Soderbaum

Hi Walfisch I do think you can safely write that Irminbert was the commander of FAA 213 from 16.01.1917 until 17.01.1918. The other names you have there were "only" stvs while Irminbert was away some times. Before that he had apparently served within the Saxon FFA 29 during 1915 and later in 1916 in two Kastas within KG 3, the later which he lead. When he left FAA 213 he did become some sort of Überwachungs Offizier for Fliegerwaffen attached to AFP 4. He might have ended up the War in this position. After Irminbert, Hptm Plaeschke took over the command of FAA 213 and he rather certain led the unit until demobilization. Like Irminbert he was "away" much, so Usbek and Vissing and some others were only stvs(Vissing also trained to become a leader here) Btw, have anyone checked any of these files in Dresden ? I am interested if they might have KRLs or similar documents. Gunnar

Hi Matt He later became General der Polizei so maybe one of the books regarding "Generalen" have award info ? Gunnar

Walfish, I was afraid you would ask that question Anyway it will take a while to explain. I will try to make it shortly if possible. In this case I have the information from Tagesbefehle Kofl 4. Yes it very common with a time limit between kommendiert to a unit and versetz to a unit. Versetz is basically not good in a historic perspective but if you dont have the kommendiert date you have to use it. I always* use the kommendiert date if I have that info. Often but far away always it took two too three weeks between being kommendiert and versetz to a unit. For officers the time was generally shorter. It actually exists example of flyers who could have served up too six months before actually being versetz but such things are most of academic value. One problem with the kommendiert date is that it is not always is the date when a flyer actually joined the unit, normally it is like plus two Days and minus two Days. That because of kommendiert dates are based on orders, so if you have a flyer in a home land unit it normally took normally days extra, it could also include a few Days of vacation etc. *if you have an KTB, personal diary which says that X arrived on a certain date it is often the best source. Gunnar

Hi Little add on, his time in FAA 213 was rather short. He was versetz to the unit on 30.05.1918 which means that he probably joined the unit earlier in May 1918(I am missing some weeks there regarding transfers). Gunnar

Hi Andy I have rather complete info on Hptm Walter, was only little unsure about his place of birth. Yes 22.11.08 is his date of Patent to Lt. Mvh Gunnar

Hi Andy I do think that Schwab was active officer all the time, only moved to another Regiment.He is listed as active in RQL14. Thanks for checking about Walter. Does the ranklist mention date of birth ? because I am interested in verification about Hptm Wagner who had a similar career to Walter. Gunnar

Hi Andy According to an personal file for him he joined FuAR 13 on 29.06.1907. He later moved to Lehr Reg FuAR Sch Sch(dont have exact date at hand) and before the War he served at FB 1/1. That file contained limited info on his WW1 career but he also served during WW2 and reached the rank as Obstlt. Does the honour ranklist of FuAR 13 mention the place of birth for Hptm Walter ? I do think it is Plieningen but is not 100 % sure ? Gunnar

Hi again The Regiment for Schwab is FuAR 13. With the given date he was still Oblt. He left the command on 300917. He started the War within the Air Force. Gunnar

Hi MattyBoy It should be Schwab. He hold the command of the unit until late summer of 1917. Do you have exact date for the signature ? Mvh Gunnar

Hi I have read through thousands of similar documents both from ancestry.de and the BAMA archive in Freiburg(which also includes the Freikorps time). And as I say I have a feeling that this document is wrong. And my statement is far from being any reckless statement. Basically all flyers and ground-crew who served within AFP 6 at are noted on ancestry.de because the files from this unit have survived. He is not there. He is noted as observer being shortly at Jasta 30, such units did not have observers except sometimes the OzbV who are officers with flying badges(an demand). The notes that he served as LSO is also ridiculous. However in this case an experienced Vfw or Offst could get such job. The awards seems written afterwards on the document and that an Flg could get the EKI is also basically impossible w/o being a good/known flyer. He do not have any flying badge listed which point to an ground crew. The YOB on the document have a big black mark over it it which makes it unreadable and hard to double check. The document is also written in a unprofessional way which dont fits similar documents I have read. Sorry if give my opinions and I will avoid such statements in the future because I dont like to get attacked ...:( Gunnar

Hi I actually have some doubts about this document. It is possible that everything written there could be "wrong". just some thoughts Gunnar

Hi Anyone knew who took over the command of FA 409 when Hptm Schulz left in May 1919 and before Oblt Müller took over ? Gunnar

Nice and interesting photo Hagrid ! The photo might have been taken at the Fokker Schule Putzig which was establish in mid Oct 1916. However at this stage the Fokker E was no longer usable as an front line line aircraft. Gunnar

Hi I am interested to find basic info on Hptm x Michaelis who served in FAR 54 then FAR 1. Like possible first name and date and place of birth. Due to his promotion cycle he was probably born around 1886.. Anyone who can help ? Gunnar

Hi again Matt I have some material from an personal file for Egon von Münch, it is in bad shape and when I reread it, it seems he was back in FFA 71 in late Aug 15.(sloppy reading by me in first case) Is your name list from one and same time Weihnachtskarte or photo with all names ? Some notes about first names: Kurt Jancke, Arnold Gerlinghoff (an Bavarian), Werner Grote-Hasenbalg (O), Peter Neumann, Willy Kern, Eduard Ey and Felix Kairies. Gunnar

Hi Matt For your first question ID 6 from Yesterday, I have that Egon von Münch joined the unit in April 1915. That was actually before the unit had been renamed to FFA 71. He left in the summer of 1915. He was from GR 8. Gunnar

Hi Matt I also saw meanwhile that the photo album was on sale on ebay.de. The Album is rather certain assembled after the War but still have a "fair" time-line. However the photo/s is rather certain not from FFA 71. None of five flyers mentioned on that photo have an proven link to FFA 71 (at least not for me). The hangars etc in background indicates Metz or some other huge aircraft facility. So a new guess is that the photo was taken in the autumn of 1914. Kirsch is apparently mis-spelling for Kirch. Gunnar

Hi Matt Interesting but also a bit "problematic" photo/s. FFA 71 was a "well known" unit which also was called the "Crown prince unit" in some German records. However I havent found any of the flying crown-Princes actually serving within the unit. You dont see such hangars for an flying front unit but FFA 71 was an exception as they was stationed at Metz for a long time. So when was the photos taken ?. Because of the names on the photos, the clothes an guess would be a cold date late in spring 1916 ..? The spelling and ranks given on the photo are also "problematic", Mahs should rather certain be Maaß which unfortunate is a very common last name in Germany. I have at least four different Hptm Maaß serving within the Air Force. The rank for Aigner dont fit the "only" known flying officer at this time. A more precise dating of the of the photos might help to come further. Another problem is that Metz also had an huge AFP and a flying school so sometimes photos from this place could contain flyers from different units.. Gunnar

Great info Dave ! That was more or less complete info on him. Gunnar

Hi I am also interested in an officer from FAR 50, Oblt Helmuth Meyer ! He apparently later in his life changed his last name to Meyer-Becherer. I knew that he after the War was living in Potsdam. Any info regarding date and place of birth or units during WWI is welcome Gott Nytt År önskar Gunnar

Hi I am interested if anyone knew when and where Ludwig Reeps died ? Gunnar

Hi all I wonder if any new information have pupped up regarding identification of this Luftwaffe officer have appeared the last 9 Years ?? I am especially interested in Hptm Wolf Thieme from IR 62 for whom I am lacking basic info like date and place of birth. Gunnar

Hi Matt Thanks for your contribution to my old question. Like Chris I have meanwhile found him in the loss list online, des genealogy. This is a very good source with excellent search function compared with ancestry.de which basically is useless. But I still hunting for his date of birth. I also found him in an Adressbuch for Frankfurt a.M. that he was living there after the War. Gunnar

Josef Stigell As he was was an known WW1 flyer I have some info on him but I havent checked his personal file yet. He was born 26.10.1894 in x. FAR 34 Lt 190614 mit P230612,Oblt 181017 After WW1 he served in Reichwehr. Here are notes on some of his awards: EK1 PV PFlE HT HK ÖM3K TL2mSchw TH Mvh Gunnar

Thanks Stefan for checking the two sources for Otto Lehmann. Interesting link Matt regarding Erich Stresemann with a nice photo on the horse. Gunnar