Kriegsmarine Award to Luftwaffe Man

[John R.]

more 2

[Tim O.]

Hi John

Here is another naval observer, who went on to be a Staffelkapitän in the Luftwaffe. I have loads of documents and papers to this man but here is his Beobachter licence and a group photo with other naval flyers of 1./106 (he is on the right, standing)

[John R.]

That is a great photo Tim.

John

[Doggie]

Interesting photo.. really useful article

[RS2000]

Hi Tim,

Just recently when doing yet another websearch related to a long time hobby of mine, namely the history of a former German airfield, I stumbled upon this interesting thread and instantly joined this forum.

Is this your man???

Petersen, Werner

GrKFS Faßberg,
2./KGr 126, I./KG 28,
7./KG 53, IV./KG 53,
5./KG 53,
Erg./MSGr 1,
5./MSGr 1,
1./MSGr 1,
258 Feindflüge, 199 MS-Einsätze
Flug 1 am 11.01.1940 - Flug 511 am 08.05.1945

And if so did he end the war with 1./MSGr.1 in Denmark???

Then his Flight Log quite possibly holds the answer to a long sought after question of mine regarding 1./MSGr. 1's whereabouts at the end of WW2, and if so, that would really ad a major brick to my puzzle.

Kind regards
Tom O

[Tim O.]

Hi Tom O and welcome to the Forum.

Thank you for reviving this thread. I had forgotten how much good information was here! The man you describe is the Werner Petersen whose documents I have.

I attach scans of his Flugbuch showing flights until March 1945 based out of Aalborg-West. I do not unfortunately have evidence for the period from March until the war's end in May 1945.

I hope this helps your research. I would be interested in anything you can share relevant to Petersen.

[Tim O.]

...and here is the relevant page from Petersen's Soldbuch showing the last attachments recorded to the end of the war.

[RS2000]

Hi Tim,

You're welcome, and thank you too for your quick reply and additional shared documents! If i read Petersens Soldbuch corectly, he transfers from Erg./MSGr. 1 (6./MSGr. 1) to 5./MSGr. 1 on 29 July 1943 and stays there untill 24 March 1945 when he transfers to 1./MSGr. 1 - where he apparently stays till the end of the war.

Regrettably this also means that the last recorded operational flight in his Flugbuch was with 5./MSGr. 1... Which doesn't help me much...

However, if Petersen stayed with 1./MSGr. 1 till the very end, then he would have ended his war at Feldflugplatz Bötö (Bøtø) in Denmark together with this unit. I do have proof of this unit surrendering at Bøtø, which is also recorded here: http://ww2.dk/air/seefl/msgr1.html
Still I would like to know the exact date of this units transfer to Bøtø, backed by proof from German sources and/or Allied Intel and not just local recollections.

Kind regards

Tom

[Tim O.]

Hi Tom

I will see if I can find any references in Petersen's documents. Unfortunately I have found with the all the documents in my collection that their owners seem to have stopped recording towards the end of the war. I guess they had other things to consider but also that fuel shortages meant flights were becoming rare.

[Tim O.]

Hi Tom

I can find no further references in Petersen's papers to location after those already shown. Have you seen Heinz Nowarra's book on the Mausi units? My German is very poor but from the attached scan I think he says 'On 30 April 1945, in addition to seven transport Ju 52, also seven of MSG 1 (1. Staffel) arrived in Bodo in Denmark. Bodo had been established only in 1944 as a training ground, where among other things, glider flights were conducted.'

I attach the original text. The part I quote is at the top of the page shown.

[RS2000]

Hi Tim,

No worries! But thanks for your search and efforts as for Petersens service history.

Yes, I do know Nowarras book and also have it in my collection, but then again as it lacks any source refferences, and to my knowledge holds several errors, I do not trust it too much; and FTW having been researching the history of Feldflugplatz Bötö (not Bodo as refferred to in the book - Bodo is in Norway...) for about 20 years, I'm not too impressed by the part covering this airfield. But then again I wouldn't expect that level of detail in a general refference book of this kind.

Being a southener (in DK) my German is certainly alright, and the date 30 April 1945 is also refferred to in some Danish sources (on which I believe Nowarras info is based) but I still need some backing of proof from either German and/or Allied sources.

Kind regards
Tom