Luftwaffe Kroatian Pilot?

[GdC26]

I'm posting this pic courtesy of Francois Saez.

When posted on another forum, this pic created something of a heated (and rather speculative) debate around the (nationality of) the pilot depicted. What are we, in fact, looking at?

Views invited.

Regards,

Sandro

Edited April 6, 2008 by GdC26

[François SAEZ]

Thanks Sandro

Interesting but let start with a larger scan

[François SAEZ]

Now the back who may (or may not) answer questions like: "Is the pilot Kroatian or German?"

Translation provided by our friend Rick Research

Zum Andenken an

Kroatien

von Deinem

Jungen

Wil(s?)

(place obscured by glue), 22.10.44

In memory of

Croatia

from your

(this is either LITERALLY "young" or son in the sense of "kid")

Wil(s?)

(place obscured), 22.10.44

Why write in German if you are Croatian?

* To note/look at the guy in back with his shoulder strap falling off

[Gene]

I believe the guy is German. He's an officer candidate and wearing what looks like a private purchase leather jacket with the Croatian shield on the wrong sleeve, and no Croatian pilot badge. The shield could have been an honorary award rather than one denoting where he came from.

Edited April 6, 2008 by Gene

[François SAEZ]

Now, speaking of the position of the badges, I believe that like all foreign badges there us the official regulation/propaganda and the field application

Some pics to illustrate

From the archives of ECPA

[François SAEZ]

on the same subject a wartime book (1943) provides many good photos

[François SAEZ]

1

[François SAEZ]

2

[GdC26]

In view of the writing on the back, and the absence of a croatian pilot badge as note by Gene, I consider it quite likely that Gene is right.

Regards,

Sandro

[François SAEZ]

but personnal and "field" photos can show different applications; as Sandro correctly mentioned in the begining of the thread, no speculation needed

[François SAEZ]

2

[Snoopy]

My theory is that he is a german pilot, attached to one of the kroatian flying units.

Snoopy

[Scott]

Great photos Francois. Can you identify the cufftitle in the top photo of post #7?

Thanks!

Scott

[Snoopy]

Great photos Francois. Can you identify the cufftitle in the top photo of post #7?

Thanks!

Scott

It looks like the officer version, of the "Kriegsberichter der Luftwaffe" cufftitle. The officer's camera is peeking out of his trouser pocket.

Snoopy

Edited April 6, 2008 by Snoopy

[Jos Le Conté]

Think bottomline is that the pilot just added the non-luftwaffe Croation cloth badge to his non-luftwaffe regulation jacket the way he liked it..

It also looks like he's wearing a L of Lehr Geschwader on his shoulderstraps ?

Nice and rare pics !

Jos.

Edited April 7, 2008 by Jos Le Cont

[Colin Davie]

Why write in German if you are Croatian?

How is it known the guy with the leather jacket is the one that wrote on the back? maybe the other of the 2 sent the photo back home.

C