Fallschirmkampfbeobachter

[Eric Queen]

Can anyone help clarify the role of the Fallschirmkampfbeobachter? I haven't been able to find much information regarding these people.

Thanks

[Ian Jewison]

Eric,
I have a Soldbuch to a Leutnant that qualified the same as Fallschirmkampfbeobachter. Prior to this he was a member of a Kampfgeschwader as Beobachter and transferred to the Fallschirm arm early 1944.
I thought the role was much the same as our Parachute "Pathfinder" platoons. In this role operations included reconnaissance, location and marking of drop zones , tactical landing and glider landing zones.
or
Could he be actual Bobachter (Observer) for Luftlande operations! i.e. he would be the actual observer in the glider on air ops!
After thinking about it pathfinder is acually "Pfadfinder"....I have never found any concrete evidence on the role!!!!
/Ian

[Ian Tannahill]

Greetings,

Approximately twelve months ago I bought a small group of documents that once belonged to Gefreiter Johannes Schmidt, including his Wehrpass, Flugbuch and certificate for the Iron Cross, second class.

Apart from a brief period between 6 April, 1944 and 20 May, 1944 when he served with the 5th Kompanie of the Fallsch. Pz. Jg. Abt. 2, Schmidt served with various transport glider units from 1 August, 1940 to 24 September, 1944.

What is particularly interesting is that Schmidt was awarded the Fallschirmschutzenabzeichen.

Can anyone explain why a person who was jump qualified spent most of the war assigned to a transport glider unit flying aboard Ju 52's? Was Schmidt an airborne combat observer or a jumpmaster?

I look forward to reading your comments.

All the best,

Ian

[Prosper Keating]

You could check through his flugbuch and see if many of his training flights originated from places where Luftwaffe parachute schools were located. This could indicate that he was a PJI or Parachute Jump Instructor, as we call them in the British Army. This might not show up if he was posted to his unit as a PJI but he would have completed an instructor course at some stage, requiring a couple of months - like the para course - at one of the parachute schools like Stendal, or perhaps even in France. Which could show up. As a PJI, he would have been a dispatcher or 'Air Load Master' as well, hence the number of flights when he didn't jump himself.

Prosper K