Possible identification on badge

[Rich G]

I received this badge yesterday and I didn't realise that it had a name scratched on the back until I was examining it closely.

On the left side of the wreath is scratched Hauck K. Not a common name so I thought I'd run it through the RK and DKiG winners lists. Nothing in the RK list but it does pop up in the DKiG list.

I know it's a long shot but who really knows but just maybe this badge belonged to :

Lt Karl Hauck 2(H)/AG 12 DKiG 17.04.1943

I cannot yet read what is scratched on the other side.

Rich

[Simon O.]

Hi Richard

Seeing as it's a radio operators and air gunners badge i would have thought it more to likely have belonged to an NCO and much less likely to have belonged to a DK holder or above.

Quite a few K. Hauck's turn up on the war graves database too.

[Ian Jewison]

There is a good possibility that this is the correct person. Karl Hauck was a Beobachter.....he could well have been an aerial gunner, on promotion officer's could do this role, however they were not expected to be just air gunners, so they were also trained as observers.

I did not know this until a few years ago as I have a group to a gunner witg Kgr. 100, on promotion to Lt. he started Beobachter training.....when I querried this with a RKT from his unit he said this was correct as no Officers could be gunners, even though they would carry out this job!!!

/Ian

[Rich G]

Guys,

I know the chances are slim but one thing I was thinking (regardless if this is the guy or not) he could have risen through the ranks and started out as an gunner. Then later, through promotion, moved into a different speciality as Ian mentions, for example, observer.

What I'm trying to say is just because one ended up a Lt. most likely he started in the enlisted ranks so it shouldn't be discounted that he couldn't have been qualified as a gunner at some point earlier on?

I wish I could read the rest of what's on the wreath. Maybe a few better photographs will help me.

@Ian : Do you have more info on this Karl Hauck ?

Rich

[Simon O.]

The only way to be sure is to eliminate any other LW aircrew named K.Hauck.

Would be interesting to see what's on the other side, looks like K K to me?

[Ian Jewison]

I have no further info on Hauck, however he looks like a typical mid war officer after 18 months (max 2 years!) of serving in the ranks...this was normal for Kriegsoffizier.

So as a NCO he would have completed aerial gunner training.....on promotion to Lt. he would become a Beobachter.

If he was a war officer then his rank structure would be:

Flieger
Fahnenjünker-Gefreiter
Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier
Fähnrich
Oberfähnrich
Leutnant (normally 12 months after being promoted Fhj.-Gefr., sometimes later by 2 months but back dated)

During this time he would mostly have been on training courses, maybe a short period of combat experience......

An example of the Soldbuch award page I have to Lt. Büsges can be found towards the bottom of this page:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/war_..._documents.htm
clearly both qualification badges can be seen.


/Ian

[Rich G]

Ian


Thanks for the additional info.

I have tried all afternoon to try to decipher the text. The best I can come up with at the moment is:

K R o _ l e
or
K R a _ l e

[Ian Jewison]

Sorry Rich,

I do have a little more info:

Leutnant Karl Hauck, Beobachter
Ehrenpokal am 08.02.43

/Ian

[Rich G]

Ian, thanks again for all the additional info!

Rich

[nilles]

mysterious inscriptions

Hi

I would say that there are two words , meaning I
would read the "e" as an "&" symbol

KR .. l & ...

Brgds

Paul

Ian


Thanks for the additional info.

I have tried all afternoon to try to decipher the text. The best I can come up with at the moment is:

K R o _ l e
or
K R a _ l e

[Rich G]

Paul

For some time I had thought it an '&' as well but when examined with a loupe it becomes clearer that it looks more like a badly executed 'E'. It's so difficult to get a clear picture of it and you can only see the letters from a certain angle. Very frustrating!!

Thanks for your input though.

Rich

[Rolf D.]

Make a light pencil rubbing of it if that is possible! Also, it could be the names of his fellow crew members perhaps?