mapping coordinates during World War II

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 24 Apr 2012 06:07

During World War II my uncle was flying bomber runs out of England into Germany for the USA. In 1944 his plane was shot down by German fighter planes and the crew parachuted into Switzerland.

The plane was shot down at coordinates that were documented as 4850N by 0940E.

The thing is, I can find no reference to what these coordinates are. They must be some form that I've never run across before.

Are they some form of British coordinates? Does anyone know what they mean?

Thanks,

Bill

ID:6182

johnmorrisoniom · Post by **johnmorrisoniom** » 24 Apr 2012 07:41

I would read it as either 48.50 deg North by 9.4 deg E which is Bad Urach in Germany

or (more likely) 48d 50m N by 9d 40m E which is Alfdorf in Germany.

I used the converter at http://twcc.free.fr/ with the input system set to GCS Anna 1 1965.
It may be worth experimenting with the different systems

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 24 Apr 2012 14:09

Hi John,

Thank you so much.

I was looking around for some website like this late last night when I posted and was having no luck finding one. I didn't really know what I was looking for.

Alfdorf does seem like a likely site. He was in a B-17 on a mission to bomb Augsburg, Germany. After being shot by the fighter planes, the bomber turned south and made it over Switzerland, the crew parachuted out. They were held in a prisoner camp in Switzerland for some time. Then part of the crew, including my uncle, escaped, made it across France and back to England and were reassigned to another bomber and lived to fly again. Quite a story.

Thanks so much for your help!

Bill

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