He111 near Long Riston, Beverley.

In the early hours of the 9th of May 1941 this aircraft was en-route to bomb Sheffield when it was intercepted by a Defiant night-fighter in the Hull area. The Defiant set fire to the Heinkel's port engine, stopped the starboard engine and killed the pilot. Two of the crew then attempted to bale out, one of which broke his neck in a heavy landing and the other suffered his parachute opening too close to the aircraft and it caught in the tail-plane. The remaining airman (the observer) stayed with the aircraft and made a rough landing in a field near Criftins Farm, about a mile north of Long Riston at 01.30hrs. This airman spent a long period of time in hospital probably after sustaining injuries in the landing having not strapped himself in.

My wifes grandmother was employed in driving Army ambulances during the War and on one night while stationed in the Hull area she was instructed to pick up an injured German airman and later the same night a dead German airman from a crashed enemy aircraft in the Hull area. She cannot recall the date or location but the only incident this could relate to are the losses on this night. The dead airman she collected was probably the wireless operator (who died as a result of being dragged down with the aircraft at Long Riston). The survivor could relate to any of the Germans who baled out of the other two aircraft on this night, however as the others were less injured I suspect that a 21 year old female ambulance driver would not be the choice of guard for these airmen and they were probably taken care of by military units. The most likely the injured airman she collected is the observer (who sustained injuries in striking the cockpit in the Long Riston incident), who she took to a hospital in Hull.

Pilot - Fw Gerhard Ender, (killed in the attack). Buried Cannock Chase, Staffs.

Obs - Fw Heinrich Muller, (seriously injured), PoW.

WOp - Uffz Bruno Schakat, (baled out but caught in tail), buried Cannock Chase, Staffs.

Mech - Fw Georg Schopf (baled out but broke neck on landing), PoW.

The aircraft in the field at Long Riston.