Best of both worlds
Ok guys, check this out. Here we have a 1st SS LAH man, but look closer, isnt that a Luft clasp on his tunic, and look even closer...a Pilot badge! Opinions, comments, and general information most welcome...
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Accidentally offending people on the internet since 1997
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Ex Luftwaffe SS man? So was Heydrich and I'm sure they weren't alone. Odd that it's not an air force chap flying the Storch though - even if it is in the army co-op role. What is unusual is the SS div badge on the aircraft, which technically makes it a non-airforce aeroplane. He's obviously the P/O too.
So, did the LAH have it's own private flying club? Probably taken late war, when the niceties of administration were outweighed by pragmatic necessity as things went pear shaped! Nice pic. -
Great eyes Tony. Youre right,it is a Fieseler Fi 15 "Storch". I am thinking this is some type of plane to courier the big wigs around, bring Sepp to the front, things like that? Were these planes used in recon roles?
Accidentally offending people on the internet since 1997
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Great pic, Mark. Where did you get it? In Davis' book "Uniforms and Insignia of the Luftwaffe Vol.II" on page 102 there's a photo of a Luftwaffe officer wearing an Adolf Hitler cuff title. He's not wearing a pilot badge, but is wearing an EK1 and Spanish Cross with swords. If you have any more pics like this I for one would love to see them.WAF LIFE COACHComment
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The Fiesler Fi156 Storch was used for virtually everything! But mainly for liaison, communications, artillery spotting, recon, unit hack.... and ferrying Sepp about. It was this type that Skorzeny used for getting Mussolini off the mountain. It can land on - and take off on a dime. In headwinds they were known to take off vertically!
A very hard act to follow - design wise.
http://www.german-militaria.co.uk/lufteagle39.htmComment
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Gene
Sorry to say, but this isnt my picture. It belongs to Bill Stump, and he was kind enough to let me share it here.
[ 09 September 2001: Message edited by: M. Schroeder ]
Accidentally offending people on the internet since 1997
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This seems like an easy one to me. The plane and pilot were attached to 1st LAH. Just like it was surmised, likely used in a reconnaisance role and to ferry around big wigs. Good bet again that it was the private pilot of a divisional commander. I know other big generals had pilots/planes attached to them for basically the entire war(Hermann Hoth for example).
Beautiful photo!Comment
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G'day
That photo is reproduced in Benders book Uniforms, Organisation and History of the Waffen SS vol 2, ps 77. The caption reads "a Waffen SS pilot sitting on strut of a reconnaissance plane from Fliegerstaffel 1 SS-Pz Korps LSSAH.
Scott
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I think he was a bit more then just a taxi driver as he is wareing a Recon. Flying Clasp. jnobleComment
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Hello,
Gruppenfuhrer Theodor Eicke, commanding the 3d SS-Panzer-Division 'Totenkopf', was killed in action 26 February 1943 when his Storch was shot down near Orelka during the German counter-offensive after Stalingrad. He was trying to locate the 3d SS Panzer Regiment which had been out of contact with the Division HQ for sometime when his aircraft strayed over a Soviet position.
As an aside, Agte's book on Peiper shows a LAH NCO wearing a Luftwaffe Paratrooper's badge - having, we are told, transferred in to the LAH from the fallschirmjaegers.
Cheers,
MikeComment
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He is NOT Sepp's pilot. Sepp, unbenounced to most, flew most of his own hops to and from. When he didn't fly to craft (bored, work whatever) his pilot was Max Werner, this ain't him, so if he is a big wig fligher, he doesn't belong to Dietrich.
KevinComment
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G'day
Bill says that this photo is from the US National Archives, where Roger Bender also got it.
ScottComment
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