Junkers Ju88A-14, Werk No.144357 coded 3E+HM of II/KG6 crashed on Hare Hill in the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh on the 25th March 1943

 

Fritz Forster Hauptman / Oberleutnant Pilot Killed
Horst Bluhm Unteroffizier ? Killed
Willi Euler Gefreiter ? Killed
Heinz Kristall Obergefreiter ? Killed

 

During the night of the 24th / 25th March 1943 a raid was mounted against Edinburgh by a small number of Luftwaffe units, no fewer than 6 aircraft were lost, most of them crashing on the high ground of the North East of the England the Scottish borders.

The crew of 3E+HM had taken off from Deelen in the Netherlands to bomb the Leith area of Edinburgh, maps found in this and a number of the other wrecks inspected by RAF Air Intelligence officers showed the sorties were flying directly at low altitude from their bases in Holland to a point approximately 80 miles East of St Abbs Head before turning onto a heading for Edinburgh. The aircraft overshot the city in poor visibility and flew into Hare Hill to the south of the city at 00:30 killing all of the crew, the bomb load had been dropped shortly before and fell into near by fields

Crash site of Ju88 3E+HM on Hare Hill
Above is a photograph of the small post that marks the site with a plaque naming the four crew, this photograph was taken in May 2005.

The four crew were buried locally to the crash site but post-war were moved to the Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery in Staffordshire where they lie in adjacent graves.

RAF Intelligence records recorded Forster as having the rank of Oberleutnant, however his grave is inscribed with Hauptman.

Grave marker of Willi Euler and Fritz Forster at Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery

Grave marker of Horst Bluhm and Heinz Kristall at Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery