Brookwood Cemetery - Robert Zehbe

 

Robert Zehbe who died 16^th September 1940, is buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery.  But who is Robert?

Let’s look at this still taken from a motion film, of a German plan minus tail and wing tips a second or so before its impact in Victoria Station, London.

15^th September 1940 which was largest and last daylight raids on London during the Battle of Britain.  The Dornier Do 17 takes off from Beauvais-Tille, northern France and joins the formation that is going to bomb London. 

The plane is piloted by Pilot Robert Zehbe, there is a further four crew members including Observer Hans Goschenhofer; Gunner Gustav Hubel; Radio Operator Ludwig Arbruster and Flight Engineer Leo Hammermeister.

After crossing the coastline at Dungeness, the engine started to malfunction, and the plane dropped behind the main force.  Once over London, it came under a concentrated attack from Hurricanes of the 310 (Czech) Squadron.

During this attack, both Goschenhofer and Hubel are killed and Zehbe orders the other 2 crew members to bale out.  Zehbe set the plane on auto-pilot and he himself bale out.

Sergeant Holmes.  Raymond Tower Holmes, who was born 1914 was a Royal Air Force fighter pilot.  During the 15^th September, on seeing the Dornier, turned on for a head on attack.  On pressing the gun-button he got no response, having run out of ammunition.  Unaware that the plane was not manned, Holmes made the quick decision and he tried to slice off the tail with his port wing.  After this succeeded the Dornier went into a violent spin.  The result of the gun force caused the bomb load to be ejected where they fell on Buckingham Palace.

The damaged caused in the collision caused that Holme’s lost control on his Hurricane, it went into a spin, and he bale out. He landed on an apartment block close to the railway line.

During this attack, Holmes attacked a bomber, it fired a flamethrower which resulted his windscreen covered in oil. Holmes later stated

I made my attack on this bomber and he spurted out a lot of oil, just a great stream over my aeroplane. blotting out my windscreen. I couldn't see a damn thing. Then, as the windscreen cleared, I suddenly found myself going straight into his tail. So, I stuck my stick forward and went under him, practically grazing my head on his belly

He then went on to attack a Dornier, resulting the crew to bale out.  Holmes stated afterwards

I got to the stern of the aeroplane and was shooting at him when suddenly something white came out of the aircraft. I thought that a part of his wing had come away but in actual fact it turned out to be a man with a parachute coming out. I was travelling at 250 miles per hour, it all happened so quickly, but before I knew what had happened this bloody parachute was draped over my starboard wing. There was this poor devil on his parachute hanging straight out behind me, and my aeroplane was being dragged. All I could do was to swing the aeroplane left and then right to try to get rid of this man. Fortunately, his parachute slid off my wing and down he went, and I thought, Thank heavens for that!

Then he attacked Zenbe’s plane, of which he stated afterwards

As I fired, my ammunition gave out. I thought, Hell, he's got away now. And there he was coming along, and his tail looked very fragile and very inviting. So, I thought I'd just take off the tip of his tail. So, I went straight at it along him and hit his port fin with my port wing. I thought, that will just take his fin off and he'll never get home without the tail fin. I didn't allow for the fact that the tail fin was actually part of the main fuselage. Although I didn't know it at the time, I found out later that I had knocked off the whole back half of the aircraft including the twin tails

 Robert Zehbe, meanwhile, ‘landed’ in Kennington near the Oval Cricket Ground, having been suspended in his parachute from some cables.  During the week of attacks, feelings were running high, and he was set upon by an angry crowd.  Having been rescued by the Home Guard and taken to hospital.  Zehbe died the next day, 16^th