German airman POW, Norther Ireland 1943

[Roger Harris]

In August 1943 my Father was a Military Policeman stationed in Belfast. I have his report on a prisoner escourt duty between Belfast and London dated 30th August 1943, the prisoner being a Luftwaffe pilot Unteroffizier Georg Keiner. It records that during the journey the prisoner managed to convey that 'although the aircraft in which he was serving was far out in the ATLANTIC OCEAN' he was not equipped with either a parachute or life belt of any description'. Is there any way of finding more information about Georg Keiner? Incidentally my father's report also states that 'throughout the journey the prisoner behaved in an exemplary manner'.

[SchnellMeyer]

Hi Roger, a most interesting story . If Uffz Keiner was part of a crew who were operating " far out in the Atlantic Ocean " then I think it is possible that he was on a FW 200 Condor . A Condor F8+BH crashed into Belfast Lough on 24 July 1940 , I will check my files to see if I can find anything on Uffz . Keiner for you .

[shergar]

Several Luftwaffe aircraft are known to have come down in the sea around Nothern Ireland, none however crashed on land. A Focke-Wulf Condor belonging to 1st Staffel of Kampfgeschwader 40 (I./KG40) crashed on the 25th of July 1940 whilst on a minelaying sortie at the mouth of Belfast Lough. Three survivors were picked up by a anti-submarine trawler and landed at Larne, no bodies are on record as being recovered.

Squadron Leader J.W Simpson, C.O. of 245 Sqdn based at Aldergrove, shot down two Luftwaffe aircraft whilst stationed there - A Heinkel 111, east of Downpatrick during the air raid on Belfast, during 7/8th April 1941, and a Junkers 88, brought down near Ardglass on 6th May, both aircraft crashing into the sea.

Quite a number of Luftwaffe aircraft did crash in the South either from accidents or combat. About 140 Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine men were interned at the Curragh Camp, separated from Allied servicemen interned, only by a barbed wire fence. There is also a German cemetery in Co Wicklow. It seems unlikely there are any Luftwaffe aircrew buried on the North Coast, although it would be interesting if anyone can prove otherwise


my own father witnessed a german aircraft being shot down in ww2