Erich
the old Sage
Here is some reseach still going on with an English contact. Ace and friend Heinz Rokker of 2./NJG 2 was the German pilot.
Hi Erich
The following is the copy of an e-mail I sent to George Sorrell niece, who is researching their family history. It is briefly what I have discovered and can prove with many documents and letters. It will be enough to tell you what I have and should at any time you want more them you only have to ask.
George Sorrell joined the RAF in Sept. 43. He trained as a Flight Engineer, probably at St. Athan. Having completed his training, he have then been sent to a "Conversion Unit", where crews had already been selected but did not require a Flight Engineer. At this point the crews moved on to 4 engined aircraft. In this case, George went to No. 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit at Topcliffe, where he joined the crew of "Jake" Thompson. Jake and all his crew were Canadians and belonged to 432 Squadron RCAF. It was at that time quite usual for "Commonwealth Squadrons to have British Flt/Engineers as all were trained in this Country.
All have since died from natural causes. Except Bill Worthington. The crew were generally older than usual (in their 30's) as most of them had been instructing in Canada. The two Gunners were 19.
From there they moved to 432 Squadron at East Moor, Yorkshire, on 31St Aug. 1944. The crew flew together on 16 missions.
On the night of 14th/!5th Feb.1945 the crew were to be sent on a raid on Chemnitz near the Czech boarder. At the last min. Bill was declared "unfit to fly", through a tummy bug and his place was taken by Dick Stringer.
On that night the crew were flying Halifax Mk VII, RG449, coded QO- S of 432 Sqdn and took off from East Moor at 4.49pm. The trip should have taken about 7 a half hours. They completed the trip and dropped their bombs on Chemnitz and took a homeward course. Night fighter activity was extensive and at about 10.15pm they were attacked by a Junkers Ju.88. The first burst of fire set the right hand inner engine on fire and the second the left inner engine. This would have had a dramatic effect on the aircraft and the pilot gave the order to "Bale out". I have a report from one of the crew, who states the order of bale out and that the Flight Engineers station had been demolished by the gun fire and that George had been killed as a result of it. The aircraft crashed just west of Schonau an der Brent. All survived their jump, but George crashed with the aircraft. I have a first hand report that what little remained of George was buried in the local churchyard until 1947, if my memory serves me correctly, when he was transfer to the War Cemetery at Hanover.
Last May, Son Peter and his German wife visited Schonau, took many photographs and interviewed some people who remembered the incident. They were also shown the actual crash site. From my enquiries I am 99% sure that they were attacked by a Ju.88 flown by Heinz Rokker, the number 6 or 8 on the list of top night fighter aces. He is still alive and can confirm he and his crew shot down a "four engined" bomber at that locality and at about that time.
and yes friend the 350mph and faster is not a myth of the Ju 88G-6 in the cruise mode. The a/c fighter version was a powerful contender in the night skies as a nachtjäger.
Hi Erich
The following is the copy of an e-mail I sent to George Sorrell niece, who is researching their family history. It is briefly what I have discovered and can prove with many documents and letters. It will be enough to tell you what I have and should at any time you want more them you only have to ask.
George Sorrell joined the RAF in Sept. 43. He trained as a Flight Engineer, probably at St. Athan. Having completed his training, he have then been sent to a "Conversion Unit", where crews had already been selected but did not require a Flight Engineer. At this point the crews moved on to 4 engined aircraft. In this case, George went to No. 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit at Topcliffe, where he joined the crew of "Jake" Thompson. Jake and all his crew were Canadians and belonged to 432 Squadron RCAF. It was at that time quite usual for "Commonwealth Squadrons to have British Flt/Engineers as all were trained in this Country.
All have since died from natural causes. Except Bill Worthington. The crew were generally older than usual (in their 30's) as most of them had been instructing in Canada. The two Gunners were 19.
From there they moved to 432 Squadron at East Moor, Yorkshire, on 31St Aug. 1944. The crew flew together on 16 missions.
On the night of 14th/!5th Feb.1945 the crew were to be sent on a raid on Chemnitz near the Czech boarder. At the last min. Bill was declared "unfit to fly", through a tummy bug and his place was taken by Dick Stringer.
On that night the crew were flying Halifax Mk VII, RG449, coded QO- S of 432 Sqdn and took off from East Moor at 4.49pm. The trip should have taken about 7 a half hours. They completed the trip and dropped their bombs on Chemnitz and took a homeward course. Night fighter activity was extensive and at about 10.15pm they were attacked by a Junkers Ju.88. The first burst of fire set the right hand inner engine on fire and the second the left inner engine. This would have had a dramatic effect on the aircraft and the pilot gave the order to "Bale out". I have a report from one of the crew, who states the order of bale out and that the Flight Engineers station had been demolished by the gun fire and that George had been killed as a result of it. The aircraft crashed just west of Schonau an der Brent. All survived their jump, but George crashed with the aircraft. I have a first hand report that what little remained of George was buried in the local churchyard until 1947, if my memory serves me correctly, when he was transfer to the War Cemetery at Hanover.
Last May, Son Peter and his German wife visited Schonau, took many photographs and interviewed some people who remembered the incident. They were also shown the actual crash site. From my enquiries I am 99% sure that they were attacked by a Ju.88 flown by Heinz Rokker, the number 6 or 8 on the list of top night fighter aces. He is still alive and can confirm he and his crew shot down a "four engined" bomber at that locality and at about that time.
and yes friend the 350mph and faster is not a myth of the Ju 88G-6 in the cruise mode. The a/c fighter version was a powerful contender in the night skies as a nachtjäger.
like the Germans say the weather is like an Alt Frau sommer and I have plenty of time. Not really
