Looking for info on Luft Oberst Wittich DKiS Quartiermeister Luftflotte VIII Breslau!

[kaiserwilhelm2]

Hi Guys,

picked up a very nice photoalbum of Oberst Wittich with pics of him in France, Russia and probably Breslau.

What I know of Oberst Wittich is that he:

- was born on November 7th, 1895
- started the war as a major and ended it as a colonel
- he was decorated with: EK I + II in WWI and received one other decoration which I unfortunately can not decipher from his ribbon bar. He also has a wound badge and a WWI Bavarian Beobachterabzeichen. In the nazi era he received at least two Wehrmacht long service medals, what appears to be the Sudetenland medal, the Wiederholungsspange for the EKII, the Luft Beobachterabzeichen, the War Merrit Cross I + II and the DKiS (as the pics are black and white and he has the War Merrit Cross I assume the German Cross is in Silver).
- I believe he was at some point later in the war Quartermaster of Luftflotte VIII in Breslau.

The fact that he was awarded the German Cross in Silver makes Oberst Wittich one of only a handfull of people that was awarded this quite rare medal. What is also interesting that Wittich is not listed in the only book I know of that lists the wearers of the German Cross in Silver (Scheibert - Die Traeger des deutschen Kreuzes).

Can anyone please tell me anything more about Oberst Wittich? Or if some one has anyother items of Wittich please get in touch with me. Help as always appreciated. Enjoy the pics.

Cheers, W

[kaiserwilhelm2]

2

[Elwyn]

He was not in Patzwell/Scherzer either. You probably meant Luftgau Kmdo VIII Breslau/Krakau/Cosel/Prag as there was no Luftflotte VIII. ObQM was GenMj Siegfried Kahl 01.09.39 - 28.02.44

Cheers
Elwyn

[VtwinVince]

Interesting photos. I believe the second medal on the ribbon bar is the Bavarian Military Merit Cross.

[kaiserwilhelm2]

Hi Vince and Elwyn,

yes both of you are right: Luftgau VIII and MVO. Thanks also to Pierce for pointing out the latter. Oberst Wittich may have been the Qa 2 of Luftgau VIII as I also have a birthday order (a form of military humor) that mentions him as Qa 2 but at that time he was still in France and therefore not with Luftgau VIII in Breslau. I am posting 2 more pics of him in a command group that - if the chronology of the photoalbum is correct - was taken in 1940 in either Germany or more likely in the West (most probably France). Can anyone identify the command or specific individuals? Wittich in both pics is on the right is the second row either in between the first and second general from the righ or to the right of the Arbeitsdienst general.

Cheers, W

[Elwyn]

The first of two pics was Luftgau Kmdo Belgien Nordfrankreich. Kmdr in the middle was Gen d Flieger Wilhelm Wimmer.

First gen on right was Luftgau Intendant Gen Int Dr Friedrich Eder

Working on the others.

Cheers
Elwyn

[Elwyn]

In second row slightly to the left (from our perspective) of Wimmer was oberst/GenMj Kurt Mälzer, Kmdr of Air Equipment GRroup of this Luftgau. He was later dubbed the "King of Rome" when assigned to Italy.

Cheers
Elwyn

[Elwyn]

Man between Wimmer and Eder was GenMj Walter Franz, NaFü Luftgau Kmdo Belgien Nordfrankreich. This put the pic back to before 19.11.41 which was when Franz had this post.

Cheers
Elwyn

[kaiserwilhelm2]

Damn - you rock! Thanks. If any more, please keep 'm coming!

[Elwyn]

Man in first row with pink waffenfarbe on trousers was CdS LuftgauKmdo Belgien Nordfrankreich Obst Heinrich Sigismund v d Heyde. After all these years.... he was always hanging around Lörzer and Kesselring.


Cheers
Elwyn

[Elwyn]

In the second pic in the middle was same man -- Obst/GenMj Walter Franz. In the first pic he had on his neck the Italian Order of the Crown, earned after belated invasion of S France by Italy. Both in the first and second pic, you see him with Spanish Cross and Spanish Military Merit Cross.


Cheers
Elwyn

[Elwyn]

In the second pic to the left (from our perspective) of Franz you see ObFeldArzt Gerog Engelbrecht. He had a Ehrenzeichen des Dt Roten Kreuz.

Cheers
Elwyn

[Elwyn]

In first pic man between Mälzer and v d Heyde I put my money on Obst (GenMj 01.11.40) Hans Kuttig, beim Stab LGKmdo Belgien Nordfrankreich. Hewas Obst since 1938 and would be more senior than v d Heyde so stading closer to the big cheeses.

Cheers
Elwyn

[JeremyJ]

Wittich

Oberst Wittich is also indicated as having commanded Flughafenbereich Gorlitz. The dates appear as 00.02.45 to (24.03.45). Presumably this unit was disbanded around that point, late March, thus the non exact dates.

Regards

Jeremy