Looking for British unit!

Does anyone know which british unit took the surrender of the Luftwaffe unit Nachtjagdgeschwader 2, NJG 2, at Schleswig in Northern Germany on 8 may 1945?
I have been trying to find this information for over two months and I am thankful for any help I can get!

 

Could have been an RAF Regiment squadron. A task force went ahead of the front line through Schleswig and into Denmark round about that time, specifically to secure Luftwaffe assets and intel before they could be destroyed. I'll check what the books I've got say on this and get back to you.

 

Thank you very much! Would also be grateful for any help I can get in order to find more info.

 

No real details about the Luftwaffe squadron you're interested in but here is an overview from Kingsley Oliver's book on the RAF Regt, which covers Schleswig (and Norway, for good measure!).


View attachment RAF Regt in Schleswig-Holstein.doc

If I can dig up anything more, I'll let you know.

 

The unit NJG 2 was commanded by Obstlt Wolfgang Thimmig, 8.2.45 - 5.5.45 and they were equiped with Ju-88G

 

Thank you for that. I wonder if there is any possibility to find any documents regarding the surrender of that particular unit and if so, where? Would it be possible that there may be some interrogation record of Obstlt Wolfgang Thimmig anywhere to be found?

 

There were some specialist intelligence units targeting the area and I think that NJG2 would have been of an interest because of their radar - I would suggest lokking at the 30 AU War diaries. Or in some of the books
Pen and Sword Books: The History of 30 Assault Unit by Craig Cabell
Ian Fleming's Commandos: The Story of No.30 Assault Unit: Amazon.co.uk: Nicholas Rankin: Books
Nutting, David (2003). Attain by Surprise. Colver. ISBN 0-9526257-2-5.
LHCMA Summary Guide: RILEY, Lt Cdr Quintin Theodore Petroc Molesworth (1 905-1980)

 

Thank you very much for that! Judging from footnote no. 17 from the text of Kingsley Oliver it was the following units that took the surrender of NJG 2:
Wg Cdr Gould + 2794 LAA, 2827 Rifle & Flts from 2781 & 2806 Armd Car
and 2726 Rifle to Eegebek, Schleswig & Husum

 

I have now contacted the National Archives for more information about the units mentioned above and also about any interogation report. Is there anywhere other than the National Archives where I can find information of this sort, that is war diaries and such?

 

Haven't dug up much more on this other than this article from Flight magazine dated 24 May 1945 giving some information about the RAF Regt action

View attachment Flight 24.5.1945.pdf

The National Archives will hold the Operations Record Books (ORBs - basically, the war diaries) of the Regiment squadrons involved but - beware - they are likely to be lacking for that period or, if not lacking, lacking in detail. You might also try the Appendices to the ORBs as sometimes these contain more detailed information.

ORBs for No. 2726 squadron = AIR 29/78: appendices in AIR 29/82
ORBs for No. 2781 squadron = AIR 29/94: appendices in AIR 29/96
ORBs for No. 2794 squadron = AIR 29/99: can't find appendices in AIR 29
ORBs for No. 2806 squadron = AIR 29/102: appendices in AIR 29/108
ORBs for No. 2827 squadron = AIR 29/107: appendices in AIR 29/108

Trawling around in the online catalogue, I found this, which might help with your quest--

AIR 55/164 - Disbandment of Luftwaffe in Schleswig-Holstein by 83 Group RAF

The RAF Regt in NW Europe all came under 2 TAF and most came under 83, 84 or 85 Group. It was squadrons under 83 Group command that entered Schleswig-Holstein in May 1945. So this looks like it could contain the info you're looking for.

Finally, if none of this helps, try contacting Nigel Warwick, who is an RAF Regt historian and is writing several books on the Regt. His contact details are on this webpage - THE RAF ARMOURED CARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

He might have something on all this.

 

Thanks a lot for that! I have written to the National Archives and I have asked for the documents mentioned above. I wonder about the chance of there being a record of the interrogation with Wolfgang Thimmig. I am thinking that the chances are rather small. Whats your opinion?

 

No need to thank me. Any chance I get to spread the word about the RAFR the better.

On interrogation reports, I think that most (all?) German officers were interred and then screened to weed out war criminals, rabid nazis etc. before being released

Not sure who did all that though (Military Government departments?) or where the records would be (if there are any). There was CROWCRASS (Central Registry of War Criminals and Security Suspects) but I think they focussed on finding war criminals. According to Wikipedia, their list of names (60,000 or so) has been published. Maybe someone on this site has a copy and can check if Thimmig is listed.

 

I doubt he would have been classed as a war criminal as a night-fighter pilot - the best approach would be to write to the Air Historical Branch of the RAF and ask them for information.

Air Historical Branch - Home

 

World War 2 Awards.com - THIMMIG, Wolfgang

 

Hi lads!
Just when you thought this thread was out of action here I come again! I have some news regarding the interogation report of which we have spoken. Apparently, all leading unit commanders of Luftwaffe fighterunits and nightfighter units were taken to London for thorough interrogation in length at Wimbledon. Most of the interrogations can be found in the National Archives under ADI(K) series for 1945, in AIR 40/1397.
Let's hope I find our man in there!

 

obtwt

Just a quick post as I came across the article below in the Flight archive while looking for something else and I thought you might be interested.

View attachment 1945 - 1806[1].pdf .pdf]
View attachment 1945 - 1807[1].pdf .pdf]

No details of your squadron or anything - and a bit of a poor scan - but interesting to see the Luftwaffe tech showing his RAF counterpart how to work their radar, and a picture of a ME110 nightfighter.

The language of the article is a little triumphalist ("using Luftwaffe personnel to do the actual work of clearing up, dismantling, sorting and storing their own equipment - the dog is very properly being made to fetch his own muzzle"). But I suppose that is understandable in the circumstances!

 

Thank you very much for that!
I have ordered the documents from the national archives but that seems to take a little time. I have also found reason to believe that our man Thimmig was taken to England and interrogated in Wembley. Does that sound like a possibility? Also taken contact with german archives but I have been warned that they take FOREVER before you get any material.
Oh well, lets hope we get something and thank you very much again for the interesting article!

 

obtwt

I believe that Drew from here is either at the NA at the moment, or heading there - he copies records at a far more reasonable rate than the NA charge, and is a lot quicker, even with a limp.

If he cannot help, I know of at least one other person who may help, but i dont know if he is there at the mo.

Pete

 

Dear obtwt,
I think, I read some details about the surrender of the airfield at Jagel, which then was called Klosterkrug, and still is a military base, in the book: Alexander Herz, Die Geschichte des Fliegerhorstes Schleswig Land/See, Jagel 1999. In the case, this shows to be wrong, I might have readt it in an article of the same author, where he transcribes a detajled dairy of the official person in command at Schleswig fra 5th to 10th of may 1945.
The pamphlet I had access to was from a library in Flensburg (www.bib.dcbib.dk/)and it might be very difficult to get hands on it in GB. You might better find the actual archive in Britain, that holdes the Schleswig-commandment's documents? Schleswig Stunde Null : die ersten fünf Tage danach.
Sonderdruck. - Dannewerk, 1995. - 24 sider :

best regards
Jochen

 

Jochen!
Thank you very much for this valuable piece of information. Now, in the books and documents I have, the airfield is only referred to as Schleswig, I suppose this is the same as Jagel/Klosterkrug?
Also, does anyone know what happened to the German POWs, was everyone forced to stay behind and disamble the equipment or was it just a small portion of the airfield staff?
Cheers!