighter followed target visually, not more than 10 seconds at a time. The light appeared to be underneath the machine, there appeared to be no signaling from these lights, but were only left on by mistake.
Fighter closed to 500 feet, speed at 230, height around 16,000 feet, and fired 2 second burst at the lights. There was no return fire. The camera gun which had a night film is exposed two feet. The port engine immediately exploded and strikes were observed crossing the pilot’s cabin onto the starboard engine which also exploded. The machine went into a steep dive port, and the fighter went through the smoke of the burning engines. When the machine was fairly close to the ground, and well alight from wing tip to wing tip, it appeared as if both engines fell out. The machine was seen to explode on the ground at 2312 hours.

Aftermath of the crash, searching through the debris and aircraft wreckage One of the Junkers Jumo 211J-2 engines with main
wheel & tyre in the demolished building. (Parry)


The tail of the aircraft rests alongside Woodford Avenue, note the camouflage detail. (Parry)





The building was totally destroyed, but was later developed after the war as can be seen in this Google Earth image below.
(Parry/Google Earth)




The remains of the crew dinghy recovered in one piece! (Parry)




The original burial of the three crew members at Becontree Cemetery, March 25th 1944


During the 1960’s were exhumed and transferred to the German Military Cemetery, Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, England.
(Forscher)

Uffz. Donzyk Block 1. Grave 374, Lt. Kohn Block 1. Grave 390 and Uffz. Prodehl Block 1. Grave 375.

German Military Cemetery, Cannock Chase, Staffs.

Researched and compiled by Melvin Brownless with special thanks to Simon Parry, Nigel Parker and Forscher. Updated April 2016.