How could you get these medals as a German observator?

[AOK4]

Hello,

Is there anyone here who could tell how a German observator could get the 'Beobachter-Abzeichen' (did he have to have flown a certain amount of hours or missions?) and the 'Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern'?

Jan

[Daniel Krause]

Hi Jan,

I think the observer badge is nothing else than a qualification badge and not like the WW2 stickpins awarded for whatever hours at the front.

The Hohenzollern? Why not? Maybe he shot down some planes or observed something really important ... Not only the Heros like Richthofen got these awards.

Best regards

Daniel

[JensF.]

Usually the observer had a training as "Bordschütze" too.
The badge was awarded after the successful completion of the aircraft-observer training like the pilot badge.

[AOK4]

Hello,

Well the guy I am referring to (see another thread by me for his picture) got the Beobachter-Abzeichen on 6.9.1918, but he was active in several units since 15.9.1917...
The Hohenzollern medal is a real mystery: Walter Enders can't be found in either the books of O'Neill nor the list of recipients by Willi Geile...

Jan

[Daniel Krause]

I would not so much worry for the Hohenzollern.
There are not all recipients known. Geile and the other guys who wrote list could only list which names they could find. Geile even mentioned that he found some just from pictures; no paper trail in every case survived.

Best regards

Daniel

[Rick Research]

There seems to have been some "front line service" time requirement for the aviation badges, but I don't know what. Neal O'Connor's books are full of cases where a flyer got an EK2 or even an EK1 BEFORE getting the relevant pilot or observer badge.

Hohenzollerns were awarded rather like a German Cross in WW2: for multiple, repeated deeds in action. Long long hard flying missions were counted for cumulative worthiness. Given the average life expectancy of a WW1 flyer, that was as much a "Survivor's Cross" as anything.

The Prussian HHOX List published by Autenfruber is only as complete as what the Militär-Wochenblatt published, which is not anywhere near the total numbers. Be aware too, that the dates listed in that volume are of the issue of the MWB that the award was gazetted in, and NOT the actual award date as found on documents, which can be weeks before the MWB date.

Prussians, and especially Reserve Officers, are the WORST to try to research!

[WNickel]

a typical observer group

..here is my little observer group...

[Erich B.]

observer's set

Great grouping!
Erich

[JensF.]

Ja, gut so Werner! Gibs uns so richtig!!!