Lost German Pilot Found 60 Years Later? (Still in His Cockpit)

[@TJ3]

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[@JAlucard77]

Man can you imagine being one of the construction workers that first saw the pilots body still in the plane? Talk about a serious shock. But it goes to show that there are still many lost WW2 machines buried and forgotten still left undiscovered in areas where combat took place, particularly when that combat occurred in and around very remote areas.

[@TJ3]

Important notes - 1) I tried desperately to find images of this crash or wreckage. Surely, taking place in 2004, there are photos. But I could find nothing. If anyone is able to find something, let me know but it has evaded me. 2) If you are super perceptive, you may have noticed that the paint scheme of the 109 changed as the crash at the end took place. This is because I had to change flight sims to recreate the wreckage. Kudos to you if you noticed! 3) 100% of the proceeds from this sponsor will be going to helping us interview veterans. We need funding to continue to do this so I am doing everything possible to continue to fund those interviews - that is our priority. Thanks everyone :)

[@WillyEckaslike]

the russians dont want him hailed a hero thats why there is nothing available

[@ford32able]

I am first generation American. My relatives that lived during the war helped both Germans and Americans who were shot down or woundede. The stories that they left behind about those who lost there lives are both amazing and sad. But hearing that a solder who was lost during those terrible times still helps those families to bring peace to a family that always wondered as to what happened to them. Your stories and history fact finding is a very worthy work, and please keep doing what you are doing as it brings to the forefront of how brutal that war really was. There were no winners in that war. My immediate family lost way to many lives. I cherish all the pictures that I have of them that had to live during that time. Keep up the good work and fight to find what happened so many years ago.

[@bobbrown5529]

It is sad to be killed in war , but to remain lost for over 60 yrs is heart breaking . But now this pilot will be buried with honors and his family will have closure . Great job .

[@thomasshepard6030]

Sadly he won’t be buried with honours as the present day Germany does not recognise the nazi era

[@MegaRiffraff]

@@thomasshepard6030 remember all the flak Ronald Reagan got just for putting flowers on a German soldier’s grave !

[@Fer-De-Lance]

Seyla.

[@kame6051]

I’m glad most comments here are complementary for the German pilot. Manliness is still alive!

[@The1trueJester]

Never ceases to amaze me how you can produce such quality so quickly. Another great one TJ, Stay Awesome!

[@TJ3]

Thank you!

[@blackhawkorg]

Have some respect, no red X's for eyes. 33 is not old in reality... unless you die before you reach it. Rest in Peace, Ace

[@j.bradleyheck1589]

I am delightfully pleased that the pilot was able to be discovered after all this time. May he gently repose now that his family now knows of his disposition. Thanks for the upload !

[@TJ3]

Thank you!

[@ericvadekro8334]

Very interesting article !

[@oculusangelicus8978]

This indeed is a rare and obviously one in a million finds. There are organization in Russia that still go out into the battlefields of WW2 in Russia and consistently find lost soldiers, both Red Army and Wehrmacht/Waffen SS that had been buried over time or are still in marshes and in some cases, areas that later became marshland. they work closely with the other Nations of Europe to repatriate these fallen soldiers to their home land, so in that way, this is not any different, but the fact that his Messerschmidt was mostly intact and he was still in the cockpit, that is the amazing part. Many of the soldiers in both the Red Army as well as the Wehrmacht/Waffen SS weren't only Russian or German. There were men from other nations that fought under their respective banners. there were many western European men from Denmark, Finland, Poland, Austrian etc. who Fought under the German Banner and similar for the Russians so this is why there is a still active cooperation between all of the nations that saw fighting, to return their fallen men to their homeland. Germany is sending out groups from their Bundeswehr to go to other nations where German Dead were buried during the war, to exhume and return them to Germany, any soldier from other nations that fought under the German Army are then sent to their respective homes and the German soldiers a brought back to Germany as well. I think that Germany is the only Nation right now sending groups out to other nations to bring back the fighting dead.

[@3Kiwiana]

Why then was there no footage of the recovery of the aircraft and body what an amazing find. I find this so interesting for me as a psychic told me in my last life I was a fighter pilot for the axis forces and that died in 1942. She couldn’t tell me much more..

[@jordanmascarenhas7974]

@@3Kiwiana I have some beachfront property in Nebraska you might be interested in

[@patolt1628]

3:34: Young man, you exaggerate the effects of aging. I'm 70 now and of course my eyesight is not what it was but I'm still flying for fun in a flying club. I'm a former helicopter pilot in the military and I became an experimental test pilot after following the Experimental Test Pilot School courses while I was ... 33 years old! I was in excellent physical shape and it stayed like this until I was 45 when the eyesight began indeed to deteriorate slowly. So being a fighter pilot at the age of 32 is really not a determining factor in this story. 5:46: Just a clarification: Kharkov was in Soviet Union, not in Russia. Russia was the biggest part of the USSR but Belarus or Ukraine or Tchetchenia, etc ... were not "Russian", they were Soviet Republics, which is different.

[@Fer-De-Lance]

Nice clarification.

[@JAlucard77]

But on a higher note at least his body was finally found and was able to be given a proper burial. May he finally REST IN PEACE...

[@jimwiskus8862]

Incredible story! I hope the pilots body was returned home.

[@juancarloscuaocastellanos8813]

He is at home, at last. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aH3MnK13mcmNbcU

[@MegaRiffraff]

👍🏻

[@howardsimpson489]

WW2 never ceases to amaze.

[@AlexanderHardin-j4s]

My mom saw a great sea battle in the pacific she always told me about it and even told me about the way the japanese treated them well because my mom live next door to a japanese lady .

[@achillebelanger9546]

Eternal Patrol. Just like the Lend/ Lease Goodyear F-4-U Corsairs with British Pilots still in them in the deep dark waters of Sebago Lake , in Maine.

[@chrislong6541]

?

[@achillebelanger9546]

@@chrislong6541 Look up Aircraft Lost in Sebago Lake , Maine. It was an Aerial Gunnery and Bombing Training Area during The Second Great War. The Lake had many Wrecks In, Over and Around it. Several Pilots are still in their Aircraft, perfectly preserved and unrecovered

[@stevemaynards.g.t]

Just looked it up cheers but sad just watched video of plane 200 ft down.

[@achillebelanger9546]

@@stevemaynards.g.t There are actually TWO Corsairs from that incident, both with the Pilots in them… killed in a Mid- Air Training Collision. Another Corsair crashed in Gray , Maine. Pilot is deep down in a field. He died a Hero , avoiding crashing into an area with 14 people in it on the Ground. Three TBF Avengers collided over the Lake( No Fatalities) . Most of the Aircraft removed save one Tail Section on Shore near a Golf Course Resort. Two RAF Bomber Trainers collided over the Lake , killing Six Aircrew. There also is a Postwar Pusher Prop Aircraft with a Rowboat tied to it in the Deep Part near the Shoreline. It has most of a Case of Canadian Whiskey aboard!

[@stevemaynards.g.t]

@@achillebelanger9546 yes I know thanks again for info 😎👍

[@kame6051]

Germans were phenomenal in there skills of fighting the whole world . They deserve a medal !

[@johnschofield9496]

There are so many war remains in the Russia/ Eastern Europe area. Remains, both human and equipment are still found daily. Thank you for this excellent video.

[@TJ3]

Yes I wish more it would be documented!

[@deanduggan2915]

Was the body sent back to his family to be laid to rest

[@thinman8621]

As the years go by, not many left who would be comforted by a body being returned but we have a duty.

[@JackF99]

Apparently no photographs were taken of this amazing discovery????

[@TJ3]

Nope, looked high and low. Nothing I was able to find.

[@JackF99]

@@TJ3 Well nice job with the animation.

[@MrSabram07]

Great story

[@katroptisYT]

Great to see that my little AA truck was put to good use in the video ^^ Thanks for having us to create the scenes. Always fun!

[@quithollerin7276]

Wait. He had 41 kills and you're saying he didn't have the reflexes of the younger pilots?

[@dorothyburry42]

I believe he had 48 confirmed kills but was extremely near sighted

[@martinbauer2510]

Interesting, he was born in my hometown. Despite his age, he was often more successful than allied pilots.

[@Jon-es-i6o]

Makes you wonder how many more pilots MIA are out there, waiting to be found.

[@sonnyvictor3584]

1.2 million German soldiers from ww2 are still missing to this day. Imagine how many more names are missing from Volksbund. Both ww1 and ww2

[@moonshineofthemoon8054]

Another awesome video TJ, keep up the aviation stories!

[@TJ3]

Thanks!

[@LoneWolf051]

never attempt to climb away from AAA fire, always stay at treetop level, makes you a far harder target

[@thierryruellan1828]

I heard an interview with Pierre CLOSTERMANN in the late 90's. He said the same,he declared after a firing pass on any target such as airdrome, train or columns of vehicles... always count 20 before pulling up. So many pilots died after pulling up too early

[@stevemaynards.g.t]

Great story TJ pleased he was found & hope you get more info too 😎👍

[@TJ3]

Thank you!

[@SAILINGDIRTYBIRD]

Hopefully they gave the man a decent Burial

[@CraigLMoran]

Even the enemy deserve a proper burial.

[@gijsv8419]

I don't think the plane would stay on the ground like in the movie. In the Netherlands many planes are found, heavy parts like engine buried deep.

[@born2fly1948]

Love your work, thank you.

[@oneyebat7839]

Eyes are one thing, but 32 is old for flying? really.

[@kennedysingh3916]

Watched from Jamaica. Very interesting.

[@m.r.3912]

I guess the marsh didn't cushion the plane, the marsh just swallowed it. Some years ago, I saw a documentation about the find of a Me 262 in the marshes of the netherlands.

[@FlyingCircusPeanut]

"His eyesight and reflexes were not as good as the younger pilots" 😢 as a 34yo pilot I find that extremely I sulting lol

[@thomashart9304]

Maybe if your eyesight was a little better, you would have seen that typo... 😏

[@FlyingCircusPeanut]

@@thomashart9304 oh damn

[@mikedrop4421]

Geez, he was only 35 in 1941, you had me thinking he was 50 or 60 lol.

[@TJ3]

Lol, surprisingly pilots in their 30s were rather rare!

[@mikedrop4421]

@@TJ3 no no I get it, look how many famous aces are named "Pappy". It's just the fact you never gave his age or explained that you were speaking from a life expectancy in combat and athletic requirements of fighter pilots so it just sounded like he needed a cane to get to his plane. So I was expecting a higher number than 35 when I did the math. 😂

[@blane3274]

@@mikedrop4421 and Pappy BOyington was called Pappy because he was not in his early 20's . . . . 27 or 28 I think.

[@cindys1819]

This is a really good story but where is his grave now?

[@WillyEckaslike]

why do the russians have no pictures or details of the plane

[@dmiller57]

What a fantastic story! This is simply amazing! Thanks for a nother great video

[@A-10ThunderboltGaming625]

I love learning about WW2 and the fact so many hero’s sacrifice them selves so we have freedom

[@Sctronic209]

How did the plane get under the ground?

[@Rabmac1UK]

I am so very happy that this Air Warrior has been found and laid to rest in a proper and recognised manner. God Bless Him and his Family, there can be no shame in fighting honourably for one's Country, and frankly, all politicians are damned for causing such noble deaths. / Salute

[@conceptalfa]

So what happend with the rest of the plane and the pilot after being found???

[@johnjames8644]

Contradiction missing German ace.

[@kennethross786]

VF-17 aviator Chuck Pillsbury and his section leader/wingman were strafing over a Japanese-held island. They split up to go around the island's volcano ... and Chuck disappeared. ~25 years later, Chuck's plane, with Chuck still inside, was located in the dense jungle around the volcano. Turned out the Japanese troops on the island had joined ranks under the trees and fired their rifles/machine guns into the air when they heard American planes strafing their island. It was a morale booster for the men, and every now & then, you can put a ,25 caliber rifle bullet into a pilot's head - as was the case with Chuck Pillsbury (and there were a few others shot down the same way) After a Japanese POW revealed this, all strafing runs over wooded terrain were discontinued.

[@24934637]

So many seem to want to jump on the anti-nazi bandwaggon and hate any German who served their country during the Second World War, but it's good to see some people here are able to see past that, and see that the body can now finally be returned to his homeland so long after the battle.

[@christurner2853]

No fan of nazis(if he was) but im glad this warrior was found and his family given peace

[@joeblowfromidaho3642]

A far better fate than being worked and starved to death in a Russian gulag after the war.

[@douglasmacgregor3878]

Not a problem could have been a skeleton I have dealt with many of those

[@jerrylyons9279]

was the pilot's remains shipped back to germany for burial?

[@jordanseifarth1325]

Usually whenever the remains of a German solider are found, the German War Graves Commission get involved and re bury the body in an existing German war cemetery, either in Germany or other locations in Eastern Europe where they exist and are under the care of the commission. Even now, they still rebury thousands of soldiers every year.

[@loddude5706]

This scenario reminds me of the dead warrior sat at it's gun in Ridley Scott's 'Alien'. & strangely perhaps - 'Fetch out no shroud for Johnny head in cloud, he sleeps as sound as Johnny underground'. ('12 O'clock High' 1949) May they all RIP now.

[@tsegulin]

Interesting story, I hadn't heard this before. Thanks for this video. While this may be beyond your control, given you are illustrating the story with a flight sim, it rather annoys me that the swastika is missing on the tail fin of Nazi era aircraft shown. I understand this symbol is banned in today's Germany and I understand why that may be but the fact is that no German aircraft flew during the war without it. IMHO its absence compromises the visual authenticity of the aerials.

[@TJ3]

Not my decision, done by flight Sims. I am for showing all of history.

[@hariszark7396]

Having that symbol based is stupid. Germans were using the cross symbol also. Should we ban the cross too? It makes no sense..... I hate Nazis but it's not the symbols that bothers me. It's their actions. Besides, if anyone make a little search they will find that the so called "swastika" is an ancient Greek symbol called "gammathion" because it's 4 Gammas connected or Tetraskèlion (4 legs) etc....

[@WillyEckaslike]

they dont want any memory of National Soc because it might encourage the weak men of today to fight for their freedom against their oppressorsJ

[@Treecko-rw1gp]

Fantastic job as always TJ! This was so fun to watch

[@TJ3]

Thanks!

[@Toastercinematics]

Great video!

[@kurtb2522]

They're still finding the MIA's.

[@PntrGrl]

If there was a newspaper article previously about him being discovered and his wedding ring that was engraved, isn't it possible that they decided to bury him in his plane?

[@hellono6501]

Great video! They are so well put together! Please can you tell me what the music is called? 👍

[@TJ3]

Not sure the name! But it's from Epidemic Sound.

[@hellono6501]

@@TJ3 Awesome vid either way 😎

[@cj_games8205]

do you animate your videos or you play game for it

[@TJ3]

Usually War Thunder :) Here you go - play here! playwt.link/tj3

[@TheDeputy173]

What did they do with his body? I'd love to see what he looks like

[@TJ3]

I tried desperately to find images, but I could not! Surely some were taking being that it took place in 2004. But they have evaded me.

[@TheDeputy173]

@@TJ3 either way it was a very interesting video. Thanks

[@jgstargazer]

Hmm... if the plane ended above ground in the marsh wouldn't it be discovered shortly after the crash?

[@TJ3]

It was in an area that was completely undeveloped I believe. So it was unseen for decades after, likely sinking into the wet marshland.

[@johncox2865]

I understand that the mud over the plains of Russia is extremely deep during the wet season. The plane likely sank into the mud within a few weeks and was buried. Good job !

[@paulmicelli5819]

How did his body stay preserved after 60 years?

[@WillyEckaslike]

peat bog preserves the body..people who died 1000s of years ago have been found mumified

[@kentleytaggart5816]

Good channel much better than average.

[@TJ3]

Thank you!

[@WhiteBirdPlays]

You did say Kharkov, Russia but it’s worth mentioning that this was Ukrainian Territory and is today as well. I understand they were both Soviet at that point but as a Ukrainian it’s unfortunate that Ukrainian territories aren’t usually cited as so many battles of the Second World War took place in Ukraine but it’s just not noticed.

[@jamesburns2232]

The nice thing for the pilot was that he was able to stay in control of his ME-109 for 60 years. 😊

[@fishpants3877]

Your episodes are always so well produced and edited. I enjoy every one. I think I recall another such discovery. I believe it was another German pilot. I remember seeing a photograph of the excavation. It showed the cockpit with the unmistakable outline of a head and googles under a clinging portion of fabric. Very spooky. Do you remember this or know what I'm referring to?

[@TJ3]

I don't! If you find it please send a link!

[@fishpants3877]

@@TJ3 I'm thinking it might be that Dutch kid in 2017 who found a Me 109 wreck with a skeleton pilot. Not sure and can't seem to find the photo. I'll keep looking; you keep cranking out brilliant content 🛩

[@amirhess]

without a photo of the remain of the pilot body in his cockpit it is just a nice story

[@jeffreykurth2703]

Is this plane in a museum somewhere?

[@TheEarl777]

RIP Friedrich

[@fredwood1490]

So, what happened to the Pilot? What did the Russians do with the body? Even to this day, they have little respect for dead Germans, so was he returned, interred or dumped in a hole somewhere?

[@jordanseifarth1325]

Every year the German War Graves Commission relocate thousands of German soldiers from either small cemeteries or discoveries such as this, to larger centralised cemeteries under their care and have been doing since the fall of communism, or soon after. I'd be very surprised if this wasn't also the case here.

[@brucemace5404]

What happened to his remains? Did they hand them over to the German embassy?

[@dr.kroenen2425]

Beck, Da bist du ja!

[@perttisalminen6357]

Narrator Justin Brown???

[@sebastian-FX357Z1]

For german ww2 fighter pilots only those with over 100 kills r consider ace. There alot of german fighter pilots with over 100 kills. Btw german top ace Erich Hartmann r from jg52.

[@sonnyvictor3584]

They kept losing their experienced pilots cause they were being sent to combat till they died . In the end there were hardly any good pilots

[@fabianwylie8707]

You would think , that the Russians. , would have taken well documented photos and all The recover of that 109 ?. Very strange if nothing recorded !

[@UberDurable]

German WW2 pilots are simply unmatched!

[@joe-qo3qi]

There's a video of the crash recovery of this pilot and other personal affects. Very moving and sad. the engine is on display in some air museum.

[@roedere]

Do you know where? Be cool to see.

[@joe-qo3qi]

@@roedere I do not remember correctly, but,,perhaps look up ME109 crash pilot recovery? I do recall now it was in the Netherlands? This may be another? Not sure

[@fubarmodelyard1392]

This is a good video and story but you make 34 sound like an old geezer

[@citadel9611]

An amazing find, and story.

[@davidmc1489]

8:06 ... Huh.... No sh!t...

[@mrliberty8468]

Was he still alive?

[@mirrorblue100]

So what happened next? You leave out the most interesting aspect of the story?

[@TJ3]

Unfortunately I could find absolutely no more details.

[@oliverbourne9599]

It's possible the wreckage was purchased for restoration??

[@timf6916]

Good video.

[@TJ3]

Thank you!

[@lexington476]

What was the age range for a German fighter pilots? I imagine as the war grew on the Restriction got less and less.

[@TJ3]

Usually 28 was considered an old man. Unfortunately, restrictions did get less. But because of the standards for fighter pilots, the restrictions usually went down - to recruit even younger pilots that were quickly killed because of poor training.

[@i-a-g-r-e-e-----f-----jo--b]

That's an amazing find! Great video, thanks! I'd feal sorry for the man but he was a Nazi.

[@petewarby7158]

Love the look of those Mule brackets, I think I'd prefer to use those. Not having done a build before, the idea of drilling extra holes isn't high up on my list of wants. Lol

[@KyleCowden]

With a find like that (there has been a few), I always felt they should be interned in the cockpit section.

[@kennethobrien6537]

Are you SURE he died in his fighter? I mean he could of died outside and crawled back in. Jk. Very interesting topic this week. Thanks.

[@TJ3]

Appreciate it!

[@dreamin47_]

Jeepers amazing he will be buried i hope, Love your Zest for History and Truthful stories..............

[@cashus68]

WOW !

[@duhmitryov]

0:43 if I get shot down by a fucking Raid Shadow Legends BF109 I'm just gonna use whatever control I have left to nosedive into the earth. I couldn't handle that shame 😭

[@1936Studebaker]

First like, first comment, that's a first for me, love the channel.

[@dmiller57]

Welcome fellow viewer it's nice to see TJ's fantastic channel gain another viewer

[@TJ3]

Thanks :)

[@TJ3]

Thanks :)

[@atsumiakamine7028]

BEST WAY TO DIE FOR A ⚔WARRIOR⚔ ... "DYING IN COMBAT" INSTEAD OF ROTTING TO DEATH IN OLD AGE ❗ GETTING OLD SUCKS 👎❗(Retired) E5 / Sargent U.S. Army Mechanized Infantry

[@blazer666del]

Age.. lol his age was young.. hardly slow reactions at 34.. your article is full of rubbish..

[@noobepro_7146]

Hi TJ.. I'm submit my video suggestion hope you like it some of them

[@TJ3]

Thanks!

[@davidrivero7943]

Lots of cockpit hours & wonder how his sidearm stood the test of time.

[@cindys1819]

Suggestion: why not a documentary on what happened to the pilots of the Natter rocket interceptor

[@GeorgeJansen]

Real vid out there though...