Kampfgeschwader 55 collection

[Ian Jewison]

Just for you Jim......

Major Heinz Höfer EL, II Gruppenkommandeur and Hautpmann Schmidt DKiG 5 Staffelkapitän, 8.7.1944.

/Ian

[jim murray]

Hi Ian,
Just love the headgear, all official TR no doubt.

[Ian Jewison]

Jim,

I'm not sure if the Schmidt in the photo is actually Werner Schmidt RK. I only have his surname on the back of the photo and of course Wolff flew with him so he is listed in his Flugbuch.
There were only 2 officers called Schmidt to receive the DK with KG 55....both ended up with RK. The other being Franz RK 19.8.1943, were Werner was uncannily exactly one year later 19.8.1944!

Schmidt, Franz. Oberleutnant
III./Kampf-Geschwader 55
14.11.1942 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
19.8.1943 Ritterkreuz

Schmidt, Werner. Oberleutnant
7./Kampf-Geschwader 55
31.8.1943 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
As Hauptmann
9./Kampf-Geschwader 55
19.8.1944 Ritterkreuz

Unless he came from another unit with the DK and has nothing higher but he does look similar to Werner but I do not have many photos to hand at the moment.

/Ian

[jim murray]

This was the third KG55 item I added to my collection. A document group to an Oberfeldwebel Bruno Kuhn a flight engineer with 6<SUP>th</SUP> Staffel KG55, He was killed along with the rest of his crew (Lt. Hans Lutz, Ogfr. Kurt Klenkens, Ogfr. Johann Butje and Gfer Heinrich Riemer) on the 22<SUP>nd</SUP> of June 1941, the opening day of operation Barbarossa the invasion of the Soviet Union. He saw lot of service before the war, receiving his Luftwaffe 4 year service award in October 1936 while he was at Fliegerschule Furth 2. (techn) Kompanie, and the March 1938 medal (annexation of Austria) while serving with Kampfgeschwader 158, the October 1938 medal and spange (annexation of the Sudetenland) while with the Stapstaffel of Kampfgeschwader 76, in December 1939 he was awarded the EKII, and the EKI on the 12<SUP>th</SUP> of November 1940 while with 6<SUP>th</SUP> Staffel KG55 and the spange in Bronze on the 13<SUP>th</SUP> of April 1941, He would have seen service in the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. The group consists of all the documents for the above awards plus the letter sent to his wife from his staffelkapitan Oblt. Steffen informing her that her husband was missing in action, I’ve had this letter and two others translated, the group also contains a large amount of correspondence between his wife and officials concerning the loss of her husband, these continue post war and contain correspondences with the Soviets. KG55 lost 7 aircraft and crews on the opening day of operation Barbarossa, I have three document groups to members of KG55 who were killed on that day. <O</O

[jim murray]

Bruno Kuhn's October 38 medal with Prague castle spange.

[jim murray]

His Bordschuzen document (air gunners badge)

[jim murray]

His EKII and EKI documents signed by Generalmajor Bruno Loerzer and Generalfeldmarschall Hugo Spreele.

[jim murray]

His Frontflug~Spange in Bronze signed by Geschwaderkommodore Otl. Benno Kosch.

[jim murray]

Letter to Frau Kuhn from Oblt. Steffen informing her that her husbend was MIA.

[jim murray]

A letter to Mrs Kuhn from Heinrich Stegelmeyer.

[jim murray]

What look like a number of combined letters form families of other crewmembers to Mrs Kuhn

[jim murray]

Another piece of correspondence relating to the loss of her husband

[jim murray]

Again not a new one, Hauptmann Adelbert Karbe what he might have looked in the winter of 1941/42. The flight suit is Karbe’s, the map case is marked to I Gruppe KG155 and the wrist compass belonged to Oberfeldwebel Otto Lichtinger of 1<SUP>st</SUP> and 2<SUP>nd</SUP> staffel KG55. The rest of the items are not attributed to any unit.<O</O

[jim murray]

..

[jim murray]

This group has got to be possibly the most complete document group I have come across. I thought long and hard about it, before I bought it as it was not cheap, but I think it was worth it. It is to the highly decorated Oberfeldwebel Paul Decker, he was a flight engineer with 2<SUP>nd</SUP> Staffel of I Gruppe KG55. His awards include the Kreta cuff title, the Honour Goblet, the Frontflug Spange in Gold with pendent for 300 combat missions and the DKiG. Paul Decker started his war flying with Kampfgruppn z.b.V.60, a transport unit flying the Ju52. He saw action in the invasion of Greece and was awarded the EKII for his involvement in dropping paratroopers to capture the bridges over the Corinth Canal on the 26<SUP>th</SUP> of April 41. He went on to see action in operation Mercury the invasion of Crete, again he was involved in dropping paratroopers, but also in ferrying in mountaintroops, and crashed landed twice on Malemes airfield, the first time sustaining 20% damage to the aircraft the second time the aircraft 90% damaged and was a write off. After the Crete campaign he went back to Germany for training and on returning active service went to Kampfgruppn z.b.V.5 as z.b.V.60 were dispended as they had sustained very high losses during the invasions of Greece and Crete. Kampfgruppn z.b.V.5 flew the He111 and were very active in Russia, and were heavily involved in the resupply of the troops encircled in the Damjansk and the Cholm pockets. Paul flew on these missions and was wounded during one of these flights on the 2th of May 42, but according to his Flugbuch (log book) did not stop flying, but was awarded the wound badge in black. He was awarded the EKI for his involvement in the resupply of Stalingrad. Z.V.b.5 were redesigned I Gruppe KG55 on the 1<SUP>st</SUP> May 43. Paul Decker flew with KG55 for the remainder of the war, he flew over 252 combat missions, but received 53 extra points for very risky operations, particularly those during the Greece and Crete campaign, which enabled him to receive the Frontflug Spange in Gold with 300 pendent. He was awarded the EKII, EKI, Frontflug Spange in Bronze, Silver, Gold, Gold with 200 pendent and Gold with 300 pendent, Wound Badge in Black, Krete-Armelband, the Honour Goblet, and the German Cross in Gold. The group consists of all the above award documents plus the documents for the air ginners badge, Shooting lanyard II Class, a promotion document from Unteroffizer to Feldwebel, document requesting the award of Frontflug Spange in Bronze plus a supporting document, the group also has his Soldbuch, Luftwaffe ID, two Rollschein (licence to move aircraft on the ground), and a number of photographs. <O</O