Junkers JUSS AJ(7188) FL BT 11/KG 76, 12th March 1941

On the 12th March 1941, Junkers 88, werk no 7188, took off from Chateaudun Aerodrome, south of Paris, for a raid on the dock complex at Birkenhead, Liverpool. The German pilot Feildwebel Guenther Unger approached target from the south at approximately 10,000 feet; his aim, the destruction of shipping in the Mersey Estuary. Sitting close to him was the observer, Feidwebel August Meir, his eyes straining through the eyepiece of his Lofts bombsight. Just as the bombs were released, Unger noticed a reflection on his canopy. Looking around he saw a red glow on the cowling just behind the starboard engine. Soon flames began to trail behind the aircraft. Unger could see there was little chance of getting home, so without hesitation he ordered the crew to bale out. Oberfeldwebel Willi Dierk, the Flight Engineer, opened the escape hatch at the rear of the cabin, and jumped, followed within seconds by Unteroffizier Franz Bergemann, the Wireless Operator, and Fw Meir.

Unger had pointed the Junkers out to the sea, properly trimmed, straight and level, for a watery grave, nothing for the enemy to find. A moments hesitation, could he make it? Perhaps the French coast. He remembered a previous ditch in the Channel, and a very lucky escape. One more furtive glance at the flames steadily getting worse, Unger decided against. Clambering into the seat, he hurled himself through the hatch into the darkness below. Within minutes all four had landed safely to become Prisoners of War, although Unger was to get his feet wet when he landed in the Estuary.

The Junkers was far from finished. It eventually flew an amazing 100 miles across land, over Liverpool towards Bridgnorth, Bewdley. Between 2200 hours and 2300 hours, JU8B, 7188 flew in flames over England. Lower it descended and after skimming between a large house and adjoining stables, which were being used as a Home Guard Post, it burnt itself out in a field at the rear of the house. The Junkers had struck an Elm tree and made contact with the ground on the west side of a large house called The Croft, at Wychbold near Droitwich.

Reprinted with permission of Ray Saunders
From the Worcestershire Local History Forum Newsletter 44, Autumn 2008 (Editor Ann Bradford).

“Evening Dispatch picture of the Junkers 88 which crashed last night in a West Midland village. The crew baled out some miles away from the scene.”
Robin Skerratt Collection.