Me 109 pilot. Shot down over England in August,1940.
Oberfeldwebel Artur Dau, the fighter pilot of ME 109E-4 Werke / Nr. 1523 Coded: White 14 + of 7 Staffel / Jagdgeschwader 5. He was shot down by Sqn/Ldr Peter Townsend, C/O of 85 Squadron RAF, and parachuted at Garden Wood, Poulton Farm, South Alkham, 5 miles NE of Folkestone, Kent, England, at 16.55 on August 28, 1940.
Artur Dau, recalled at the time:-
"I shall certainly remember 28 August 1940 if I should ever live to be a 100!
That day, my Staffel was on a Freie Jagd (Free Hunt) over the Channel and southern England. Suddenly, I had two Hurricanes in my sights and, with my Rottenflieger (Wingman), attacked them.
I had opened fire on the second aircraft when I was hit and had to bale out over Dover. After landing, I was taken into custody by Coastguards and then a Policeman arrived and took note of my details.
Then I was taken to Folkestone and locked up in a cell. Shortly after, an RAF officer (probably Sqn/Ldr Don Finlay C/O 54 Squadron) with a bandaged head appeared in my cell. We shook hands and he asked me if I had been the pilot of a ME 109 that had crashed near Folkestone. I said that I was and he pointed to his head and said, "You did that!" I answered him "I am sorry"; then he left.
Some hours later, I was driven to London and interrogated. That was the end of me being a pilot."
Best Regards,
MB_Avro