REASON FOR LOSS:

From the Parish Chronicle of Rügland;

This aircraft was shot down during the night of 14/15th February 1945 and crashed burning fiercely very close to the barn of farmer Emmert in Stöckheim. The aircraft started from Kitzingen with orders to intercept bombers on their way to Dresden, was hit by fire from a enemy night-fighter three of the crew lost their lives.

The pilot was found in the burnt out plane, one crew member was found near Stöckheim in a field and the third was found hanging from a tree in the Ebenholz woods, probably strangled by his parachute cord. The fourth crew member parachuted safely down but with bad burns to his face and hands. He managed to drag himself 2 km to Neustetten, and was being looked after by teacher Treffer and his mother. Later was taken by ambulance to a field hospital, Güllschulle in Ansbach.

In August 1992, Josef Gilg came to the parish office Rügland, after he managed to make contact with them in the Spring. He stayed in Rügland for a week and Bürgermeister Tischer accompanied him to Stöckheim and Neustetten. He could remember different details, the road through the woods, teachers house and school. He had tried for years and years to locate the place of the crash. One day, when old flyers met, it just so happened, by sheer coincidence, he was given, via various roundabout routes a possibility to contact the relevant authority in Berlin, who found details of the exact crash site of the Junkers Ju 88 in their loss lists.

Now he telephoned the Magistrate of the town of Ansbach and then the parish offices of Rügland, and the long atanding wish of the now seventy one years old man came true. He could revisit in Rügland the different stations of his sufferings and lucky salvation.

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Oblt. Willi Deuper killed in crash (Hall/Brownless) cccccccccccccc Fw. Josef Gilg survived (Hall/Brownless)

Burial details: Those killed were taken to Kitzingen for burial.

Researched and compiled by Melvin Brownless, with thanks to Steven Hall, Dave Kirby, updated July 2013.