Soderbaum

Hi As Otto Niezoldi was an flyer a long time during the War I have rather much info on him. Seems he got seven different awards during the War. Among the awards was the Hohenzollern. He had a terrible handwriting. Gunnar

Hi Matt I have that signature on another document, it is von Klösterlein ! You raise an interesting question regarding these a.D. officers. I checked my files and it is rather certain that no Hptm/Rittm a.D. was leader of an FFA/FA during the War. However you find a few who were leaders of smaller units like Kastas, Schustas etc. But mostly you find these a.D. at support units like AFPs and training units in home-land. Gunnar

Hi Matt I have an regulation order about FFA somewhere in my collection. But I cannot re-find at moment. If my memory is correct it clearly stipulates that the commander should be(not written must) be an active Hauptmann. Later I do think they changed it little and said it should be an active Hptm or senior Oblt. Indirectly it gives an age of the commander. However it is quite possible that Paul Neumann became the "first" aviation commander of an front-line unit that was an dR. I do think that his pre-War service presented by Glenn and that he probably had good leader qualification could explain that. In late 1914 another Hptm dR became an leader of an aviation front-line unit. Also in this case he had an impressive pre-War service. Unfortunate I do not have his complete service record but I do think he stayed at front until mid 1917. I do not think he was commander of an AFP. He ought to have received EKI late 1914 or early 1915 so maybe mentioned in the MWB.? He ought to have received the BeoAbz in Aug-Sep 1914. Gunnar

Hi Matt Interesting info ! Shortly after BOW Paul Neumann (seems he used this rufnahme at this stage) was re-activated as Hptm dR (191014) within FB 1(not his earlier Regiment IR 19). It seems certain that he spent the entire War within the Air Force. After the War he was living in Berlin as Major aD. As an author I am not aware that he wrote his own history. I do think he left the command of AFA 214 in the autumn of 1916. He got Abschied on 270320 with char. Major. Gunnar

Hi Lt x Gierke from JRzPf 6 undertook pre-War flying training (starting 01.10.1913). Later during the War he served in different flying units. I am searching a possible first name and date and place of birth. During the War he apparently received the LHK among other awards. Gunnar

Great info Glenn ! He is partly solved now. Gunnar

Hi I wonder if anyone have access to this book : Paul von Broecker, Edwin Kayser: "Das 5. Lothr. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 144 im Weltkriege", Erinnerungsblätter deutscher Regter. Bd. 229, 1928 Oldenburg i. O., Stalling, 335 Seiten I am searching a first name for Hptm Steinbach and possible date and place of birth. Gunnar

Hi Dave Interesting information. The RQL from 1902 to 1906 gives the first name for the Herrmann from FüR 36 as Johannes. Hans is a normal shortening of this first name. Does the Roth reference says he was at stab Stofl Süd ? Maybe he was actually the Stofl Süd. Do you by chance have date and/or place of birth..? Gunnar

Hi Matt Signature nr 12 should be Hptm Holdermann. The signature from FA 11 is hard to read(for me). Gunnar

Hi Matt Post 8 and 9 are the Bavarians Lichtenberger and Oefele. I am unsure regarding Post 7. Gunnar

Hi Matt From the first list of photos nr 2 should be Hptm Funck, nr 3 Protzen von Schramm. I am uncertain regarding nr 6. Gunnar

Hi Matt The first should be Hptm Eduard Dransfeld. He later became an General during WW2. Gunnar

I do not work on my own, so you dont need to worry Rick I use references for the people who contribues with answers or good hints which leads to solve a case. Rather often it could be more then one reference except my own work. I do prefer original sources and I have totally spent long times in archives. Anyway, as you have doubts about me (which I can accept) it is a more fair behavior just to ignore me. That is no problem because I dont primary seek people who have the answer. I do search people who are willing to give an answer or an hint to come further.. However, thanks for the hint regarding Bonn and his two brothers/cousins that was new info for me.. In cases like this such info is valuable for me for further research. I did search for Rittm Heilmann and the Töpchin connection six months ago on the net and actually found one Fabrikbesitzer Heilmann in Töpchin but also in this case without first name Gunnar

Hej Rick The reason why my ö is gone is that "this" website kick out people on regurlaly basis. So I could simply not log in anymore and needed to create a new log in So I am only one person. I sometimes answer other peoples questions if it concern flyers. You can check my log. I am a private researcher regarding German WW1 aviation since nearly 40 Years. Some of the collected material are planned to be published in some way. Gunnar

Hi I am searching a possible first name for Rittm dL aD Heilmann who was promoted on 18.06.1915. His original Regiment was KüR 5. Gunnar

Hi Dave His first names are Egon, Max, Martin, Lebrecht. He was born in Kreis Sachsen Altenburg (not real Sachsen). He was shortly at RIR 244 from 231114 until 230115 when he was posted to observer training. If you send me an private e-mail I can give you some further info. Gunnar

Hi Dave Yes it is the flyer Egon Schneider who started his career in FAR 55. EKII 201214 SEK IImS 150115 SAK ImS 270815 SEHK ImS 011216 BeoAbz 250118 ErrAbz 080120 He also got some awards 1934 to 1936. I have lots of info on him Gunnar

Hi again It seems rather certain that his first name was Erich and that he died sometimes during 1941 as an Oberst in the Luftwaffe. But I still search information of his date and place of birth and possible confirmation of his first name. He dont have any file in the Freiburg archive. Gunnar

Hi Christoph Ullmann scored an aerial victory on 040718 so he should have received the EP. Who is the other guy..? Gunnar

Hi Matt I have been away several weeks without any cpu connection. This search of German officers and trying to identify them is an continuing work which means that information I had a Year ago (in this case) partly could be obselete. His name is Hans Liesner but the date of birth given above is for another Hptm x Liesner. However also Hans Liesner ought to have been born around 1886 to 1887. I saw an Militärpass on ebay some Years ago where an Hptm Liesner signed as commander of AFP A in 1916. Sadly Hans Liesner dont have an file in the archive in Freiburg. However when reading through another file in Freiburg a week ago there were notes about AFP A and Liesner was also named. However he was noted as Adjutant of AFP A in 1916. So apparently the MP was not correctly signed as Liesner forgot to note i.V. Anyway I am still hunting his date and place of birth..! Gunnar

Thanks you crushed my only candidate.. It is very strange if that Oblt dR Alfred Barth not was promoted Rittm during the War due his date of promotion to Lt dR. But maybe he did something "wrong".. with a normal promotion cycle he "should" have been Rittm in the autumn of 1916. Time to find another possible candidate. My Rittm Barth was Kp leader in a home land unit in spring of 1917 but it was not a Saxon unit. Gunnar

Hi I am trying to identify an Rittm x Barth who is mentioned during 1917. The only candidate I have at moment is an Oblt dR Alfred Barth from TrB 12. He was promoted Oblt dR 08.12.14. I dont have access to any Saxon MWBs from the War so I cant check it myself. Anyone knew if he was promoted further..? Gunnar

Great Dave ! I did have his promotions but not the exact dates when transferring to Regiments and when he went into the Reserve. He is solved. Gunnar

Hi I am searching first name and date and place of birth for Hptm dR Ziegler who received the Saxon Albert Order in summer of 1915. I knew he started his career as active officer in FüR 35 then later went over to IR 155. Probably sometime late 1913 he went over to the Reserve. Anyon who can help..? Gunnar

Thanks for your comments However it seems we still have to wait before solving this Hptm Hermann Krüger. Gunnar