Major Georg Paul Neumann - Fliegertruppe

[Mattyboy]

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone has any info. about this man (DOB, service record, promotion dates etc.). All I know is that he was the (first?) commander of AFA 214/FAA 214 and later wrote the book "Die Deutschen Luftstreitkrafte Im Weltkriege."

Thanks a lot,

Matt.

[Glenn J]

Matt,

Georg Christian Paul Neumann, born 14 April 1878 in Danzig. Entered Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 19 as an aspirant officer (Avantageur) on 1 October 1896. Promoted to Portepee-Fähnrich on 20.5.1897 and commissioned as a Sekonde-Lieutenant 27.1.1898 (g7g). He was detached to Eisenbahn-Regiment Nr. 3 between 1 October 1902 and 30 September 1903 and attached to the Luftschiffer-Bataillon between 1 October 1903 and 30 September 1904. He attended the Kriegsakademie from 2 October 1905 to 21 July 1908 being promoted to Oberleutenant on 27.7.1908. He was furloughed to form and lead the airship establishment at Friedrichshafen from 1 October 1909 to 30 September 1911 and the airship pilots' school at Adlershof, Berlin from 1 October 1911 to 30 September 1912. He retired from the army on 26 October 1912 with the character of Hauptmann.

Regards

Glenn

[Soderbaum]

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

[Mattyboy]

Hi Glenn & Gunnar,

Great info. I had no idea that his connection with the air-force went back so far.

Was his date of promotion to Hauptmann the same as the date of his retirement?

He may have been assigned to the command of an Armee-Flugpark or a Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung after leaving AFA 214.

I wonder if there was any stipulation about the maximum age of a FFA leader during the war....?

Thanks for bringing this interesting character back to life.

Matt.

[Daniel Krause]

Hello,

as far as I know he was recipient of the EK2, Reuss Honor Cross 3rd class with swords, White Falcon knight 2nd class with swords and the Austrian Military Merit Cross with war decoration.

Lots of greetings

Daniel

[Mattyboy]

Hi Daniel,

Sounds like a very interesting medal grouping / combo.

Thanks a lot!

[Soderbaum]

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

[Mattyboy]

Hi Gunnar,

Thanks for the added info. I thought I'd ask because I saw a document from AFP 8 (attached), signed by a Hauptmann a.D.

But this was the only one that I have seen which was not signed by an active officer, or a d.R.

Unfortunately I can't make out the name of this Hauptmann a.D.

Best regards,

Matt.

[Soderbaum]

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

Edited February 1, 2014 by Soderbaum

[Mattyboy]

Hi Gunnar,

Good to know. Thanks for the name too.

Regards,

Matt.

[Soderbaum]

Hi, I am coming back regarding this thread.

 

Does anyone knew when and where Georg Paul Neumann died ?

 

Gunnar

[Deutschritter]

Neumann seemed to have stayed Direktor der Luftfahrerschule until 1918, at the same time commanding Flieger-Abteilungen and being "Adjutant der Inspektion der Fliegertruppen". He wrote a lot, but sadly not much about himself.

 

[Deutschritter]

He wasn't just an author, but also a publisher: