COMBAT AND COMPETITION.pdf - Lakes Gliding Club

CHAPTER SEVEN BALBOS AND BOOZE
equipment. It had powered ailerons, and the front propeller had a
reverse pitch position for braking. The armament once again was
formidable, three 30mm and two 20mm cannon. The new two horned
yoke control column was also in evidence, the horns in this case being
even more festooned with well positioned controls, bomb release,
cannon and gun buttons, auto pilot and radio press to transmit.
Surprisingly the Do 335 remained undisturbed throughout our stay
at Hildesheim. Scientific officialdom never came to collect it or even
inspect it. Yet reports, published later, suggested that RAE
Farnborough, with only a two seat Do 335 to fly and evaluate, were
unable to lay their hands on a single seater.
This absence of interest seems even more remarkable in view of
developments at Volkenrode, an aeronautical research establishment,
less than 20 miles away on the Hannover-Braunschweig autobahn.
Here, under the auspices of the Ministry of Aircraft Production, a
special unit was being set up, senior scientists from the UK, supported
by RAF personnel, with an Air Commodore in charge2 . Their task was
to scour Germany for prototype aircraft and the key personnel
associated with them, to bring them to Volkenrode, and to finish the
construction of those which were still incomplete.
The team from Volkenrode should have been out and about, round
the airfields of 2nd TAF, asking the units what they had seen and
enlisting their aid in the search. In practice it was just the reverse.
They never publicised their activities and visiting them was strictly
forbidden.
A number of prototypes were out of reach in the Russian Zone.
Those in the American and French Zones were almost equally
inaccessible. In the end, largely through lack of trust between the
Western Allies, there was no will to continue and the whole project
collapsed. It was a tragedy. After the end of the war there was so much
in Germany available for the taking and so much was lost.
One place which we were encouraged to visit was the 84 Group
Rest Centre in the Harz mountains. On arrival at Bad Harzburg our
little party debussed in a cobbled square surrounded by timber and
stucco houses.
It was like being transported to a different moment in time. The
streets were clean and tidy, with masses of flowers in tubs and hanging
baskets. Even the inhabitants looked well turned out in a threadbare
sort of way. The little town, overlooked by wooded hills, felt peaceful
and secure. Bad Harzburg appeared virtually untouched by war.
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