Small WP grouping to a 'blackman' from JG5

[Simon O.]

Just got this nice little WP grouping today, i'm particularly pleased with it for a number of reasons as i'll explain.

Here we go, Fred Voss, a Berliner



He joined the LW in July 1940, after 2 months basic he was sent to technical school to become an air mechanic, some 6 months later he's qualified and is sent to fliegerhorstskompanie 13 operating in Finland. Then in July 1942 he's transfered to the newly re-formed 9 Staffel of JG5 based at Petsamo in the very far North of Finland (today it's part of Russia). Around this time the 9th staffel had a future ace amongst it's pilots would become one of the handful of 'experten' to score over 200 kills, Walter Schuck. In Feb.43 he's moved over to the gruppe stabs kompanie, still at Petsamo at the time.





His training, mechanic, precision mechanic, clerk (a secondary trade?) and unteroffizier lehrgang. At the bottom you'll see the award of his trade patch, worn on the lower left sleeve, Fliegertechnisches personal i believe it is.




Promotions and awards. He ended the war as an Oberfeldwebel, a KVKII and Lapplandschild were his only decorations. Worthy of note is the signing officer of his promotion to obergefreiter, it's the staffelkapitän of 9./JG5 at the time Wulf Widowitz, DKiG and 36 kill ace.

[Simon O.]

In 1944 he underwent a medical to assess his suitability for flying training, although he passed he didn't get to fly, perhaps he was too good a mechanic to lose? On the left you see his hospitalisation after the end of the war for a blood disorder, the hospital being Ortslazarett Dombås in central Norway




Then at the back of the WP is this little note, something you see on pretty much all 'norwegian' SB and WP confirming the entries are correct and in this case signed by the GruppenKommandeur of III./JG5, Hauptmann Franz Dörr, RK and 128 victory ace
http://www.luftwaffe.cz/dorr.html



Along with it came his POW tag


his Lappland shield



and a Nordfront cross

[Panzer Rob]

Simon-

That's a super little grouping you've got there! Great job with the pictures and descriptions. I really enjoyed reading through this one

Thanks for sharing,
Rob

[Larry deZeng]

Very interesting documents.

However, there is one correction that I would like to make. He was not in Fliegerhorstkompanie 13 but rather Werftkompanie d.Lw. 13/III (FpN: L 36624). I have no details on its earlier history, but I know that in May 1943 it moved from North Finland to Kjevik/S Norway and then in September 1943 to Lista airfield in South Norway. It was still at Lista in June 1944 and responsible for the servicing of two Bf 109 Staffeln belonging to IV./JG 5. Its Chef at the time was a Hptm. Ratzak (possibly misspelled and actually Hptm. Wilhelm Ratzke).
[Source: PWIS report XL10712 in NARA WashDC Record Group 226].

--BHS1956

[Simon O.]

Very interesting documents.

However, there is one correction that I would like to make. He was not in Fliegerhorstkompanie 13 but rather Werftkompanie d.Lw. 13/III (FpN: L 36624). I have no details on its earlier history, but I know that in May 1943 it moved from North Finland to Kjevik/S Norway and then in September 1943 to Lista airfield in South Norway. It was still at Lista in June 1944 and responsible for the servicing of two Bf 109 Staffeln belonging to IV./JG 5. Its Chef at the time was a Hptm. Ratzak (possibly misspelled and actually Hptm. Wilhelm Ratzke).
[Source: PWIS report XL10712 in NARA WashDC Record Group 226].

--BHS1956

Thanks, i confess i was making an educated guess that it said 'horsts' or 'fl.horsts' and was then too lazy to cross check the FP.Nr. I owe you a virtual beer for that one!

[Andy F-P]

Very nice Simon. The first I have seen for a JG5 ground crewman.
I think documents to 'Blackmen' are often overlooked due to the glamour of their pilot brothers but where would they have been without the hard work of these chaps.
Regards,
Andy

[Simon O.]

Very nice Simon. The first I have seen for a JG5 ground crewman.
I think documents to 'Blackmen' are often overlooked due to the glamour of their pilot brothers but where would they have been without the hard work of these chaps.
Regards,
Andy

Exactly, these are the guys that kept the aircraft of the aces in the air. In fact in Mombeek's 'Eismeerjäger' he quotes Schuck praising his own 'blackman' and commenting on how important it was to have a good mechanic. Makes me wonder if this guy worked on the aircraft of the likes of Schuck, Ehrler or Weissenberger.