|
| |
FAIR ISLE
INCIDENT
An account of the wartime shooting down of 'Weather
Willie'
by CHRISTOPHER BARKER 1987
 |
The remains of the two Junkers Jumo 211A-3s lie on Fair Isle amid other small items
scattered across the bald patch in the grass which marks the spot where the
Heinkel 111 H-2 burned on 17th January 1941.
(photo Dave Wheeler) |
| 
|
Weather forecasts were an essential part of
pre-raid planning and, because the prevailing winds in Western Europe bring
most of Britain's weather in from the Atlantic, the Luftwaffe was at a
distinct disadvantage when trying to predict the conditions over the
country. Long flights by the Wettererkundungs Staffel skirting round the
Shetlands attempted to gather data to produce a forecast. Here one of the
unit's Dorniers returns from a nine-hour flight to Fair Isle on July 31,
1940. Observer: H. Dohrmann, left; pilot Karl Heinz Thurz, right, on his
second recce mission.
|
Iain
Morrison also has a very interesting and informative website at
www.heinzthurz.co.uk/
with
information about the life of
Lieutenant Karl Heinz Thurz,
Luftwaffe Weather Reconnaissance Pilot
|
|
Fair Isle is a small island situated between the Orkney' and Shetland groups
off the north coast of Scotland. Most widely known for its knitwear and
the distinctive 'Fair' Isle' patterns, it is also renowned amongst
ornithologists as one of the premier bird observatories in Europe. Its
isolation in the North Sea and relatively small size (being only 3 miles
long and 1 mile across) has meant that it has always been a welcome refuge
for both man and bird on their journeys; a shelter from the inhospitable
sea, together with freshwater and a chance to rest up without too much
disturbance. The Vikings knew it as Fridarey, 'The island of peace' and on
a fine summer's day it is very easy to appreciate their words. However,
during one of the frequent storms, one need only look down from the top of
the sheer cliffs that ring most of the island to temper this with the power
of the elements; a chart reveals a multitude of wrecks littering the
surrounding water, from Spanish galleons to Russian trawlers. |
|
|
The present community is a thriving
one, with natives and 'incomers' helping to create a healthy and vibrant
atmosphere which is tangible in the warm welcome they give everyone who
braves the four-hour crossing from Shetland on the Good Shepherd -
the ferry and lifeline with the outside world. More recently a scheduled air
service has created a quicker entrance and exit route although still not
immune to the unpredictable and swift-changing climate. For it is the
weather that commands the island; its position, at the junction of the
Atlantic, the North Sea and the Gulf Stream means that it is one of the
melting pots from which arise new twists in the weather-patterns. of the
area.
However important weather forecasting
is in peacetime, it becomes doubly so in war and the collection of data for
compiling long-range forecasts is a vital operation which must be carried
out regularly to ensure accuracy.
(This is reproduced from
an OCR'd photo-copy of the original article, and is reproduced here
with the permission of the author. Dave
Wheeler)
|
• First Page • Page 2 • Page 3 • Page 4 • Page 5 • Page 6 •
|
