On this day in 1941, at 24,000 feet above Eston Moor F/Lt Tony Lovell DFC, flying a Spitfire from No.41 Squadron, engaged a German Junkers Ju 88 aircraft on a reconnaissance mission to Manchester. It was in the middle of the afternoon. The Junkers was shot down and crashed, exploding on impact, on Barnaby Moor. The body of the gunner, Unteroffizier Hans Steigerwald, 27 years old, was recovered and is buried in Acklam Road Cemetery in Thornaby. Those of the three other crew were never found and are still officially listed as missing:
- Pilot: Leutnant Wolfgang Schlott 22 years old
- Observer: Leutnant Otto Meinhold 26 years old
- Radio/Op: Feldwebel Wilhelm Schmigale 26 years old
Seen here from Little Roseberry, Barnaby Moor is in the centre of the photo at the top of the curving track. The actual crash site is now a field and is behind the small plantation.
See here for further info.
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