Junkers Ju88 near Crockey Hill, south of York.
On the night of the 28th/29th April 1942 twenty German aircraft bombed York in what was to be known as the city's Baedeker Raid and the worst of the entire War,
so named because of pre-war German guide books on historical British cities. The raid caused severe damage to the City and a great number
of civilian casualties including 92 dead. Whilst York was not defended (something which is still open to great debate locally) by the time Allied fighters had reached York
the damage had already been done. This specific aircraft had not released its bombs on York on its first pass and had attempted
to go around again to line up a target. By this time a number of scrambled fighters had arrived and one, from 252 Sqdn based at Hibaldstow, Lincolnshire and
piloted by Frenchman WO Yves Mahe FFAF flying Hurricane BN292. Mahe attacked the Ju88 and damaged the starboard engine and but the aircraf must also have been struck elsewhere
as a photograph of the tail of the crashed aircraft shows damage of the attack.
The Ju88 went into a steep dive and while the pilot ordered his crew to bale out he was unable to get out in time and he was killed in the
resulting crash at around 03.00hrs near Crockey Hill to the south of York. Local rumour has it the pilot was injured in the
attack but this has yet to be proved. His body was taken to Pocklington airfield and he was buried on 2nd May 1942 at Barmby Moor churchyard. After the
War many German casualties were re-buried at Cannock Chase in Staffordshire.
For his actions WO Mahe was awarded the Croix de Guerre and presented by General de Gaulle later in York's Mansion House.
Pilot - Lt Werner Boy, aged 19. Buried Cannock Chase, Staffordshire.
Obs - Uffz Karl Kugler, POW.
WOp - Gefr Willi Schindler, POW.
Gunner - Gefr Heinz Muller, POW.
The above photograph shows the tail of the aircraft taken at the time of the crash and in the back ground the hedge more clearly shown
on the photograph taken on the visit in January 2009 shown below.
The Bosch stamped part described above.
A switch knob, the side out of view has been well worn and the black paint worn off by use.
During the winter of 2008-09 myself, Albert Pritchard, Ken Reast and Dick Barton spent a number of days in the Crockey Hill area trying
to locate this crash site and after a number of failed searches the site was eventually located and small fragments of the aircraft found, enough
to be able to confirm the location and the aircraft type. A number of green anoidised alluminium peices were found, a colour of metal
found in parts of Junkers Ju88's. A "Bosch" stamped plate was also found which an internet search discovered it is probably the cover
of a "fire plug" arrangement fitted to some Luftwaffe aircraft.
Please refer to Bill Norman's "Broken Eagles" book for further details of this incident.