GreyC

As I stated above, citing the statuts of the VWA (Verleihungsbedingungen vom 3.3.1918, that was not the case (as opposed to the Verleihungsbedingungen in WW2). If you have documents to the contraryI´d be glad to learn more about it. Thank you! GreyC

Hi Deutschritter, thank you, I checked the units in the meantime. What is a bit dubious are his WIA incidents in WW1 as only one is documented in the Verlustliste and there ought to be three. Have a nice Sunday! GreyC

Hi, according to the statues of the VWA for WW1 (AVB 1918, Nr.379 of 1.4.18 (thank you to member Prussian for providing the date) the VWA was awarded thus: Schwarz bei ein- und zweimaliger mattweiß bei drei- und viermaliger mattgelb bei fünf- und mehrmaliger Verwundung. Bei Zuerkennung eines höheren Abzeichens ist das bisherige zurückzugeben. The German Verlustliste only lists one incident of Lutze being slightly wounded in 1916 (as Vizefeldwebel of 6. Kompanie IR 369 - so he changed units during the war at least once). There must have been at least two more unrecorded incidents, for him to have qualified for the silver VWA. The one he is wearing on the photo was probably accquired after WW1 as it is not solid but holed out, typical for after WW1 purchases. GreyC

We don´t mean the badge, but the Spange above it. GreyC

It´s difficult to make out, but I´d second that. GreyC

That is not what it says in German. Unfortunately Chuck gave no year to the clipping. My guess is 1918. What it says in German (translated to English) is that all those who where awarded the cross before this announcement and who are elligble for the bar, can obtain it at own cost. Only with newly awarded crosses from announcement onwards, is the bar included (when bearer elligable). GreyC

In 1882 he was listed as Rittmeister of the Train-Bataillon 11 in Cassel/Kassel. having earned himself an Iron Cross 2nd class in the war of 1870/71. 1883 as Rittmeister of the Garde Train Bataillon and 1884 back to TB 11. Have not checked every year. 1888 listed with Garde Train Bataillon again which he left in 1889 as Rittmeister a.D. GreyC

If this is the CV of the Captain Kennedy mentioned as owner of the cap badge, it might contain information regarding a possible line or post associated with the cap badge: https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22298504?search[i][name_authority_id]=-92868&search[path]=items GreyC

Pleasure! GreyC

Hi with regards to your first post: "I have not been able to decipher the work of Mr. Albert Otto ... This typeface is very complicated. " Justizsekretär Best, GreyC

The fkirst two from Düsseldorf and Thorn are infantry. The note on the back says smething about Preis/Preus, but is in Polish. GreyC

He has earned himself the Fechtabzeichnen 2nd. class (double Chevron on his sleeve). Is a photographer named on the back or a city? GreyC

Could it be about a Jagdaufseher / gamekeeper or the like? The text is about hunting with a marten trap and he finishes with a typical huntsman expression. Or he is a policeman hunting in his spare time ... The card was written in Rettenberg in Oberallgäu. Best, GreyC

It seems to be the one. GreyC

That will be the reason. Unless here is nobody to answer your question the best bet will be the file at BuArch. Have a nice weekend! GreyC

That I can´t say. I just identified (as did ccj) the tunic as you wished. Glad i could help. GreyC

Interestingly not listed in Luftwaffen Career Summaries. With this high rank he should have a file at the Bundesarchiv. BArch Freiburg, PERS 6/146510 GreyC

They had their own uniforms, however the officers were very often only kommandiert, not versetzt. This was also true for Braun as I wrote repeatedly. That´s why they wore the uniforms of their respective "home" units. GreyC Find attached a Flieger VzFw of Fliegerersatzabt. 1. The FEA 3 had a similar uniform.

Yes, thats from the publicised pilot exam and Flugsport mentioned him to be the Kdr. of Metz Where did you get the info from that he was Kommandeur of FEA3? Have you tried the Bundesarchiv? There must be a file there, consideruing he was a member of the NSDAP and a high profile NSFK guy. Best, GreyC

Hi, do you now this site: http://www.sammlung-merschroth.de/html/flieger_in_griesheim.html Best, GreyC Quite right. GreyC

It is for an Einjährig-Freiwilliger in the 5th Eskadron of the Leib Garde Husaren-Regiment. GreyC

I doubt that. The Rangliste, issued every year and based on official data from the military was a quasi official bible of the ranks in the Prussian army. They very rarly got something wrong. However, they mirrored the status quo of May of the previous year, in this case May 1912. There is a competing publication with a deadline of 8th Oct. 1912 for 1913 and he is still listed in it. Taking into consideration that he is even still listed with DR 9 in the Rangliste of 1914, here with deadline of May 1914 and in the Ehrenrangliste of 1924 also with DR 9 (based on entries as of 1914 RL), I presume he was either active at the Inspektion of the Flieger around 1913 or he was back with DR 9 before the war, as he is not listed as "Kommandiert" in the 1914 Rangliste. At the beginning of the war he might then be kommandiert to a Flieger unit. Best, GreyC

Hi, the photo of him in Flugsport is the same as here: https://de.frwiki.wiki/wiki/Karl_Braun_(aviateur) I am not entirely sure what the Rückstellung refers to. It is interesting though, that there is no mention of him in the issues of Flugsport 1913 or 1914. Maybe he was working as a civilian or maybe in the staff of the Fliegerinspektion? In the Rangliste of 1913 at least he is listed as abkommandiert to the Inspektion. GreyC

That is interesting, so he is featured twice in the list, as he is also listed as 739 as stated above. There are rare cases where this is the case, too. These were licensed for Eindecker and then in an extra exam for double-decker (Doppeldecker). I have some photos of FEA 9, also from Darmstadt, but unfortunately none of FEA3. Here is an Urlaubschein in use for both units. To be on the save side I checked the mention of the Karl Braun license in 1911 (No 155) in Flugsport of 1911. It seems as if there were two different Karl Braun who were only three years apart in age and in getting the license. They are not the same. Here the original No 155: No. 155. Braun, Leutnant im Drag.-Regt No. 9, Charlottenburg, geb. am 17. März 1885 zu Metz, für Eindecker (Rumpler-Taube) und Zweidecker (Farman, Albatros), Truppenübungsplatz Döberitz am 25. Januar 1912. It seems, though, they mixed up the birthplace with the garrison? And here is the number 479: No. 739 Braun, Karl, Ulm a. D., geb. am 21. Dezember 1888 zu Tettnang, für Zweidecker (A.E.G.), Flugplatz Nieder-Neuendorf, am 28. April 1914. Just found out that the military established a subsidiary of its flying school facility in Döberitz in Metz in 1911 as stated on p 922 of Flugsport 1911. This chimes in nicely with DR 9 in Metz. "Blicken wir auf Deutschland, das in Döberitz eine Militär-Flugschule errichtet hat, in die 50 Offiziere kommandiert werden. Eine Station ist in Metz installiert worden, zwei weitere werden in Thionville und Saarburg projektiert, und ein Spezialkredit von 9 Millionen Mark ist im Budget vorgesehen. Die in Deutschland benutzten Apparattypen sind diejenigen von Euler, Rumpier, Grade, Etrich, Albatros, Dorner, Farman und Wright." Braun was the commander of this branch in metz in 1911 as stated in Flugsport 1911 p 386: "Leutnant Braun, Kommandant der Militär-Fliegerschule zu Metz, mußte seine Nennung zurückziehen, da er an der Uebung teilnehmen muß, die am 15. Mai gelegentlich der Anwesenheit des Kaisers in Metz stattfindet: ferner ist es fraglich, ob die Herren Oberleutnant Keller, Lt. Carganico und Lt. Schmickäly nicht behindert sind, an der Konkurrenz teilzunehmen." Allerdings brach Braun das Fahrgestell seines Flugzeuges und konnte bei der kaiser-Übung daher nicht teilnehmen. "Für die gleichzeitig stattfindende Kaiserübung bei Chateausalins starteten Oberlt.Keller (Rumpler-Taube) und Reinhardt (Albatros-Argus). Leutnant Braun brach das Fahrgestell. 5 : 20 : 0 erfolgt die Abfahrt der Viktoria Louise" zur Aufklärungsübung." Dafür gelang ihm ein Flug, der auch in Frankreich Beachtung fand: "Trotzdem aber hat das Erscheinen einer deutschen Flugmaschine an der französischen Grenze hier ein unglaubliches Zähneklappern hervorgerufen. Es handelte sich um den von dem deutschen Offiziersflieger Braun gesteuerten Eindecker welcher, von Metz kommend, über Pont-ä-Mousson dahinflog und sich die Mosel entlang nach Metz zurückbegab. Man zeterte über das teutonische Bravourstück das man als eine Herausforderung bezeichnete. Automobilisten verfolgten die Flugmaschine, die, wie man geheimnisvoll meldete, auf dem Exerzierplatze von Frescaty bei Metz landete." Flugsport 1912. ACHTUNG: Auf S. 578 der Flugsport von 1912 gibt es ein Foto von Lt. Braun in Dragoneruniform im Rumpler-Flugzeug! Hier noch ein Bericht von der selben Seite: Leutnant Braun von der Fliegerstation Metz auf Albatros Doppeldecker mit 70 PS Mercedes-Motor, wurden als Aufklärer verwendet. Die Resultate, welche die Flieger erzielten, waren glänzend. Sie überbrachten die Meldungen zwei Stunden früher als die Kavallerie. Von der Oberleitung wurde die Genauigkeit, mit welcher die Truppenstellungen gemeldet wurden, besonders hervorgehoben. Die Offiziere überflogen die feindliche Stellung in einer Höhe von 800 — 1000) m. Wie neuerdings verlautet, hat Lt. Braun um Zurückstellung in Front auf 2 Jahre gebeten. Lt. Braun ist einer der tüchtigsten Flieger-Offiziere der Metzer Station." Do you know this? It includes the year of his death. https://de.frwiki.wiki/wiki/Karl_Braun_(aviateur) GreyC

Hi, could you provide a source for that? According to my list of the Alte Adler, published in full by Günter Schmitt in his book Als die Oldtimer flogen, he is number 739 on the list, having gotten his license on 28th April 1914. He is also listed in the magazine called Flugsport of 1914: No. 739 Braun, Karl, Ulm a. D., geb. am 21. Dezember 1888 zu Tettnang, für Zweidecker (A.E.G.), Flugplatz Nieder-Neuendorf, am 28. April 1914. So 1912 seems to be a wrong information. He never officially left the DR 9 during the war but was "kommandiert zur Dienstleistung" to the Inspektion des Militärischen Luft- und Kraftfahrwesens at least since 1913. He already had the Kronenorden 4th class then. The Flugplatz Nieder-Neuendorf was the base for the Flugtechnische Abteilung der Allgemeinen Elektrizitätsgesellschaft (AEG) in Hennigsdorf since about 1910. Best, GreyC