I can add some additional information to the Tempest victory, on 15th April 1945 in Kaltenkirchen. The pilot of the German ME262 (this is an identification error of the 2 RAF pilots – in reality it was an ARADO 234 Bomber) was my father Oberfeldwebel (OFW) Helmut Luther.

You will find confirmation on this Belgian WEB page: http://www.luchtoorlog.be/ar234_op.htm  “Tijdens het landen op Kaltenkirchen, heeft een jager, waarvan we aannemen dat het een Tempest was, Ofw Luther van 6./KG 76 neergehaald. Daarbij werd hij zwaar gewond. (Deze overwinning werd bevestigd door een verklaring van twee Tempest-piloten van No. 56 Sqdn).”

My father was wounded, but not killed. His stories – he told me, when I was a little boy – are exactly identical with the report of the 2 Tempest pilots. He started in Kaltenkirchen with 2 bombs to attack whatever, when 2 Spitfires (He never spoke about Tempests, I suppose he was not able to identify the RAF airplanes as well) attacked him from the back. He got some bullets in the wings, the ARADO started to burn and he had to ditch. He touched some trees and destroyed the chimney of a house. On earth he left the burning ARADO asap and returned to the airport with a broken leg and some injuries. So the war was terminated for him – he spent the rest in different hospitals. My father died 13.02.2000.

I have added a scan of his FLIGHT BOOK. The last line says:

Purpose of flight: Feindflug – enemy attack

Location – Kaltenkirchen

Day: 15.4.1945

Time: 10:10

Landing: Kaltenkirchen

Landing Time: 10:15

Duration of flight: 5 min

Remarks: Flak of adversary pursuit planes – forced landing – 95% destroyed

Best regards

Frank Luther

Text and photos:

Frank Luther