The story
Oberleutnant Joachim von Arnim, of Kampfeschwader 4, was reported to have been the first member of the German armed forces to have been captured by British Local Defence Volunteers, forerunners of the Home Guard. His Heinkel bomber was shot down at Fulbourne (five miles from Cambridge) by a Spitfire fighter from No. 19 Squadron and Squadron Leader O'Brien in a Blenheim bomber of No. 23 Squadron. Parachuting into a potato field, von Arnim was arrested by LDV member Ron Barnes, a farm labourer, and handed over to a nearby searchlight post from where he and the other two surviving crewmen were escorted under guard to barracks in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom. O'Brien's aircraft had also sustained severe damage in the fight and fell into an uncontrollable spin. O'Brien managed to bale out safely but his navigator and air gunner were both killed.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.