Date: 16th October 1939
Time: 14.45.hrs.
Unit: Stab I/Kampfgeschwader 30
Type: Junkers Ju 88A-1
Werke/Nr. Not known.
Code: 4D + AK
Base: Westerland.
Location: In sea off Crail in the Firth of Forth, Scotland.
Pilot: Hauptmann. Helmut Pohle (Gruppenkommandeur). Captured.
Observer: Unteroffizier. Kurt Seydel. Born 27.09.1913 In Leverkusen. Killed.
Radio/Op: Gefreiter. August Schleicher. Born 28.04.1917 in Abtsroda. Killed.
Gunner: NCO Name and rank unknown Missing.
REASON FOR LOSS:
The first air attack upon British territory during the Second World War was carried out by nine Junkers Ju 88s of I./KG30.
The aircraft attacked shipping in the Firth of Forth and damaged the cruisers HMS Southampton and HMS Edinburgh along with a destroyer, HMS Mohawk. This aircraft was attacked and shot down by Fl/Lt. G. Pinkerton in a Spitfire of No. 602 Squadron, it fell into the sea off Crail. Hptm. Pohle was captured and the bodies of Uffz. Seydel and Gefr. Schleicher recovered from the sea.
One NCO missing.
Personal account by Mr Edward Thomson;
On the 16th October 1939 I was a passenger on the Dundee section of an Edinburgh to Aberdeen train which had just entered the first arch at the Southern end of the Bridge. The next stop was to be Leuchars Junction. I was in the corridor with an older boy called Jack Thomas from Edinburgh. We were looking downstream to the right of the carriage and were trying to identify some of the fleet at anchor below the bridge. Almost simultaneously there was a giant waterspout as high as the bridge alongside one of the capital ships and a barge tied up alongside; it seemed to fly up in the air! In later life I discovered it was HMS Southampton.
There were two or three other explosions further off and one of the ships was actually struck; it was HMS Mohawk and casualties were sustained on board. The German bombers were in plain sight only a short distance away flying parallel to the bridge. Meanwile the train stopped briefly and as it did so the painters and riggers working scrambled from the scaffolding of the bridge and made for shelter. The train carried on without futher incident, only by this time the RAF fighters had become involved and drove the raiders out to sea bringing dowm (I believe) three Heinkel bombers in the Forth estuary
There are two sequels to this story:-
(1) One bomber was brought down off the May Island and two crew were rescued by a trawler; they were transferred to Military Custody at Edinburgh Castle and my Uncle William Thomson was with the British Red Cross at the Castle and had to deal with the POW registrations
back to Germany. He said the crew were almost certain the War would be over in a matter of weeks.
(2) In 1977 I was working at Edinburgh Airport and had bought a house in South Queensferry in the shadow of the Forth Bridge. One of my neighbours was a retired bridge inspector and I shared with him our memories of that day. Only then did I learn that due to Wartime
Security at that time, information regarding the casualties on HMS Mohawk, which included 15 Sailors who were killed, was not released for many years. Some of the dead are interred in the Naval section of South Queensferry Cemetery.
I hope this is of interest to you there cannot be many of us left that were actual eye witnesses to that air battle.
Edward Thomson 2003.
BRITISH HONOUR DEAD GERMAN AIRMEN
Two German airmen were killed in the raid on the Firth of Forth on Monday were buried yesterday with full military honours at Portobello, Edinburgh. A procession of around fifty officers and men of the R.A.F. accompanied the coffins, which were carried on trailers, a firing party of ten fired a volley over the graves.
The burial procession moves slowly on its way to the Cemetery. (Hall/Brownless)
The coffins of Uffz. Seydel and Gefr. Schleicher are carried on trailers. (Hall/Brownless)
The coffins are carried with respect by members of the R.A.F. (Hall/Brownless)
The final resting place for Uffz. Seydel and Gefr. Schleicher. (via M Croft)
Burial details:
Originally laid to rest in the Portobello Cemetery in Edinburgh.
Later reinterred at the Deutsche Soldatenfriedhof Cannock Chase.
Uffz Seydel Block 3. Grave 478 and Gefr Schleicher Block 3. Grave 477.
Researched by Melvin Brownless A. R. Society, with thanks to Edward Thomson and Mike Croft for their help in compiling this page of remembrance. (October 2011)
