Then we went to the community centre, where a few elderly Holzhausener drinking coffee after the service. I told them the story and there was an old woman who said that her 91 years old husband Herbert had known Karl Brinkmann. Unfortunately, he had not come with her to church today. But Herbert just called me by phone and told me something about Karl. He was a very kind and educated man. He completed an apprenticeship as a merchant from 1936 to 1939 at the Mindener Lagerhaus-Gesellschaft (MILAG). After the war began, he came to the air force. His then fiancee called Erna Hartmann, born Schinkel and she should still be alive and is now 94 years old ! I'll try to contact her in the next few days. Karl had a brother named Willi, but he is already dead and he had no children. The father of Karl named also Karl and he was after the war for a long time mayor of Holzhausen. Also a cousin of Karl is still alive and live near Holzhausen. I'll also try to contact him the next time. Herbert was very interested in the story, because he also was a radio operator in WW II. He and a few others are working on a local chronicle from Holzhausen and he wants to examine whether he can take the story there. That's it from me for today. Now you know, what I'm doing at the moment...
Kind regards, Henning
Photo - (Left) Henning taken in 2015 at the crash site. (Right) Karl Brinkmann.