Can anyone help on translation of pilots document ?

[arrestanddevelopment]

Hi,

I have owned this for about five years ,it came direct from the family in Germany. If anyone could help in the translation it would be a great help.

I was told that he also served in WW2 as a fighter pilot , not sure if he was well known ???

thanks in advance

Steve

[Guest Rick Research]

Copy

The Commanding General

of Air Combat Forces

(file numbers)

GHQ on the 28th November 1917

I award to Unteroffizier G?dde (Wilhelm) of Kampfstaffel 19, the Pilot's Badge.

for the absent Commanding

General of Air Combat Forces

the Chief of the General Staff

sig. Thomsen

Oberstleutnant

for the accuracy of the copy

(name illegible to me-- looks like "H?ne")

Oberleutnant & Staffelf?hrer

G?dde is not on the list of German WW1 aviation fatalities.

[arrestanddevelopment]

Thanks for that Rick ,i know he survived and served in WW2 , any idea what Kampfstaffel 19 were up to ???

cheers again

Steve

[Schießplatzmeister]

Hello Steve:

I couldn't help but notice the stamp "KGL. PR. BOMBENGESCHWADER 4 O.H.L.". This of course stands for "Royal Prussian Bombengeschwader der Obersten Heeresleitung Nr. 4" or "Bogohl 4" for short.

So this fellow was possibly a fighter pilot who flew escort missions for bombers at the Western Front.

Congratulations on owning such a scarce document!

Best regards,

"SPM"

Edited December 19, 2007 by Schie?platzmeister

[arrestanddevelopment]

Hello Steve:

I couldn't help but notice the stamp "KGL. PR. BOMBENGESCHWADER 4 O.H.L.". This of course stands for "Royal Prussian Bombengeschwader der Obersten Heeresleitung Nr. 4" or "Bogohl 4" for short.

So this fellow was possibly a bomber pilot on the Western Front.

Congratulations on owning such a scarce document!

Best regards,

"SPM"

fascinating !!! i am certainly learning...heres the rest of the group.

thanks

steve

[Schießplatzmeister]

Hello again Steve:

Wow! A real pilot's badge! This is something that I will never have a chance to own in my lifetime. Congratulations!

I believe that since Wilhelm G?dde was assigned to Kampfstaffel 19, he was probably not flying bombers, but was flying escort for bombing missions on the Western Front. It appears as though Kampstaffel 19 was attached to Bogohl 4.

A fascinating grouping! Do you have a G?dde's Milit?rpa? or a photograph of him?

"SPM"

[arrestanddevelopment]

Hello again Steve:

Wow! A real pilot's badge! This is something that I will never have a chance to own in my lifetime. Congratulations!

I believe that since Wilhelm G?dde was assigned to Kampfstaffel 19, he was probably not flying bombers, but was flying escort for bombing missions on the Western Front. It appears as though Kampstaffel 19 was attached to Bogohl 4.

A fascinating grouping! Do you have a G?dde's Milit?rpa? or a photograph of him?

"SPM"

I have a photo of him taken sadly just before his death and a copy of his marriage certificate.This was provided to me by the family, i will see what i can find and post it accordingly.

best wishes

steve

[Guest Rick Research]

Ah! Bogohl 4! (lightbulb)

That is signed by Hermann "K?hl" (1888-1938) whose name slid off my eye because he was a W?rttemberger, not a Prussian.

Kasta 19 was indeed a 2 seater bomber group, commanded by K?hl. Well written up in Neal O'Connor's Prussian and W?rttemberg volumes.

K?hl recieved the Pour le Merite, which was approved coincidentally on 20 May 1918-- the every day he was shot down for the final time and spent the rest of the war as a POW in France.

He had W?rttemberg's "grand slam" of WM3, WK3X, and WF3aX, as well as the ?M3K.

This is his "glamour shot" taken circa 1919 after escaping from French POW camp via Switzerland, getting his PLM but not yet his Pilot's Badge. Signature is printed-- this was one of a series of WW1 "ace" cards from the then-new (1937) NSFK--

More strangely, as the very first co-pilot to cross the Atlantic (and LIVE)-- from WEST TO EAST, 10 to 12 April 1928,

he received the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross at the White House from President Calvin Coolidge!

Lindbergh got all the glory (and a wildly inappropriate Medal of Honor ) but then K?hl was a former ENEMY flyer. So politics ever goes.

Soooooo as Golden Age Of Aviation/WW1 celebrity autographs go....

[Guest Rick Research]

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[arrestanddevelopment]

sorry for the delay more pressing things came up !!!!!!!!!!!! xmas shopping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

steve

?

[arrestanddevelopment]

sorry for the delay more pressing things came up !!!!!!!!!!!! xmas shopping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

steve

Thanks for all your kind help guys !!