About the author:

My name is Horst Kremmeicke, I live in Fuhlenriedweg 13a, D-29378 Wittingen (Germany). I am also a member of the "Luftwaffen-Museum Hannover-Laatzen" and a salvage-team-member. Since the beginning of 1997 I have been involved in many FW 190 salvages.

The goal of our museum was called the "Project 2000": restoring and rebuliding a FW 190 A8 with as many original parts as possible. We were supported in this aim by a Research Group (called FG 45) which solves missing-in-action-fates from WWII. We were lucky, as there where lots of untouched crashsites known in the former East-German areas.

On June, 7, 1997 we came to a place named "Wistedt" near Salzwedel. What we did not know was that this was the place where Herbert Aschenbach met his fate on November 26, 1944. On that day there were 149 German aircraft shot down! Because of this, the Luftwaffe-salvage-teams had a tremendously hard job to do, and did not know what to do first and last.

We discovered that Aschenbach's official funeral in 1944 was a fake! As we dug out the remains of that FW 190 in June 1997, we found many parts which were absolutely useful for our project. But we also found the remains of Herbert Aschenbach. Luckily his ID-disc, made us sure it was him.

After a short investigation with official administration we knew the truth. So he was buried a second time with full honours shortly after the salvage in June 1997. During that day I made lots of fotos of the salvage - it fills a complete album.

FG 45 did a lot of investigation work on Herbert Aschenbach and published several Newspaper-articles. If there is an interest of more information, let me know. There is a lot more to tell about him, his family, his unit and mission - and lastly of his last battle.

The restored FW 190 A8 on display at the "Luftwaffen-Museum Hannover-Laatzen". The author was involved in this project which led to the discovery of the remains of Aschenbach.

Herbert Aschenbach

The first newsclipping shows him with his parents. Text: "Ida and Eduard Aschenbach were proud of their only son Herbert. In December of 1944 they recieved the message, that the 22 year old pilot was missing in action. In 1955 his parents visited his grave on Salzwedel cemetery."

More photos of Hebert Aschenbach and his Fw 190.

This is the first original Newspaperarticel of the "Altmark Zeitung" dated from Monday, 9th june, 1997. It shows the author with the camera in the left corner.

You can see the crashsite of Hebert Aschenbach, as we began to dig on june 7, 1997.

This photo shows his second funeral. Text: "The remains of Unteroffizier Herbert Aschenbach were buried in june, 14th 1997, on the cemetery of Wistedt. Pastor Hans-Günter Adler remembered the horror of war".