Helmut Paul Emil Wick

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German Air Ace Drowned

BERLIN, Dec. 1 (1940) - (UP) - Major Helmut Wick, Germany's number one air ace, is believed to have drowned in the English Channel after being shot down in a dog fight with a British plane last Thursday (28 Nov -ed).
Major Wick, commander of the Richthofen Wing of the German Air Force and youngest major in the Nazi armed forces, was said to have bagged his 56th plane of the war a few minutes before being forced to parachute into the channel from his flaming plane.

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"As long as I can shoot down the enemy, adding to the honor of the Richthofen Wing and the success of the Fatherland, I am a happy man. I want to fight and die fighting, taking with me as many of the enemy as possible." - Helmut Wick

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No. 1 Nazi Flier Dies in Channel

(By United Press) Berlin, Dec. 2 (1940) — Major Helmut Wick, Germany's No. 1 air ace, is believed to have drowned in the English Channel after being shot down in a dog-fight with a British plane last Thursday.
Major Wick, commander of the Richthofen wing of the German air force and youngest major in the the Nazi armed forces, was said to have bagged his 56th plane of the war a few minutes before he was forced to parachute into the channel from his flaming plane.
The announcement that the 25-year-old Wick was missing was made by the official German DNB news agency. Later Nazi air force quarters disclosed that Wick's best friend, also a fighter pilot, witnessed the air duel and saw the commander shot down.

Friend Describes Battle
According to these quarters, Wick's friend gave the following description of the battle:
A group of German fighter planes spread out widely, criss-crossed the English channel last Thursday afternoon seeking British planes.
Wick and a comrade paired off and met a superior force of British Spitfire and Hurricane planes near the Isle of Wight. Dogfights quickly developed.
Wick shot down one of the British planes — his 56th of the war — but before he could bring himself into a protective position another British plane approached from the rear and loosed several volleys of machine gun fire.

Wick Falls Into Sea
Engaged in a dog-fight with another British plane, Wick's comrade could not go to his commander's aid. But after shaking off his enemy attacker, he said he saw Wick dropping out of his Messerschmitt. Wick's parachute blossomed and he went falling into the channel.
The commander's friend pursued Wick's victor in a "cold rage" and reported he shot down the Englishman, after which he eluded the remainder of the British under protection of clouds and returned to his base to report that Wick had been shot down.
German rescue planes and boats immediately were dispatched in an effort to find Wick, but they were unsuccessful.
"But all hope yet has not been given up," air quarters said.
Wick was born August 5, 1915, the son of Charles Wick, a businessman of Mannheim. He entered the Luftwaffe in April, 1936, after completing German high school (American junior college) and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in September, 1938.

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Death of German Air Ace Confirmed

(4 December 1940) Berlin - (UP) - The German high command Wednesday confirmed last week's German press reports that Maj. Helmut Wick, one of the country's foremast air aces, had been lost in action.
"The commodore of the Richthofen pursuit wing, Maj. Wick, has not returned from a flight against the enemy after his 56th air victory," the high command said. "Thereby the German air force has lost one of its most audacious and successful fighter pilots.”
"Maj. Wick, who was decorated by the Fuehrer with the oak wreath to the Chevalier's Cross of the Iron Cross for his heroic action in the fight for the future of the German people, will continue to live as an example to the German people and particularly to German youth."

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1941

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Canada Interns Nazi Air Ace

(23 January 1941) AN EAST CANADIAN PORT — (AP) — A Nazi air ace ranked as one of Germany's most deadly and hundreds of other shot-down airmen and captured seamen were brought here from England for internment yesterday but two escaped within a few hours after they trudged down the gangplank of their camouflaged prison ship.
The escape of the unidentified pair was announced by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police just after the exploits of the ace prisoner were detailed without identifying him by name.
Internment officials said he was a 25-year-old fighter pilot who, starting with the Spanish civil war, had been credited in Germany with shooting down 56 planes.
The age, number of planes credited to him and possession of the rare oak leaves decoration added to the Iron Cross tallied with the description of Maj. Helmut Wick, commander of the famous Richthofen squadron, believed in Berlin to have been killed in dogfighting over the English channel.

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Captured Nazis Reach Canada
Hun 'Ace' Among Prisoners

By Canadian Press - AN EAST COAST CANADIAN PORT. Jan. 23 (1941) — Canada's internment camps for captured Nazi fliers were awaiting new guests today as hundreds of Nazi airmen who had found lodgment in them headed west from here to take new berths in Canadian camps. As a huge consignment of German officers and men moved away from the seaboard into the interior, officials in charge of their transfers from the Old Country to Canada revealed they represented the bulk of the men of Goring's Air Force who had been brought down over England at the time of sailing.

HUNDREDS OF THEM
Many hundreds of them — that was as close as newsmen were allowed to get to the actual figure — were in the mass movement that arrived here yesterday. For hours, in closely guarded groups, they trudged between ship and train.
Two men escaped. One was recaptured a few hours later. The second was picked up by city police today.
Circumstances of the break by the two men were not disclosed by authorities, nor did they divulge how either was retaken.
Unofficial reports, however, said the first aroused suspicion when he offered a 10-shilling note for a night's lodging at a rooming house and it resulted in his arrest.

MEN OF U-BOATS, TOO
Both men, as were most of their companions, were marked with a circular patch of white cloth sewn to the backs of their overcoats.
According to the broadcast description of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, they were wearing civilian clothes, though perhaps having trousers of German Air Force officers.
Besides the airmen, Britain sent to Canada a number of sailors taken off enemy submarines.
Men who traveled on the same ship reported one of these was the Commander of the U-boat that fired the torpedoes sinking the liner Empress of Britain after she had been under air attack off the United Kingdom last fall.
At the same time as the Nazis arrived here, a big detachment of Royal Air Force men reached Canada at this port, most of them fledgling fliers who will be trained in the Dominion.
They came from many countries, including Poland, Holland, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa.
Arrival of the German prisoners swelled Canada's internee prisoner of war population by a goodly percentage.
No definite figures have been released on the number now in prison camps, but it was believed between 8000 and 12,000 before yesterday's batch arrived.

FAMOUS "WICK" AMONG THEM
A high-ranking Nazi flier — apparently Major Helmut Wick, whose loss was reported by the Germans on Dec. 4 — was among the prisoners.
Officials did not name the pilot but it was learned he was one of the three credited by the Nazis with the highest scores in Spanish and Allied planes, that he is 25 years old and that he was awarded the Oak Leaves, a high German decoration.
This description fits that of Major Wick, who is credited by the Germans with downing 56 planes in the Spanish civil war and the present conflict.
The Nazis have listed him, Lieut. Adolph Galland, credited with 55 planes, and Lieut.-Col. Werner Molders, credited with 54, as their trio of leading pilots.

RAF LAUGHS LAST
According to recent American reports from Berlin, Wick was one of the most boastful of the Nazi airmen. Several mouths ago he described the quality of British fighter pilots as "laughable" and said, "They merely try to stay out of reach."
Then came his combat on Dec. 4 (28 Nov -jf) over the English Channel when Wick was outfought by a British pilot. Fellow pilots reported seeing him bail out and descend to the water off the Isle of Wight.

GAVE NO TROUBLE
Lt. Col. R. Weddell, commander of the guards who watched over the Nazis, told the press they gave "not the slightest trouble."
At the end of the voyage, they wrote him a letter saying they were "very pleased" with their treatment.
The Germans were posted to quarters in the aft of the vessel and were kept strictly to themselves.
Talented internees entertained the others with three concerts. Their singing, Col. Weddell said, was "marvelous."
Imperial troops guarded them on the trans-ocean trip.
The Canadians took over here.
The prisoners came down the gangplank of the ship in what officials called "carload lots"— about 50 at a time. As they trudged through transit sheds to their trains, they marched by a cordon of Canadian soldiers.
Ominous bayonets atop their rifles, the troops were rigidly ready for anything, but there were no incidents.
Before each group was allowed aboard the trains, every man was thoroughly searched for possible hidden weapons.

'INTELLIGENCE' IN CHARGE
Three British Intelligence Department officers and a band of war veteran guards were already on the trains.
The Britons, able to speak German fluently, have been posted to various internment camps as liaison officers between prisoners and guards. They performed similar jobs on the long trip inland.
Two guards, with bayoneted rifles, stood at each door of the train cars. Others were posted among the prisoners.
At each stop the guards were under orders to "fan out" outside to repel any attempt to break out the windows, or to hold back any crowds which might gather.

TAKING NO CHANCES
The prisoners were warned, through the interpreters, that only one man would be allowed to stand up at a time in each car.
Doors had been removed from the lavatories before they came aboard.
An elaborate electric alarm system was the chief safeguard against a mass escape attempt. A guard in any part of the train could give warning immediately if he spotted any trouble.
Heavy mackinaws, underwear and other clothing was available for the captives in case their own garb was not suitable for the Canadian climate. Their camps are located in a particularly cold region.

SULLEN LOT
They were a sullen lot, particularly the airmen. But aboard the same ship, and in contrast to the Germans for whom the war was over, were several hundred eager young Britons, Australians, New Zealanders and Poles sent here under the Empire air training program to be made into pilots.
The number of prisoners was another military secret but it was permissible to say that there were so many, they were taken from the ship in groups of 50 and marched past solid lines of soldiers with fixed bayonets, to their train.
Each prisoner was given a kit of supplies. A few of them seemed somewhat cheerful and one blond youth said, "I'm glad I'm here; this war is a silly mess anyhow."

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German Air Ace Captive
— Is He Major Wick?

(By Canadian Press) AN EAST COAST CANADIAN PORT, Jan. 23 — City police late today captured the second of two German prisoners who escaped here late yesterday after their arrival here. The man was picked up when he was located within the city limits by constables in a patrol car.

A high-ranking Nazi flyer — apparently Major Helmut Wick, whose loss was reported by the Germans on Dec. 1 — was among the hundreds of German prisoners of war who arrived here Wednesday and now are on their way to a prison camp in the interior of Canada.
Officials did not name the pilot but it was learned he was one of the three credited by the Nazis with the highest scores in Spanish and Allied planes, that he is 25 years old and that he was awarded the oak leaves, a high German decoration.
This description fits that of Major Wick who is credited by the Germans with downing 56 planes in the Spanish civil war and the present conflict.

Leading Pilots
The Nazis have listed him and Lieut. Adolph Galland, credited with 55 planes, and Lieut.-Col. Werner Molders, credited with 54, as their trio of leading pilots.
According to recent American reports from Berlin, Wick was one of the most boastful of the Nazi airmen. Several months ago he described the quality of British fighter pilots as "laughable" and said "they merely try to stay out of reach."

Felt In Channel
Then came his combat on Dec 4 (Nov 28 -jf) over the English Channel when Wick was out-fought by a British pilot. Fellow pilots reported seeing him bail out and descend to the water off the Isle of Wight.
Because of the age of 25 given the Nazi pilot who arrived here Wednesday, he is believed to be Wick rather than Molders, who is 27, or Galland, who is 28.

Jumbled Feelings
Lt-Col. R. Weddell looked back with jumbled feelings today on the things that happened in the overseas transporting of hundreds of German prisoners of war to Canada.
But his chief chuckle came from the "astounded" look on the face of a Nazi officer at the dally appearance of bacon and eggs with his breakfast "The prisoners were surprised to find," the colonel told newsmen yesterday, "that a British ship could put up such good meals. They thought we lost 90 percent of our food supplies when they conquered most of the continent"
Commander of the Imperial guard which watched over the captive filers and U-boat men, Col. Weddell said the highest German officer, a Col. von Wedel, was "tickled" at the likeness of their names.

Wanted to See Damage
Von Wedel would never have been aboard except that he, a ground officer, wanted to see personally the damage done to London. His plane was shot down.
Among a newsman's notes on the arrival ...
Six Nazi officers listened to British radio newscasts on the Atlantic crossing, then prepared a typical Nazi bulletin for the others ...
Col. Weddell, a veteran of Dunkirk, came to Canada on a similar mission several months ago ...
Some prisoners told inquiring military men they had "no complaints" but that they thought there was "no nourishment" in the bread they had been eating, that it was "not coarse enough."

Unexplained Courage
Soldiers relieved two captives of a model plane and a weird-shaped cane. The hand-carved aircraft even had a pilot ...
Niches on the cane indicated some airman used it to keep his score ...
One flier drew himself up haughtily when an officer asked him how he won his Iron Cross, and replied "For courage, sir." He was asked "for what type of courage?" His answer was "that I am not permitted to say."
One soldier said a Nazi had confided in him "You are not a bad bunch of swine"...
Another German gave the Nazi version of the Bronx salute (middle finger -jf) when someone asked him, "Are you glad to get away from the Spitfires?" ...
They shrugged off the few questions reporters managed to thrust at them with the explanation, "Can't understand."
A few stuck up their arms in the Nazi salute. Guards said one prisoner pulled down another's hand when he tried the "Heil" act.

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Nazi Captives Reach Canada
Famous Air Ace Among Prisoners Bound For Internment Camps

AN EAST CANADIAN PORT, Jan 23 (1941) —(AP)— A top-rank German air ace and hundreds of other war prisoners rolled westward toward Canadian internment camps today following the recapture of one of a pair who broke away after their prison ship docked.
The escape of two prisoners was disclosed shortly after the captive filers and seamen had debarked to waiting special trains last night. One was recaptured early today and patrols searched the dock area for the other.
Police announced the presence among the prisoners of a noted 25-year-old Nazi fighter pilot credited with downing 56 planes, beginning with the Spanish civil war.
(Official identification of prisoners is forbidden under war regulations, but the description, together with the captive's possession of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves — highest Nazi military award of its kind — coincided with that of Major Helmut Wick, commander of the famous Richthofen Squadron.
(Wick was shot down by a British fighter over the English Channel. A German communiqué Dec. 4, reporting his failure to return, said the Nazi air force had lost "one of its most audacious and successful pursuit pilots." Fellow pilots reported he descended by parachute to the sea off the Isle of Wight just after bagging his 56th plane).
Internment officers said the shipment of prisoners included a majority of the Nazi fliers shot down and captured in Britain up to the time the ship sailed, as well as sailors taken from German submarines.
One prisoner was said to be the commander of the submarine which torpedoed and sank the liner Empress of Britain after she was attacked by German bombers in the north Atlantic last autumn.
A few prisoners raised their arms in the Nazi salute, some grinned and others were stolid as they tramped from the camouflaged prison ship.
British and Canadian officials have kept secret the locations of internment camps in Canada, but an officer in Ottawa disclosed two months ago that between 8,000 and 12,000 military captives and interned civilian aliens were then confined behind their high barbed wire fences.
Between 250 and 300 aliens from the camps were shipped back to Britain Jan. 8 to help clean up air raid debris. Prince Friedrich, 29, fourth son of the former crown prince of Germany, was reported among them.

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After the 23rd or 24th (some reports were printed on the 24th but I think were from the 23rd) I found no further mention of Wick, anywhere. No retractions or corrections to these news reports and nothing about his release. It might be that they were not allowed to print that information either.
So, what are we saying? Did Helmut arrive here as reported? Did he choose not to have any further association with the Nazi regime or his family? Did he stay in Canada and change his name after he was released, never bothering to inform anyone that he was still alive? Or did he die in the waters of the English Channel like reported?
I have to say, at this point in time I lean towards the idea that the "rumor mill" & Victor Molders were responsible for this bit of, most likely, erroneous information.

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Victories Include :

56 confirmed and some unconfirmed

For score details, click the "wick" link below

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--- German Aces ---

Check out Wick at Luftwaffe.cz

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