Lt. d. R. Max(imilian) Traun

[hh41]

Hi all,

My first post and starting with a question:

Lt. d. R. Dr. phil. Max Traun, born in Bonn 17/7/1884, was shot down by Slt. Georges Guynemer on 10/11/1916 near Cerisy/Somme. At the time he was with the Feldflieger-Abteilung 59. He and his observer Lt. Walter Groll perished. Could anyone please help me with some details of Traun's military career? I am mystified as to how and when he became a pilot and how he earned his EK2.

Regards all and here is hoping,

Geoff

 

 

[arb]

Geoff,

Welcome to GMIC!  As I am not an air force guy, I'll leave it to the experts to provide details on his air force "career."  I can say that he was promoted to Leutn.d.Landw. I. (Landwehrbezirk Frankfurt .M.) on 28.121914 while serving with Füs. R. 90.

 

Andy

[Dave Danner]

I don't have any further detail on his military career, but here is the bio from his doctoral dissertation:

[hh41]

Thank you very much Andy and Dave!

That helps me a lot. I was asking as I came across jaba1914's post in Sept. 2009 providing details of Lt. Heldmann's military service. He and Traun apparently served both at the same time in FFA 59. They certainly would have known each other as these units were only small, 6 planes each.

Cheers,

Geoff

[hh41]

Thank you very much Andy and Dave!

That helps me a lot. I was asking as I came across jaba1914's post in Sept. 2009 providing details of Lt. Heldmann's military service. He and Traun apparently served both at the same time in FFA 59. They certainly would have known each other as these units were only small, 6 planes each.

Cheers,

Geoff

[hh41]

Sorry all, that was an unintended double-up, don't know how to delete it. My intention was to ask a follow-up question:

Does anyone know where the FFA 59 was stationed in November 1916? This unit possibly used the same airfield as Jasta 3 as a Feldwebel Schwarz of Jasta 3 took off at the same time as Traun and Groll in their Albatros C - as an escort (just speculating)?

Cheers and thanks,

Geoff

[Soderbaum]

Hi Geoff

FFA 59 and Jasta 3 served within two different Armies in Nov 1916. FFA 59 was within 1 Army (Gruppe D) and I have the unit at Nauroy in mid Nov 1916.

So any connection between these two flying units are very unlikely but not completely impossible.

Gunnar

[hh41]

Hi Gunnar,

Thank you for that! That Traun and Schwarz took off simultaneously is based on a summary of a report that Abteilungsleiter Hptm. Lohmann produced and dated 17/11/1916. Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of the actual report. 

I only recently started researching the air war of that period but find that there was a lot of shifting personnel and planes around which makes tracing individuals quite difficult. 

Cheers,

Geoff

[Soderbaum]

oops, I stand corrected.

I mixed up the later FAA 259 with FAA 269, both units had their origin in FFA 26/FFA 26a. FFA 26a later became FFA 59 then FAA 269 and it served within the same Army as Jasta 3 in Nov 1916. So the report by Lohmann is rather certain correct.

Gunnar

[hh41]

Hi Gunnar,

Thanks again! Is Nauroy still the airfield they would have taken off from? The summary I mentioned doesn't give a name.

Cheers,

Geoff

[Soderbaum]

No, Nauroy was the airfield for FFA 26.  FFA 59 was probably located near Jasta 3 during this period but I dont knew the location for their airfield.

Gunnar

[Mattyboy]

Hi all, I used to have an aerial photo from FFA 59 dated October 1916. It showed an area named Flaucourt.
So they would have been operating somewhere in this region....

[hh41]

Thank you both, Gunnar and Mattyboy, for your replies. Flaucourt was in French hands at that time. Did that aerial photo also name the observer who took it, often noted on the margins I think?

Cheers, 

Geoff