hucks216

I have posted pieces of this grouping in the various Citation & LW Schein Databases but here it is in it's entirety. The set consists of the Soldbuch, Flugzeugführerschein and citations to Feldwebel Wilhelm Leymann who won the DKiG & Ehrenpokal with KG-54 'Totenkopf' and may also of been a pilot of the Me-262 jet. After joining the Luftwaffe in 1939 Leymann underwent the lengthy training process to become a pilot of bomber aircraft, a process that took 2 years. In February 1942 he joined 10./KG-54 of IV Ergänzungsgruppe, the training Gruppe of the bomber wing and remained with them until May of that year. The Gruppe was based in Southern Italy at that time and as well as the training crews were also participating in convoy escort sorties which even saw them attack a submarine on 10th March in the Gulf of Tarento. On 25th May 1942 Leymann joined 5./KG-54 with which he remained until January 1944 and so saw plenty of action in Central Russia, UK, North Africa and Italy. In just 6 months of service with 5./KG-54 Wilhelm Leymann had already won the EK II, EK I, the Bomber Clasp in Bronze, Silver & Gold and the Ehrenpokal by 16th November 1942 - a good indicator of the pace of operations. Leymann left 5./KG-54 on the 21st January 1944 for IV Ergänzungsgruppe again but on 20th March 1944 he won the DKiG, which was issued for something he did during his service with 5./KG-54. In January 1944 he was also promoted to Feldwebel for an act of distinction. Unfortunately what that act was is unknown to me, as is the act that won him the DKiG. He remained with the training Gruppe until August 1944 when it was reduced to just one staffel with some of the Gruppe being reassigned to the Fallschirmjäger while others (including Leymann) being sent to 9./KG-54 to train on the Me-262 jet fighter. On the 16th October 1944 Leymann was awarded the Bomber Clasp in Gold with '200' Pendant. In Me-262 Combat Diary & Radtke's book on KG-54 there are numerous known Me-262 pilots mentioned and listed but Leymann's name is not among them. However, in the Soldbuch there are a few entries that hint at Leymann being a possible 'unknown' or 'unconfirmed' pilot of the jet aircraft. On page 6 there are four sets of equipment issues dated for late in 1944 and two in 1945, while between Pages 8 & 9 there has been an extra note attached showing the issue of a summer & winter flying headgear. And finally on Page 14 there is an entry dated for 1st May 1945 from the Staffelkapitän of 4./KG(J)-54, Werner Brandau (Ehrenpokal). Among the signatures in the Soldbuch are those of Horst Bressel (DKiG) and Wilhelm Hannak-Hammerl (Ehrenpokal).

I'm afraid that when it comes to signed photos I am at a loss - especially post-war ones. When it comes to citations and Soldbucher etc there is the extra information that helps to determine the signature's originality (units, dates, stamps etc and even pen type) but when it comes down to a signed photo all that is missing so, unless there is an iron clad provenance it is impossible to be 100% certain a signature on a photo is real or fake, especially when it is post war when signatures tended to change greatly with age. In my files I have two examples of his signature, one wartime and one post war and yhis one bears more likeness for his wartime one than it does for his post-war example.

Hello Jock, The Stuka related one is just a single item but the one for the KG-54 pilot is part of a grouping that includes all of his citations (except for his Ehrenpokal) and Soldbuch. He finished the war as possibly being a pilot of Me-262 jets.

Another Luftwaffe Formal DKiG citation to a pilot in KG-54 who also won the Ehrenpokal and Bomber Clasp in Gold with '200' Pendant.

Yes, that is a post-war photostat type copy which is a pity as the signature on the wartime letter is that of Goebbels.

Hauptmann Werner Brandau. Born: 26 Dec 1908 Staffelkapitän 8./KG-54 Staffelkapitän 10./KG-54 Staffelkapitän 4./KG(J)-54 Ehrenpokal - 23 Aug 1943 Image: Soldbuch

Oberst Carl Rütgers. Taken from Luftwaffe Officer Career Lists... 01.03.37 Maj., appt Kdr. IV./KG 254 then II./KG 254 (to 31.01.39). 01.03.39 Obstlt.,appt Kdr. FFS C 1 (to 30.09.42). 01.10.39 promo to Oberst. 29.03.43 Oberst, in XIII. Fliegerkorps, appt Kdr. Jäger-Rgt. 17 (L). Image: Flugzeugführerschein

Hauptmann Arthur Riehle. FFS C3 KG z.b.V 800 Staffelkapitän 6./TG-2 Image: Soldbuch

Oberst Heinz Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay. Details taken from Luftwaffe Career Lists... 01.07.38 Obstlt., appt Kdr. Schule/Fl.Ausb.Rgt. 42 (to 31.10.40). 01.09.40 promo to Oberst. 01.11.40 Oberst, appt Kdr. FFS A/B 120 (to 06.42). 1942-43 Kdr. Flugzeugführerüberprüfungsschule LF (to 07.04.43). 07.04.43 trf to Stab/Dt.Lw.-Mission in Rumänien. 22.07.43 in Führerreserve RLM/Ob.d.L., ordered to Fliegerlehrstab/Befh.d.Dt.Lw. in Rumänien for temporary duty. 17.03.44 Oberst, Kdr. Fliegerlehrstab/Dt.Lw.-Mission in Romänien. Image: Flugzeugführerschein

Kapitänleutnant Georg Pinkepank. Born: 18 Dec 1907 Died: 24 Nov 1979 Highest rank reached: Korvettenkapitän Komdt S.V.K Chef 40. Minensuchflottille Chef 2. Räumbootsflottille Chef 1. Minensuchflottille RK - 12 Aug 1944 DKiG - 17 Dec 1943 Image: Soldbuch

More examples from the same Soldbuch...

Oberleutnant Henning Strümpell Born: 28 Aug 1912 Died: 31 Jul 2003 Highest rank reached: Oberstleutnant (Brigadegeneral in Bundesluftwaffe) J/88 Condor Legion Staffelkapitän 3./JG-132 Staffelkapitän 3./JG-131 Staffelkapitän 3./JG-2 Kdr I/JG-2 Gruppenleiter JFS-4 Kdr I/JG-77 Jagdfliegerführer Nordnorwegen (Ost) Kdr JGr z.b.V Kdr II/JG-5 Kdr Jagdfliegervorschule 1 Kdr Jagdfliegervorschule 2 Kdr Jagdfliegervorschule 6 Kommodore JG-106 Kommodore JG-107 Kdr Schiessschule Vaerlöse Victories - 4 (incl. 2 in Spain) Image: Soldbuch

Kapitänleutnant Hans-Helmut Klose Born: 09 Sep 1916 Wach-Offz. T-7 Wach-Offz. T-11 Komdt S-70 Komdt S-98 Chef 2. Schnellbootsschulflottille British Baltic Fishery Protection Service (BBFPS) - Unit Klose DKiG: 31 Jan 1944 Image: Soldbuch

Major (E) Theodor Oskar Heinrich Roman Wygnanki Born: 15 Jan 1889 Died: 08 Oct 1976 Highest rank reached: Oberst Stabsoffizier des Wehrbezirkskommandos Hamburg V Gruppenleiter im Stab der Wehrersatzinspektion Graz Kdr des Wehrbezirks Krainburg

Kapitän zur See Werner Ehrhardt Born: 25 May 1898 Died: 23 Sep 1967 Highest rank reached: Konteradmiral Chef MPA 1 OKM Amtschefs MPA OKM Komdt. schw. Kreuzer 'Prinz Eugen' Kdr Marinekriegsschule Schleswig Führerreserve OKM Image: Citation

Generalveterinär Dr. Gebhard Sedlmayr Born: 10 Oct 1886 Korpsveterinär III AK Leit. Vet.Offz.b.Höh.Kdo z.b.V XXXVI Armeeveterinär 9.Armee (AOK 9) Korpsveterinär b.Stellv.Gen.Kdo II AK Armeeveterinär 2.Armee (AOK 2) Heeresgruppe Veterinär B DKiS - 10 Jan 1945 Image: Wehrpass

Major Josef von Radowitz Born: 29 Jul 1899 Died: 01 Jun 1956 Highest rank reached: Generalleutnant Adjutant III Armeekorps Stab 2. Panzerarmee Kdr Pz.Grenadier-Regiment 28 Kdr 23 Panzer-Division RK - 07 Sep 1944 / EL - 09 May 1945 DKiG - 2 Feb 1944

A selection from a grouping to Stabshelferin Paula Schneider who served in Res.Laz. I Magdeburg.

Here is a selection from a grouping to DRK-Schwesternhelferin Erna Marschalk who served in Res.Laz. Neumarkt and Kriegs-Laz.Abt (m) 561.

Nice little item to find and in good condition as well.

I don't have anything on the Dr I'm afraid although there is someone with that name in a Google Search for that period but I believe he was an engineer. Unfortunately when it comes to the medical side of the Wehrmacht there is little information readily available. The Feldpost Nr of 29760 belonged to two Infantry units... (Mobilmachung-1.1.1940) Regimentsstab m.Nachrichten-Zug Infanterie-Regiment 289, (2.1.1940-27.4.1940) Regimentsstab Infanterie-Regiment 289, (10.2.1943-23.8.1943) Stab u. 1.-4. Kompanie Divisions-Bataillon 98, (10.11.1944-Kriegsende) 20.12.1944 Stab u. 1.-4. Kompanie Füsilier-Bataillon 98. It is sad that someone saw fit to throw all those out but some people just have no interest in historical items and what is 'gold' for us is literally trash for them, including everything from Feldpost to Prelim RK citations.

That's quite a find. Do you intend to translate them?

There are plenty of images of Konopka on Google Search images.

The second one? That was on a dealer site for not very much money as I don't think he twigged who the signature belonged to. It certainly wasn't mentioned in the item description anyway.

Hand signed Image: Promotion citation to LW Flak DKiG Major