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Mission: Non-operational - Ferry flight.

Date: 11th April 1944

Time: 12.00 hours.

Unit: 11 Staffel./Nachtjagdgeschwader 5

Type: Junkers Ju 88G-1

Werke/Nr.710458

Coded: BS + ZL

Location: Weisswasser/Oberlausitz, Eastern Saxony, Germany.

Pilot: Oberfeldwebel. Karl Kades. 53585/343 – Killed. (Born 23.06.1914 in Zimmerhof/Kohlhof).

Radio/Op: Oberfeldwebel. Otto Tillack. 53585/346 – Killed. (Born 20.01.1915 in Wierschutzin/Lauenburg).

Flt/Eng: Obergefreiter. Gerhard Niesen. Lw.B.K.43/VI Nr.91 – Killed. (Born 22.09.1919 in Köln/Mulheim).

REASON FOR LOSS:


This aircraft was shot down during a ferry flight, the flight engineer Gerhard Niesen was from the 3 Staffel./Nachtjagdgechwader 100. Perhaps this aircraft was a replacement destined for this unit?

A Ju 88 G-1 of 11./NJG5 The crew is with their machine on a Werkstattfug when she was surprised and attacked by American escort fighters at Hoyerswerda. Ofw. Kades and Ofw. Tillack are killed. The circumstances of his death are far more tragic, since the machine started without ammunition, and is therefore exposed to the attacks of the Mustangs and was defenseless!

On the same day a young officer brings the tragic message to the wife and daughter of Karl Kades, who accidentally spend a visit to Lausitz. Ofw. Tillack finds his last resting place in Welzow, Ofw. Kades body is transferred to his hometown.

ULBRICHT, Captain Welzow, April 12, 1944

And Commander of

Fl. H. Kdtr. A (0) 23/III

Basecommand Welzow N/L

Mrs Hedwig K a d e s

Herewith I perform the sad duty , to let you , very honoured Mrs Kades know that your dear husband the Oberfeldwebel Karl K a d e s on 11
th April in a heroic action in an air battle in the war region of his country has sacrificed his flourishing life for Fuhrer and Faterland.

With you and your beloved his superiors and his comrades are mourning for a model soldier and human, who was loved by everybody and respected for his fulfilling of duties during his soldiers life. Because of his performance and his example of comradery, he will remain unforgotten among his comrades.

In the name of the commander of Airbase Welzow I send you herewith our deepest condolances.

With silent greetings

Heil Hitler!

Signed: Ulbricht

1 Uffz. Karl Kades_0002
Uffz. Karl Kades with a navigational map at his desk.


In 2001 members of the missing research group of Saxony - Thuringen dug up the remains of this aircraft and parts are now on display in the Airfield Museum Welzow. The daughter of Karl Kades only found out the exact circumstances of her father’s death in 2005. Only by visiting the museum at Welzow in September did she receive final confirmation of the fate of her father.

In June 2013 Melvin Brownless made contact with the son of Otto Tillack, he together with his daughter Charlotte were trying to find further information regarding the loss of the their beloved father and grandfather. We asked if we could create a page of remembrance for Otto Tillack and his fellow crew members and this is the result to date. We hope that relatives of the other crew members will make contact with us so that we can join these families together in their common loss.

2 Ofw Otto Tillack - Copy
My Grandfather Otto Karl Tillack and his wife, my Grandmother Charlotte Ruth Tost Tillack and my Father who had just been
born a few months prior to this picture and was just a baby himself. Axel Otto Tillack.


Burial detail:

Ofw. Otto Tillack finds his last resting place in Welzow cemetery, Ofw. Karl Kades body is transferred to his hometown Bad Rappenau.

Researched and compiled by Melvin Brownless (Source "Fliegerhorst Welzow; 1935-1945; Einsatz- und Ausbildungsstätte der deutschen Luftwaffe" (ISBN: 3-00-017475-3). Also special thanks to Jaap Geenson, Horst Jeckel, Axel Otto Tillack (Camp) not forgetting his daughter Charlotte for their help in compiling this page of remembrance. (Updated October 2014).
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The British Library is preserving this site for the future in the UK Web Archive at www.webarchive.org.uk All Aircrew Remembered on our Remembrance pages, are therefor not just remembered here, but also subsequently remembered and recorded as part of our nation’s history
and heritage at The British Library.



Aircrew Remembrance Society 2013-2015 © David King, Melvin Brownless & Alexander King.