German pilot crash site Hoonhorst (Dalfsen, NL) identified
Thanks to a recognition plate, the identity of the fallen German pilot has been revealed. It is the 20-year-old Unteroffizier Otto Tillack. His Messerschmitt Bf 109 G6 fighter plane was salvaged last week.
Tillack took off from Volkel air base on January 30 1944 with his Messerschmitt with code 'Schwarze 10'. The aircraft disappeared during fierce dogfights with Allied aircraft in the vicinity of Zwolle. He was reported missing in action.
The aircraft crashed around 1:30 pm in a meadow near Dalfsen. Due to the high speed, the aircraft bore deep into the ground. Only part of the tail was still sticking out. This part was removed by German troops shortly after the crash.
Dorus, the oldest resident of Hoonhorst, aged 100 now but 24 back then, saw it crash. His eyesight isn't very good anymore but his memory is still clear. While holding a piece of the propellor blade, he tells the story: 'It was a cloudy and rainy day. I was at the back of the house because there were many American planes overhead. You did hear the planes. Then I did hear the guns firing. Then a shrieking howl. Suddenly it appeared out of the clouds. But not very steep. It did somewhat glide. But it didn't look like control inputs were given. I think the pilot was dead already'.
Tracing next of kin
The German authorities have been informed. When the investigations have been completed, the remains will be brought to the German military cemetery Ysselsteyn in Limburg. This is done in collaboration with the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräber Fürsorge. To this end, an attempt is made to trace Tillack's relatives.
Otto Tillack:
National program salvage aircraft wrecks
There are about 30 to 50 aircraft wrecks from WOII in the Dutch soil, likely with human remains still on board. The National Aircraft Wreck Salvage Program was launched in 2019. The purpose of this program is to give a grave to missing pilots and to give their relatives certainty about their fate. Some allied aircraft with human remains have already been recovered. Tillack's aircraft is the 1st German plane addressed by the program.