Kampfgeschwader 55 collection

[Andy F-P]

More great stuff Jim.

[frizz]

Hauptmann Adelbert Karbe's winter flight suit.

Karbe was the St.kpt of 3rd Staffel and the 5th member of KG55 to receive the Knightscross, which was awarded on the 12th of Nov 1941. He saw action in Poland, France, The Low Countries, The Battle of Britian, the Blitz and Russia. He had flown over 250 combat missions. He was transfered to IV gruppe based in Dijon in France, and served on the gruppe stab.
Karbe was killed in action on the night of the 30th/31st of July 1942 while on a mission to Birmingham, flying in a HE111 H-6 number G1+GV. The Heinkel was attacked by a Beaufighter from 604 squadron and shot down and crashed near Weymouth, Dorset.
Haupt. Karbe was to go on leave the next day, and had intended on the return flight from Birmingham to land at an airfield near Berlin and from there go to his home, but unfortunatly he never got there.

Hello Jim,
The picture you show is not Hauptmann Adalbert Karbe - I'm am sure Hair- and eyecolor do not match... I have pics, so contact me if you want.....
Frizz

[jim murray]

Hello Jim,
The picture you show is not Hauptmann Adalbert Karbe - I'm am sure Hair- and eyecolor do not match... I have pics, so contact me if you want.....
Frizz

Hi Frizz
You can send me the photo of Hptm. Karbe at jimkg55@gmail.com
The photo I posted of Karbe was taken from the Luftwaffe mag. "The Adler"
It was in the list of the latest Knightscross winners. I've posted a photo of the page. But do send me your photo I would be very interested in seeing it.
Jim

[jim murray]

Sorry for not having posted any thing for so long, my computer crashed last September, and I only got a new laptop this weekend. BUt I've some nice pieces to show, I'll start off with an interesting soldbuch which I picked up recently.
It's to a Gefr. Oskar Restemeier an air gunner with 3rd staffel KG55 who was Killed on the opening day of the atttack on Russia 22nd of June 1941. He was originally a member of KG1 Hindenburg, he was awarded the EK II and saw action in the Battle of Britain.

[jim murray]

As an early soldbuch it dose not have a photo of him.

[jim murray]

Pages 8,9,20 and 21

[jim murray]

Page 23 and 24 note the award of the EK II

[Andy F-P]

Jim,
I am looking forward to seeing the new items you have accumulated over the last 4-5 months. Do you only collect things directly related to KG55 now?
Best regards,
Andy

[jim murray]

Jim,
I am looking forward to seeing the new items you have accumulated over the last 4-5 months. Do you only collect things directly related to KG55 now?
Best regards,
Andy

Hi Andy,
Yes, but also anything relating to KG155 and I and II gruppe of KG254 which were both the earlier designations of KG55. I'm lucky enough to have one or two soldbuchs/wehrpasses to airmen have been in all three designations.
Jim

[jim murray]

Here's a very unique and one off addition to my KG55 collection, I picked up recently. It's an original charcoal drawing of Oberst Alois Stoeckl, the second Geschwaderkommodore of KG55, he was kommodore from the 3rd of March 1940 to the 14th of August 1940, when he was killed while acting as observer to Oblt. Bruno Brossler on an attack on RAF Middle Wallop, their HE111 G1+AA was shot down by spitfires from 609 squadron. The Heinkel came down at Dean Hill, Romsey, in Hampshire.
Oberst Stoeckl was awarded the Knightscross on the 4th of July 1940. The drawing was probabaly done between the 4th July and the 14th August, it came from a family member and had never been in a frame, it also came in it's original tube. It's a good size 57cm by 45cm. [The shine at the top of the drawing is not a mark, it's just a reflection from the camera flash]

[JeremyJ]

..

Great find Jim!!!

Nice addition to your KG55 collection.

Jeremy

[jim murray]

My christmas present to myself, "Fury of Assault" a limited edition print by Robert Taylor showing Heinkel 111s of KG55 on a night raid to London in 1941, it also depicts a Hurricane night fighter trying to intercept the bombers.
The print is signed by four members of KG55, Oblt.Joachin Berking DKiG winner, Uffz. Walter Bogdan, Oblt. Karl-Horst Meyer zum Felde DKiG winner and Oblt. Heinrich Sudel DKiG and Knightscross Winner. The print is also signed by Flight Lieutenant Roy Daines DFC a Hurricane night fighter pilot, as well as the artist Robert Taylor. This photo dose not do the print justice.

[Bob Lyons]

Love this thread Jim


Bob

[Andy F-P]

Nice additons Jim and it was great catching up with you the other day.
Best regards,
Andy

[jim murray]

Another nice set I picked up during the summer, thanks to another forum member. It consists of an original wartime photo of a III Gruppe He111 with a dedication to Hapt. Walter Traub by Otl Wolfgang Queisner, the photo is also signed by Queisner. Walter Traub was Gruppenkommandeure of I gruppe KG55 from 2/5/1943 to 20/10/1943 and Wolfgang Queisner was Gruppenkommandeure of III Gruppe KG55 from 8/9/1942 to5/5/1943.
Both airmen were members of the KG55 veterans assocation after the war.
The other item in the set is a pocket diary for the year 1941 belonging to Walter Traub in which he has recorded 27 combat missions and the dates when he received his EK II and I, it's like a mini flugbuch.