Back in the cockpit of an Me-262 after 75 years

In my search for living witnesses, I met Dr. August Werner, among others, in the summer of 2020. In 1941 he had volunteered for the Luftwaffe, was first called up for basic training in Austria and later assigned to a supply unit in Africa. After several attempts, his application to become an airline pilot was accepted and he earned his pilot's license in France. Detached to Fighter Squadron 54 "Totenkopf" in late 1943, he flew missions as part of Operation "Ibex" against England. Piloting a Ju-88, he took part in numerous minelaying missions in the English Channel and was promoted to the rank of sergeant. After the Allied invasion, he flew missions against the landing forces and was awarded EK1 and EK2 as well as the Frontflugspange. Several times his aircraft was badly damaged, once narrowly managing a landing after a third of the left wing sheared off following a collision. At the end of 1944, his squadron was converted to the Me-262 and he was initially responsible for ferrying aircraft from the Messerschmitt factories to the ports of operations. He completed over 60 flights on the Me-262, but was forced to make two emergency landings due to the poor workmanship of the final war production. In the Würzburg area, he managed to crash-land without too much damage. At the end of the war he was at the Prague-Rusin airfield with the "Nowotny" squadron and only narrowly escaped the Russians by means of an adventurous flight to Bavaria. After only ten days in American captivity, he was quickly released.

August Werner found his way back to civilian life, earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine and started a family. The memories of his time in the service never left him. The old portrait picture in Luftwaffe uniform adorned his hallway, the airman's badge lay dusty on the shelf. He did not like to talk about the war, but his enthusiasm for flying was never completely extinguished. At Christmas time 2020 we were able to give him another great pleasure. With the help of friends, some contacts and a trip through half of Germany, it was possible to reunite the former jet fighter pilot with his fighter plane once again after decades. In awe and with shining eyes, he stood in the workshop hall in front of the fuselage of the fighter, which nevertheless appeared very enormous. It took no great persuasion and he swung himself into the pilot's seat once again. At the controls of such a plane, he and his comrades had made aviation history. Despite the gaps in his memory, all the instruments still looked so familiar and the control stick still felt good in his hand. None of us present could understand what August must have been thinking when he once again looked through the almost ten centimeter thick armored glass of his jet fighter. What must he have seen through that window at that time?

During our conversations, which had otherwise often been very silent, the great storytelling now began. Technical details and special features of the machine, but also the anxious waiting for the return of the comrades after a mission were described. Almost always one was missing! Wild gesticulating flight maneuvers with the Ju-88 over the English Channel were shown. After a little more than two hours the excursion was over and with a last look back at his plane he started his journey home.

I would have liked to document the memories of Dr. August Werner as a book. Unfortunately, however, he could only remember his time of service in fragments, older records were not available. Nevertheless, I remember the conversations very fondly, but especially the excursion with him. Dr. August Werner passed away on December 23, 2022, after he was still able to celebrate his 100th birthday with his family. May he rest in peace!

Adrian Matthes, Erlangen, März 2023