A SPITFIRE pilot always believed two enemy airmen were killed when he helped to shoot down their aircraft during a dogfight over the North-East in 1940.

Sergeant Frank Usmar’s wife, Joan, and their son even visited Barnard Castle, twice to look for their graves to pay respects. But the family have just been told that both Germans survived after they crashed into a field in Broomielaw, near Barnard Castle.

It was only recently that air historian John Yarker heard about their visits and was able to inform them that the pair climbed out of the wreckage and were held as prisoners, before they were sent back to Germany after the war.

Sgt Usmar, who had fought earlier that year in the Battle of Britain, was stationed at Catterick, North Yorkshire, when he was sent up with others to attack invaders on August 15, 1940.

He was flying one of three Spitfires that all attacked a Messerschmitt fighter bomber and chased it from the Darlington area into Teesdale before it came down.

Sgt Usmar was badly wounded in two later air battles, but survived the war and worked in a bank. He died 15 years ago.

Mrs Usmar, 88, who lives in Whitstable, Kent, said: “Frank told me he looked down and saw the German plane in flames and was sure the crew were dead.

“Years later, my son lived in Newton Aycliffe for a while, so when I visited him we twice went to Barnard Castle specially to search for the Germans’ graves.

We spent a long time looking through two cemeteries. I was surprised to hear they survived.”

Mr Yarker said: “I researched the incident fully a long time ago, so I knew all about the two Germans.

“The pilot, Hans Kettling, got out unhurt and the gunner, F Volk, was only slightly wounded.

Kettling came back to visit the crash site with one of the Spitfire pilots, George Bennions, in the Seventies.

“It is a great pity that Frank Usmar died not knowing that they survived. I feel he would have been pleased to know that.

Most airmen had respect for each other, even the enemy, during the war.”

It was the only German aircraft brought down in Teesdale during the war, but several others were destroyed in other parts of the North-East that day.