08/10/1940 - Junkers Ju88 Wk No 4068

On the 8^th October 1941 Junkers Ju88 Wk No 4068 coded M7+DK, of KG 2/806 took of from its base at Caen-Carpignet in France to bomb the Rootes aircraft factory at Speke and photograph the results, the aircraft was loaded with four 250 kg bombs. The route that was taken took them from Caen to Southampton to Droitwich to Ellesmere Port and finally to Speke arriving in the target area around 16:00 hours. One member of the crew was a "Bildberichter" (Photographic War Correspondent).

From his vantage point on the top of George Henry Lee department store in the centre of Liverpool, Les Jones was on look out duty for enemy aircraft at the time, spotted and identified the loneJu88 flying up the River Mersey. H W Mermagen was the Station Commander at Speke and was in the operations room were the incoming raid was being plotted and gave the order for a flight of No 312 (Czech) squadron to be scrambled as the raider was thought to be heading for Liverpool.

Before reaching the objective, whilst flying at 13,000 feet the aircraft was attacked by three Hurricanes of Yellow section No 312 (Czech) squadron based at Speke. The starboard engine was hit and damaged and the pilot made a forced landing with the undercarriage retracted at Bromborough Dock at 16:15 hours, with two bombs still in their racks, upon being attacked two of the bombs were jettisoned into the river the other two remaining on the aircraft. The Ju88 slid across the field for thirty yards until it came to rest with the port engine ripped out of its mountings, one of the bombs was also torn from its rack to be found lying in the field near to the aircraft. The Ju88 came to a rest near to a anti aircraft gun post, the solders from which came to arrest the remaining crewmembers, however one of the crew that was slightly wounded in the hand and was taken to nearby Claterbridge hospital. The observer Leutnant Herbert Schlegel was killed by a bullet wound to the head, the air gunner and wireless operator were injured on landing and the second pilot was uninjured. The morale of the crew after being captured was considered to be very high.

The Ju88 being inspected by RAF personnel

Yellow section No 312 (Czech) squadron had taken at 16:10 hours with orders to patrol Hoylake and while still at a height of 1,000 feet anti aircraft bursts drew their attention to an enemy aircraft. On sighting the Hurricanes the Ju88 started to climb sharply trying to gain cloud cover and was actively pursued. Sergeant Josef Stehlik in L1807 got in the first burst and Pilot Officer Alois Vasatko in L1926 continued firing from below and above in quarter tactics. Meanwhile Flight Lieutenant Denys Gillam in P2575 kept up stern attacks and soon the Ju88 was seen to be gliding downwards with both of its engines on fire, landing in a field on the opposite side of the Mersey. Heavy and accurate fire was experienced from the Ju88 up to the last minute and all three hurricanes were damaged with Flight Lieutenant Gillam's windscreen being smashed.

Close up of nose section showing symbol

The pilots got a hearty reception when they landed being carried shoulder high by their comrades, a large number of station personnel and local civilians witnessed the event, including those on a local bus going past the Airport. So great was the interest that the airport gates had to be closed the following day when crowds of local civilians arrived wanting to congratulate the pilots.

The intelligence officer, Pilot Officer G McK Phillips report that is made up from the three pilots individual combat reports details the attack as follows, "Yellow section had just received the order to patrol Hoylake and were still near the aerodrome at a height of 1000 feet when a Ju88 was sighted by anti aircraft positions up river the bursts attracting the attention of yellow 3 which sighted the Ju88 flying slowly Westwards at 1200 feet. The Ju88 then in turn sighted our formation and climbed sharply trying to gain cloud cover. Shortly before entering the Ju88 received a burst from Yellow 3 which was followed by continual attacks from Yellow 1(continuous astern attacks) Yellow 2 and 3 which weaved in and out attacking from below and above principally from the rear on account of bad visibility. The Ju88 received bursts from Yellow 1 and 3 while still climbing through cloud and started gliding downwards. Yellow 2 and 3 doing quarter attacks. By this time both of the Ju88's engines were on fire and it was seen by yellow 2 and a large number of ground observers to fall flat down on a meadow on the left bank of the Mersey. During combat heavy and accurate return fire was experienced from the Ju88 up to the last moment before the crash. Slight damage was sustained by all our aircraft a bullet hitting the windscreen of Yellow 1 another the exhaust manifolds of Yellow 2 while Yellow 3 sustained damage to the petrol tank and the gun pipe line (He states in his individual report he returned thinking all his ammunition had gone). Cine guns were not carried. Anti Aircraft fire was ceased immediately our fighters came into action. The names of the pilots taking part and numbers of rounds fired were as follows,

This was 312 (Czech) Squadrons first combat since formation on 29/8/1940.

Damage to Gillam's Hurricane

In his memoirs Flight Lieutenant Gillam recalled the events of the engagement, we were scrambled on 8^th October in poor visibility. With our wheels still down we spotted this Ju88 being engaged by AA fire. My two wingmen began to chase it as I pulled up into a climbing turn. As my two Czechs engaged him I rolled or rather slid off the top of the climb right under it – the Ju88 was only at 1,000 feet. When I had enough power I pulled up and got a very close shot and it went down and crash landed with both engines on fire on the other side of the Mersey, about half a mile or so from the airfield. I continued round, lowered my wheels and put back down on the runway. It must have been one of the fastest Fighter Command kills on record. I had a bullet hit my windshield, in fact the German gunner scored hits on all three hurricanes. Taking my car, I drove through the Mersey Tunnel to the scene of the crash just as the crew was being rounded up. The pilot was dead but the others had survived although the gunner and wireless operator had been injured. I cut the German badge off the side of the aeroplane together with one of the swastikas four souvenirs, then returned to Speke".

Newspaper Cutting of the Victory

The local newspaper recorded "It was a great few minutes and that Ju88 simply had no chance", said an experienced airman and "I saw the leading British fighter come back, I looked for a victory roll, there was none. The second Hurricane and then the third Hurricane came. They did no Victory Roll either, then as an old flying man I understood, none of them would take the credit individually".

Junkers Ju88A-1 Wk No 4068 was built by Norddeutsche Dornier Werke under license from Junkers and was accepted in May 1940. The port Jumo 211 engine was built by Junkers and the Starboard one was built by Miteldeutsche Motorem Werke, Leipzig. The Ju88 was armed with 5-6 machine guns and carried the usual armour plating. There was also a crest painted onto the nose of the Ju88 and comprised of a German eagle in flight carrying an Iron Cross with a small Swastika superimposed on red, white and blue concentric circles, the inner ring was partly green and partly white, this was probably the crews own badge. At least six 0.303" rounds were found in the starboard engine.

Harry Gill who was a gateman at Brombourgh Dock at the time recalled, “The air raid siren had sounded but in those days nobody paid much attention to them. I was on duty at the South Gatehouse at Bromborough dock, when a twin-engined aeroplane plunged out of the clouded sky and crashed about 200 yards away on land reclaimed from the River Mersey. I ran towards it and half way there I looked up and saw a swastika on the tail fin. Two men were scrambled out of the cockpit and ran behind the damaged wing. The two Germans who were tall and well built were bending over a third airman lying at their feet. I sized them by the epaulettes of their uniforms and demanded their guns, which they surrendered without argument. Mr Rand and Thompson then appeared at my side, Mr Thompson took charge of one of the Germans and escorted him to the Dock Gatehouse to be kept in custody until the military authorities arrived”.

“One of the crew was found to be dead at the controls, alongside the Ju88 was a fully inflated dingy, and two unexploded bombs which had fallen from the aircraft as it bounced along the ground were lying near the smoking port engine. At that stage of the war, a military unit was stationed near the dock and they mounted a guard over the aircraft until it was removed by the RAF. The Air force were very concerned with the bombsight as it was a new type and was the first to fall in our hands, they carefully dismantled it and brought it to the Gatehouse where my colleagues and I kept it under guard until it was taken away”.

“That evening we were visited by the three pilots who shot the Ju88 down, having been the first to approach the Ju88, it seemed a fitting conclusion to an exiting day when I shook hands with the victors”.

Frank “Doc” Holmes recalled the event in his memoirs “On the 8^th October 1940 I was standing my door step at 30Ashfield road when the sirens sounded, in the air above us was a German Ju88 with three of our fighters chasing it and it was firing back at them. The fighters were Hurricanes. The Ju88 veered and nearly hit Bromborough church steeple, but the fighters got the better of it and shot it down near Brombourgh dock. I had a good idea were it crashed, so I picked up my eldest boy Barry aged 6 years and put him on the crossbar of my bicycle and made my way to where the Ju88 had come down. When we arrived the crew had been removed from the plane. The pilot, only a very young man was killed and the co pilot was wounded. The machine gunner was not to badly hurt. They were all taken to Claterbridge Hospital. It was a sad sight to see, but that is war.

A pilot arrived on the scene about 15 minutes after the Ju88 was shot down, he had come all the way from Speke Airport where he had left hi Hurricane. He was also a very young man. He cut the German badge off the side of the Ju88, also one of the Swastikas, got back in his car and left for Speke and home. Of course the Army were called in to guard the Ju88 and surround it with ropes and posts. There was a bunch of keys lying on the ground near the plane, which I picked up and gave to one of the soldiers on guard and while doing so had a quick look inside, I was sorry I did because it was not a petty site at all. I did notice that in the glove compartment of the Ju88 there was a bar of Cadbury’s Chocolate and a pack of Churchman’s cigarettes which must have come from the Dunkirk campaign”.

The tailfin removed from the Ju88

The aircraft was removed by the RAF within a few days and it was announced on the 9^th October 1940 by the Commander of the Merseyside Garrison that the aircraft was to be put on public view in connection with "War weapons Week" in Liverpool the following week. In the meantime the JU88 was moved to the Oval Recreation Ground were it was placed on display to the public. More than £70 was collected for the Mayor of Bebington’s “Spitfire Fund”. On the 18^th October 1940 the Ju88 was paraded through the streets of Liverpool in procession with University students, the aircraft was later displayed at St George's Plateau alongside a Messerschmitt Bf 109. The Ju88 was later taken to RAF Sealand and disposed of. The Swastika panel from the tailfin was taken by the pilots as a souvenir and was hung in the flight hut at the squadron dispersal, after the war Flight Lieutenant Gillam presented this panel to RAF Finingley and since the recent closure of this airfield the panels whereabouts are unknown. A paddle from the dinghy which had a plaque mounted on it along with a painting titled “The Fastest Victory” signed by Flight Lieutenant Gillam was recently seen for sale on an Internet site. 

A painting titled "The Fastest Victory" showing Gilliam attacking the Ju88

Lieutenant Herbert Schlegel was originally buried at Hooton Village Church yard and was moved in 1962 to the German military cemetery at Cannock, Staffordshire, Block grave No 3, grave no 117.  

Herbert Schegel's Grave at Cannock

Born Hamburg in 1914, Helmuth Bruckman graduated from school in Emden in 1934, enlisting into the German Navy the same year and commencing flying training in 1936, he was promoted to Oberleutnant in 1939 and was made Commanding Officer of a coastal reconnaissance squadron, aircraft carrier group and subsequently Director of a pilot training school. Early in WWII he became deputy Squadron Leader in a bomber wing, regularly flying He111 and Junkers 88 bomber aircraft. After 36 missions Helmuth Bruckmann's war was over. Promotion to Captain followed in 1942, and he was repatriated in 1944. He joined the Luftwaffe general staff and was promoted to major in 1945. On leaving the air force Helmuth studied languages and literature at university from 1946-1958 and became director of the Goethe Institute in Munich. He rejoined the Luftwaffe and became a Lt Colonel in 1959 in the Ministry of Defence, Bonn. After a period as Commander of a cadet training wing in the Luftwaffe Officers Training School in Munich, he was promoted to full Colonel in 1961 and transferred to the German Embassy in Washington D.C. USA as air attaché. After an additional assignment as the German Military representative with the NATO committee, he returned to Germany as head of the Military Studies Group in the German Ministry of Defence. He retired in 1973. Between the 1^st and 3^rd November 1992 Helmuth Bruckman visited the area and flew back into the same field that he crash landed his Ju88 into, aboard the Duke of Westminster’s helicopter. He had hoped to have met Denys Gillam but he had unfortunately died of a heart attack only a few weeks earlier.  

Helmuth Bruckman  

KGr 806 was formed in September 1939, originally as a coastal bomber reconnaissance unit, which was absorbed into the Luftflotte as an orthodox bomber group, still retaining its nucleus of naval officers. Based at Nantes with detachments at Caen. Originally equipped with Heinkel He111, it was equipped with Ju88A-1 before and during the Battle of Britain. KGr 806 also saw operational service on the Eastern Front and Mediterranean.

 Flight Lieutenant Vasatko and Sergeants Stehlik and Truhlar after receiving the Czech Military Cross from President Benes

No 312 (Czech) Squadron came into being as the second Czechoslovak fighter unit and was formed on 29^th August 1940 at the Czech aircrew depot at RAF Cosford. The home base of the squadron was RAF Duxford, the same airfield where No 310 (Czech) Squadron was based . Two days later the first nine used Hawker Hurricanes Mk1 were flown into Duxford and on the 4^th September 1940 arrived a Miles Master Mk1. Czech airmen, flying personnel and ground staff, arrived at RAF Duxford during afternoon of the 5^th September 1940. The squadron was based around experienced pilots, who had already had combat experience during the Battle of France, many of whom had already had more then one victory. On the 6^th September 1940, the pilots began with theoretical preparation for flying on the Hurricanes and with training flights on the Master. The training was very slow due to the fact the unit had just one trainer aircraft. For faster retraining of the pilots, another Master was loaned from No 310 (Czech) Squadron. After nearly a month the level of training was very high and on the 26^th September the squadron moved to its new home, the RAF station at Speke airport, Liverpool. There the unit completed its retraining and in last days of September obtained further Hurricanes. On the 2^nd October 1940, No 312 (Czech) Squadron was declared as operational and its task was to protect the Liverpool area from enemy raids. The squadron left Speke for RAF Valley on Anglesey, on the 3^rd March 1941. The squadrons motto was, Non multi sed multa - 'Not many but much' and the squadron badge was, A stork Volant. The stork in the badge relates to the French 'Escadrille des Cygelines' with whom the original pilots of No 312 (Czech) squadron had flown prior to coming to the UK.

Alois Vasatko

Alois Vasatko was born on the 25^th August 1908 in Celakovice. When he finished his studies at the teachers institute he became a teacher in Litomerice but not for long. In October of the next year he started military service which he finished in spring 1929 when he moved to a school for Officers reserve Artillery. From here he  moved again to the Army Academy in Hranice na Morave. After qualifying as a Lieutenant of Artillery he was posted to the 54^th Artillery Regiment in Bratislava. In October 1935 he was promoted to the rank of 1^st Lieutenant and he qualified on the course for Air Observers. Since November 1935 he served at the 2^nd Air Regiment where he became commander of the 14^th flight on the 31^st December 1936. During the years 1937-38 he attended pilot training in Olomouc and on the 1^st March 1939 he became an active pilot. After a short time the Germans occupied the country and Vasatko with a group of friends crossed the Polish border on the 13^th July 1939. He had got to the camp in Male Bronowice via Tesin and Krakow. From there he sailed to France on the “Chrobry”. The war had begun and “Amos” (nickname of Vasatko) was on the 11^th September 1939 posted to fighter school at Chartres. He had finished his retraining on Curtiss Hawk 75 aircraft and on the 11^th May 1940 he came to Suippes to the famous Grouppe de Chasse I/5. On the 17^th May he had his first successful air battle. He shared the shooting down of one Bf 109 at Roucourt and he took part in the shooting down of a Henschel He126 at Stonre. Then he was appointed to the function of a flight commander. He was flying in combat regularly with his victories growing. On the 12^th June 1940 he took part in the destroying of twelve enemy planes and he shot down three alone. During a dogfight at Vouziers where he shot down a Heinkel He111 he was lightly wounded. And on the 9^th and the 15^th June he made two crash landings with a damaged aircraft. He became the most successful Czechoslovak fighter pilot in the battle of France. At the end of June he flew together with his unit to North Africa and on the 5^th August 1940 he arrived to port Cardiff on board the ship “David Livingstone”. He then moved to the Czech camp at Cholmodeley Park and after a short time he was transferred to the Czech depot at Cosford. He joined the RAFVR with the rank of Pilot Officer and on the 5^th September he came to the newly created No 312 (Czech) Fighter Squadron in the first group of pilots. On the 12^th December 1940 he was appointed to the function of flight commander of “B” Flight and on the 5^th June 1941 he became commander of the whole squadron. Under his lead No 312 (Czech) Squadron (at the time part of Kenley Wing) took part in first offensive flights over occupied France. Vasatko was involved with all these operations and on the 9^th July he probably shot down a Bf 109 and damaged another one during In spring 1942 he helped with the organisation of the Czechoslovak Fighter Wing which consisted of No's 310, 312 and 313 (Czech) Squadron’s and started its activities in June 1942. The first commander of this unit on 30^th May was just Alois Vasatko. During an escort of Boston’s over Cherbourg on the 3^rd June he probably shot down one Fw190. Then came the fatal day, the 23^rd June 1942 when the Czechoslovak Wing made an escort of Boston’s during their air raid against an airfield in Morlaix. During their return near the coast of England No 312(Czech) Squadron attacked by a group of six Fw190 from above. Vasatko tried to manoeuvre to a better position for fight but his Spitfire “AV” had collided into one of attacking aircraft. Both planes then crashed into sea. The man whose name will be ever connected with the fight of Czechoslovak airmen on the Western Front has found his grave in the sea near the British coast. Alois Vasatko had been awarded many Czechoslovak and Allied orders and medals, Czechoslovak Order of the White Lion (in memoriam), Czechoslovak War Cross 1939 (three times), French Legion d’honneur – Chevalier, French War Cross (Croix de Guerre with seven palms, two golden stars and one silver star) and the British Distinguished Flying Cross (D.F.C.) which he obtained on the day of his death. By the order of the President of Czechoslovak republic of the 7^th March 1992 was Alois Vasatko promoted to the rank of Major General in memoriam.

Josef Stehlik

Josef Stehlik was born in Pikarec at Nove Mesto na Morave on the 23^rd March 1915. He started  pilot training at the Elementary Pilot School in Prague in 1936. The next year he studied at non-officer school and later at the fighter school in Hradec Kralove. Until the German occupation he served as pilot and instructor at No. 3 Air Regiment at Spisska Nova Ves. On the 5^th June 1939 he crossed the border with Poland with the rank of Sergeant. After arriving in France at the end of August he joined the Foreign Legion. When the war began he was transferred to Chartres for retraining. On the 1^st December 1939 he was posted to Groupe de Chasse III/3 which was equipped with Morane 406 aircraft but after short time was re-equipped by Dewoitine D-520 aircraft. With these aircraft the  unit took part in air battle over France. In this time Stehlik showed his good ability when he shot down four enemy planes alone and four more in co-operation. After retreating by plane to Africa he sailed from Casablanca to Great Britain. On the 5^th September 1940 he came as a Sergeant to Duxford to the newly created No 312 (Czech) Fighter Squadron. He took part in the  Battle of Britain with this unit. Further victory resulted on the 14^th March 1941 when he shot down another Ju88 over the sea in co-operation. During offensive flights over France he added to his score one damaged Bf109 and on the 10^th July 1941 he probably shot down another plane of the same type. He left operational duty in October and after course for instructors at Upavon he became an instructor. At first he trained pilots at Hullavington and since January 1942 till February 1943 he served at Elementary and Secondary Flying Training Schools in Canada. In April 1943 he returned to No 312 (Czech) Squadron where he made many flights over occupied Europe. In January 1944 he moved to Soviet Union together with a group of 20 Czechoslovak pilots. After retraining on Soviet fighter planes La-5 he was posted on the 17^th September 1944 to Slovakia as commander of one squadron of 1^st Czechoslovak Fighter Regiment, which had, took part in SNP (Slovakian National Uprising). Next day after arrive to Slovakia he made a raid on the airfield in Piestany, which he knew very well from his pre-war service. During operations in SNP he added to his score one Ju88 and one half of Ju87. He has destroyed two more planes on the ground, five trucks, one locomotive and three other vehicles. After returning to the Soviet Union he was at the forming of 1^st Czechoslovak Air Division where he was promoted to the function of second in command of the 2^nd Fighter Regiment. With this unit he came to Prague in May 1945. For his brave service he was awarded the Czechoslovak War Cross 1939 (five times), Czechoslovak Medal for Bravery (three times), French War Cross with eight palms and many other Czechoslovak and Allied orders and medals. In post-war life Captain Stehlik took part in the creating of the new Czechoslovak Air Force. At first he became the commander of the retraining course for SNB members on Messerschmitt Bf109G aircraft and since the end of 1945 he became the commander of the course in Ceske Budejovice where he lead practice training of instructors for the Army Air Academy. Then in 1948 when he was discharged from the army and arrested for one year. There was an absence of evidence so he was acquitted, although he was degraded and since 1950 he worked as workmen at Pozemni stavby in Brno. In 1963 he became a driver and porter of luggage of patients in Lipova Spa near Jeseniky. In 1964 he was rehabilitated and he got back his rank and he returned into the army. He retired as a Colonel of the Air Force, and died suddenly on the 30^th May 1991 in Slavicin.

Denys Gillam

Denys Gillam was born in November 1915 in Tynemouth, at the age of 16 he attended a Public School Aviation Camp at Norwich, were he managed to obtain his “A” license, Aero Club Certificate No 12291 on the 12^th September 1934, it was then decided that Gillam would apply for entry into the RAF, he made an application and went for a interview and was subsequently offered a Short Service Commission. Two months after leaving school he was called up into the RAF and went to Uxbridge for basic training, following this he was posted to No 6 Flying Training School at Netheravon. Upon completing his flying training he was posted to No 29 squadron at Amriya in the Middle East, flying Hawker Demons for about six months during the Abyssinian crisis.

After returning to England, Gillam volunteered for the Met Flight in January 1937 and was posted to Aldergrove in Northern Ireland remaining there for 2 ½ years. It was whilst serving with this unit that Gillam was awarded the AFC in February 1938 after flying supplies to the inhabitants of Rathlin Island after being cut off due to the severe weather conditions and his work with the Met Flight.

When war broke out Gillam was posted to the position of a flight leader with No 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron on the 27^th September 1939 at Doncaster and it was with this squadron that Gillam fought during the Battle of Britain, at the end of the Battle he was awarded the DFC and posted to Duxford to assisting in the forming of No 312 (Czech) Squadron. At the end of November 1940 Gillam was given command of No 306 (Polish) Squadron, until the 2^nd March 1941 when he was posted to No 9 Group Headquarters at Barton Hall, Preston. Finally in July 1941 he was given command of No 615 (Surrey) Squadron at Valley, the squadron soon started offensive action over the channel and into France, at the end of 1941 he was awarded the DSO and sent to the United states, which had just entered the war. Upon his return in March 1942 he was given the command of the first Typhoon Wing based at Duxford and after many months of problems with the new aircraft the squadron started offensive operations in August 1942 during the Dieppe operation.

In October 1942 Gillam attended Staff College for three months, then in February 1943 he was posted to No 12 Group Headquarters and then went on to form the Special Low attack Instructors School at Milfield. In July 1943 he formed No 83 Group but was then posted to the Command and General Staff School at Fort Worth Texas, returning in November 1943 to command No 146 Wing. On the 28^th February he was posted to No 84 Group as Group Captain Ops, making his last operational sortie on the 25^th April 1945.

Gillam left the RAF in October 1945 and joined No 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron when the reformed at Finingley in 1947 as a Flight Lieutenant!, he finally left in 1950 to join the family carpet business in Halifax until he finally retired to become a gentleman farmer in his beloved Yorkshire. He suddenly died of a heart attack in 1992.

 A model of the Ju88 belonging to Helmuth Weth's son 

Also see the following combat reports

No 1 312 081040

No 2 312 08101940

No 3 312 100840

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