Another pilot is lost
On 7 January 1942, 4(F)/123 pilot, Unteroffizier Willi Quante, wrote in his diary:
‘We are up early and off on a mission. Unteroffizier Thune is flying a reconnaissance to sector ‘Siegfried’ and sector ‘Richard’ with Unteroffizier Quante. Today’s mission is to Plymouth, 120 kilometres over the water, which requires a drop tank.
‘At 10.58 hours, the two Me 109s took off. Oberleutnant Rüeck went to the command post to track the flight and pass the threat of fighter warnings. In the meantime, it has turned 12.11 hours. At low level, the aircraft ‘R’ passed overhead and landed a few minutes later. With anxious hearts, Bingler (Thune’s mechanic) and photo specialist, Obergefreiter Stuhn wait vainly for aircraft ‘S’, piloted by Uffz. Thune.
‘After shutting his aircraft down,…