Danish Boy Finds Messerschmitt in a Field

[buffnut453]

Saw this link on the BBC:

Danish boy finds remains of German Messerschmitt in a field - BBC News

Am HUGELY jealous. As a young child, I dreamed of finding a WWII aircraft wreck but, alas, I grew up in a part of Northwest England where not even the Luftwaffe were foolish enough to visit (ok, they did but not very often).

Got to admire his determination...and I'm glad he's got some reward. Hope more info comes out about the pilot (if it is a Me109) and the events surrounding the crash.

 

[Crimea_River]

Maybe they should use the kid as a divining rod in Burma.

 

[Robert Porter]

Funny you should say, I was just asked to wire some money to Nigeria for that very thing!

 

[stona]

Hope more info comes out about the pilot (if it is a Me109) and the events surrounding the crash.

The parts behind the lad in the photo certainly come from a Bf 109. I think that an identification of aircraft and pilot has been made, at least tentatively, and will soon be public.
Cheers
Steve

 

[FLYBOYJ]

More...

Boy finds WWII jet with pilot's remains in cockpit - CNN.com

"The curator at the Historical Museum of Northern Jutland, which now has the pilot's possessions and the remains of the plane, believes his team will soon be able to confirm the man's identity.

"We found the pilot's papers, and I think we have a name," Torben Sarauw, curator and head of archaeology at the museum, said.

Sarauw believes the pilot came from the training base for German pilots in Aalborg, a nearby city. Along with the pilot's suit, hat and three unused condoms, they also have his wallet, which contained two Danish coins and some food stamps for the canteen at the Aalborg base."

 

[Crimea_River]

Possibly this guy but should know soon: Bf 109G-6 serial number 20672 crashed in the Aalborg area 27/11 1944

 

[stona]

It should be possible to identify the pilot or aircraft sub type (though I can't from the wreckage I can see in the news photos ).
I'm sure we'll know soon.
Cheers
Steve

 

[vikingBerserker]

That's just awesome!

 

[Robert Porter]

Great find! And hopefully brings some small amount of peace to a family that was left wondering.

 

[Airframes]

Great find, and well done to the young chap for persevering.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Jet? Isn't that a Daimler - Benz in the background?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Awesome find!

Looks like his remains were found too. Get's to finally go home.

 

[Gnomey]

Cool!

 

[stona]

Jet? Isn't that a Daimler - Benz in the background?

The English speaking press are obsessed with German jets. A fin from Schnaufer's aircraft was sold recently for £90,000 at auction here in the UK. The Daily Mail (or Daily Fail) identified the aircraft from which it came as a 'jet.'

• Luftwaffe pilot Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer shot down 121 planes in WW2

• Marked each 'kill' by printing icon of the target on the tail fin of his jet

• 121 British and Commonwealth aircraft were stencilled over large swastika

In the article there is even a picture of a Bf 110 'similar' to Schnaufer's (though not a night fighter) which is quite obviously not a jet

The description of the application of the kill markings is utter rubbish too.I've looked at the museum fin in the AWM as closely as you can, having driven all the way to Canberra to see their Bf 109 it was the least I could do, something the writer of the article clearly has not!

With the greatest respect to the many Commonwealth aircrew who would have flown in some of Schnaufer's victims, the markings are simply generic with a RAF roundel representing the bombers claimed.

This fin is the famous 'third fin', i.e. not the one in the AWM, nor the one in the IWM, Schnaufer appears to have had two aircraft carrying his personal markings..

Cheers

Steve

 

[Wayne Little]

Awesome find!

Looks like his remains were found too. Get's to finally go home.

View attachment 368059

Agreed...

 

[stona]

Possibly this guy but should know soon: Bf 109G-6 serial number 20672 crashed in the Aalborg area 27/11 1944

I have to say, with the limited information to hand, this looks like the most likely victim. Right time period, right place and crucially the unfortunate pilot's remains were not recovered at the time.
Steve

Edit: Apparently not him.

 

[tomo pauk]

Great stuff indeed.
Two MG 131 and one MG 151 can be seen on the CNN article.

 

[stona]

The pilot has now been identified.

German pilot from buried Denmark WW2 aircraft identified.

He was lost on 10th October 1944 flying a Bf109 G-6 (NI+XZ) WNr..165196 or 165096.

Sadly no living relatives, so it looks like his remains will be reinterred at a German war cemetery in Denmark. Hans Wunderlich was just 19 years old.

Steve

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

 

[pbehn]

So sad about no living relatives.