On the 1st of November 1940 this Junkers Ju88 took off from its base at Gilze Rijen in Holland and was on route to attack
Linton on Ouse aerodrome (although some sources quote Church Fenton) in Yorkshire in the early evening. The aircraft flew in from the sea somewhere north of Whitby and
flew into high ground at the head of Glaisdale whilst was covered in mist. The aircraft carried four crew, they were all
killed in the crash. There is still some debate as to why the aircraft came to crash. It is known that a lone aircraft attacked
Skinningrove Iron Works on the same night and was engaged by machine guns at the Works. Others also report an aircraft being
damaged by ground fire shortly after crossing the coast near Whitby. The full reasoning for the crash will never be known,
although, as Bill Norman recounts in his "Broken Eagles" book, one airman had bailed out just before impact with the ground
and his parachute appeared to foul the aircrafts tail plane, he was dragged to his death. Two other airmen had been thrown
out of the aircraft when it crashed. Strangely, all were found barefooted, suggesting they thought they were over the sea
and they knew they were not going to make it home. The crew were:
Pilot - Fw Wilhelm Wowereit, aged 25, of ? Buried Thornaby on Tees Cemetery.
Observer - Obfw Hans Schulte-Mater, aged ? Of ? Buried Thornaby on Tees Cemetery.
Wireless Operator - Uffz Alfred Rodermond, aged ? Of ? Buried Thornaby on Tees Cemetery.
Air Gunner - Uffz Gerhard Pohling, aged ? Of ? Buried Thornaby on Tees Cemetery.
All the crew were buried at Thornaby on Tees Cemetery.
The impact crater.
John and myself searched for this aircraft in March 2003, a small water filled crater remains
at the site with, what looks like, a smaller bomb crater next to it. We also found a little wreckage next to these craters.
Some remaining wreckage still at the site.
