rank to be a Luftwaffe pilot?

[frank savage]

Hi there!

My contribuction: the downed Gefr. Alfred Michel, 16./JG53 during Operation Bodenplatte, 1st January 1945.

[Skyhawk]

Hi Frank,

Thanks for the image! For him the war is over......

Looks like he survived a rough belly landing not too worse for the crash.

Nice Pik As Avatar! So, we have JG54 and JG53 represented, there must be some JG52 fans out there! Not to mention JG 51, 26, 27, 77, etc........

[frank savage]

Hi there!

Yep, Michel was shoot down at his first operative flight... We can say that for him the war ended before starting! He received a directly hit on his 109's magneto, and forced landed.

Best,

P.s. Pik As is also my italian forum (www.blitzkriegmilitaria-forum.com) nickname!

[Hofstetter]

Hi there!

Yep, Michel was shoot down at his first operative flight... We can say that for him the war ended before starting! He received a directly hit on his 109's magneto, and forced landed.

Best,

P.s. Pik As is also my italian forum (www.blitzkriegmilitaria-forum.com) nickname!

On the same mission, Michel was treated a little better than one of his staffel comrades Unteroffizier Herbert Maxis 13/JG53, shot while climbing out of his 109 trying to surrender,
and stripped of his flight gear. Couldn't even leave the dead mans boots on.

[Tom Yanacek]

A neighbor friend of mine, Dick Reimer, was a Gefreiter when he was awarded his Pilot Badge on July 20, 1944. He ended the war as an Obergefreiter and was awarded the EK2 on May 8. 1945.

Best regards,
Tom

[frank savage]

On the same mission, Michel was treated a little better than one of his staffel comrades Unteroffizier Herbert Maxis 13/JG53, shot while climbing out of his 109 trying to surrender,
and stripped of his flight gear. Couldn't even leave the dead mans boots on.

Yep, that's true! I knew the story. Maxis was less lucky that his comrade... That was the war strange rules. A moment before it is permissible to kill, the next you don't. Should never be allowed to kill ... It is true that the soldier who killed maxis was not commuted the court-martial, but I think the main horror is the war, that is beastly for its own definition.

Best,

[der Feindflug]

Luftwaffe Pilots Below The Rank of Feldwebel.

There were Luftwaffe pilots below the rank of Feldwebel during ww2. Here is a period photo of one wearing a pilots badge.

[naxos]

Contribution to this older thread

... another Gefreiter with a pilot badge

[Rich G]

I have a soldbuch to a stuka pilot with the last rank of obergefreiter and he wasn't just starting out. He had Ehenpokal and FFS i. Gold.

Rich

[Hofstetter]

another low rank pilot

Pilot Obergefreiter Arthur Muller KIA with III/JG 54