10./III./JG 5 Gefreiter Georg Ecke Black 13+ WNr.13690 15.11 1944
A "schwarm" (three planes) took off from Altagaard on a transfer flight to Bardufoss via Banak. They ran into bad weather, lost their navigation and soon they ran out of fuel. Ecke bailed out and landed un harmed in the snow. At Vaisa he met some Norwegian refugees and tried to force them to lead him back to Norway, but they managed to take his signal pistol and and delivered him to Swedish authorities.
Ecke soon returned to JG 5.
On 16. February 1945 his plane crashed during take off at Gossen and he spent the rest of the war at hospital in Molde.
sources: Matti Salonen posting on12oclock high forum. Article by Pär Erixon. "Eismeerjäger" Band IV by Erik Mombeeck.
"Flyktningar i fjällen" by Mauritz Eriksson. "Krigsår og fredsfeiring" by Knut Rød/ Johan Julnes.
The pilots of the two other Messerschmitt's also decided to bail out.
Uffz. Oskar Bittner bailed out at Sagelvvatnet on Norwegian side of the border.
Ogefr. Hans-Günther Heep bailed out at 12.32 (German time) and landed in rocky terrain at Stordalen in Abisko, Sweden.
Ten days later he was handed over to JG 5 again. He continued his service in 15./ JG 5 until the war ended in May 1945.
