|
IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
1 Attachment(s)
Hi Gruppe,
Please find attached an image of a title page of a book I have recently purchased. On this page you can see the signatures of officers serving with III./JG26 during Christmas 1939. I have been able to identify some signatures but I am looking for help/information to identify the other signatures. I have identified the following signatures:
TIA and as always Nurflügel Forever! Huib |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Hi Huib,
Firstly, congratulations on this nice item. Some people I can make out are: Troha - fourth from top on left (he succeeded my uncle as CO of 9. JG3) Kugler - seventh from top on left Naumann - eleventh from top on left Ebeling - thirteenth from top on left Daig - vertical on left Rosenbaum - fourth from top on right Christenneke - fifth from top on right Buerschgens - eighth from top on right (signed from hospital in Essen after his wounding after scoring the Geschwader's first victory, and an old friend of mine) Mueller-Duehe - tenth from top on right If you ever want to sell or trade this book, please let me know. |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Hi,
Thanks for your reply and the identification of quite a number signatures! Sorry, I don't plan to sell or trade this book! :D I hope other JG 26 experts will join this thread as well to help identify the other signatures. |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Hi Hulb --
I might be able to help you, but I can't enlarge the thumbnail to a size that I can read -- it's too low-res. The problem is probably my ignorance, but in the interest of time, could you post a larger image or a link to one? Best regards, Don Caldwell |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Try the link below Don (to enlarge it, left click on it)
http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/s...939resized.jpg BTW: What has happened to the excellent Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" website? Cheers Peter D Evans LEMB Administrator |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Hi Peter --
Thanks for the link. I've now got a full-sized printout of the signature page, and will see what I can do with it. I've got a dozen (commissioned) pilots to match with the u/i signatures. One mystery is Oblt. Geog Beyer, the 7. Staffel Kapitän at that time. Logic would say his signature would be on the top right, but I'll be danged if that is Beyer. The JG 26 site comes up fine at http://don-caldwell.we.bs/jg26/schlageter.htm We had to change the address several months back, and if you have an old URL, it's probably not forwarding. Unfortunately the site is pretty much dormant at this time. Les and I are too busy with other things to try to make it "interactive", but we'll keep it up as-is for as long as we can. Horrido! Don |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Hello Hulb --
This is surprisingly hard. All I can add so far is: Lt. Walter Blume (7.) - 9th from top, right side. I've never come across a list of the III./JG 26 ground staff, but from the evidence of this signature card they were quite high-ranking. There are 3 Hauptmänner, including the NO, but I can't read the names. I know that except for the Grkdr. there were no flying officers with ranks greater than Oberleutnant. Best regards, Don |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Many thanks for the revised link Don... I'll update the links on the LEMB :)
Cheers Peter D Evans LEMB Administrator |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Just by reading I could add:
Oblt. Hollweg (1st right) Oblt. Preiser (3rd right) Lt. Christianeder (5th right) Hüsgens, Kreisleiter(?) Essen (8th right) Reichs Standartenführer ... (11th right) Oblt. Meier-Roth 7.St. (9th left) The rest is hard to read... Regards Roland |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Hello Roland --
Hollweg, Preiser -- looks like you have the letters OK, but they don't correspond to anyone I know of in III./JG 26. Christenneke, Bürschgens, & Müller-Dühe were real 7. Staffel pilots, and these are obviously their signatures. B. was in the "Krankenhaus Essen" at this time, just as he says. Reichs Standartenführer -- could be, but what does this mean, and to whom does it refer? Best regards, Don |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Don
As suggested, the signature top right looks like Hollweg Oblt 7 – possibly Oblt. Hermann Hollweg, which raises an interesting question? I have Hollweg moving from JG26 to form 4./JG27 on 1st January 1940 but his position in JG26 is unclear. In your work on JG26 War Diary you have Oblt. Georg Beyer being appointed Staffelkapitan 7./JG26 on December 11, 1939 (ex Geschwader Adjutant), yet I also cannot see any Signature that looks like Beyer. I also note that you had no Staffelkapitan listed for 7./JG26 from formation until Beyer took over in December. Since this was done at Christmas 1939 could Hollweg have been the missing Staffelkapitan of 7./JG26 and moved to form 4./JG27 in the new year and Beyer took over then and not on December 11, 1939 (maybe appointment date but didn’t take over till the new year?) In addition 9th on right is possibly Lt Walter Blume of 7 staffel ?? Regards, Craig.... |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Hi Craig --
If you have independent information that Hollweg was in III./JG 26 and moved to 4./JG 27 in Jan 40 then this is almost certainly Hollweg's signature, and the minor mystery of 7./JG 26's first Staffelkapitän has been solved. Here's the info I had when I looked at the signature card: 1. The Geschwader history Schöpfel had written in 1942 and that wound up in the BA-MA does not contain Hollweg's name, AFAIK. 2. Jupp Bürschgens, my main source for info and photos of early-war 7. Staffel pilots, did not know Hollweg -- however, it now appears that B. was in the hospital from the time the Staffel was established until H. left the Geschwader. 3. Pips Priller's Geschichte does not identify the first 7. Staffel Kapitän. The ID of that individual from 29 Sep 39 to 10 Dec 39 was "ungeklärt". However, Priller acknowledged Hermann Hollweg by name for his help with the pre-war portion of his history. It's a funny business. Horrido! Don |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Don,
Sorry I don’t have a firm independent source, I made the following note on my computer, “SCW Vet, SOW JG26, formed 4./JG27 1/1/40” but didn’t record the source. From memory I had recorded it with information about JG27 from one of the books in my collection but I’m damned if I can find this information again to correctly reference. I'm sure I'll find it eventually. Anyway, I know previous works in books can be inaccurate at times thus the question mark about it being possible that he was Staffelkapitan of 7./JG26. From your response it seems possible and worth looking at further. Regards, Craig... |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Craig --
Your source for Hollweg was probably Prien's II./JG 27 history, which lists Hollweg as coming from JG 26, serving as the 1st Kapitän of 4./JG 27 from 3 Jan 40 to 7 Sep 40, and then transferring to 3./JG 2 as Kapitän. Upon overnight reflection, it's a stretch to conclude that he was 7./JG 26 Kapitän based on his signature "in the right place" on a Christmas card, but there's no contradictory data (yet). -- Don |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Don, I'm surprised Losigkeit isn't on this one. Also, can you confirm if the Daig on this piece is later with JG 27?
|
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Fritz Losigkeit was never in III./JG 26. He remained in 2./JG 26 when many of its personnel moved to 7./JG 26 on its establishment in Sep 39, and in fact became the 2. Staffel Kapitän.
Unfortunately I have no information on Daig, either in III./JG 26 or JG 27. Craig might have something. Regards, Don |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Hello Huib --
After starting this thread, you dropped out rather quickly. Has this info been of any use? Is there a group photo associated with this card, and if so, would it be possible to scan and post it? Best regards, Don |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Hi Don,
I just watched to see the thread develop and see what information would pop up. I am glad that a great number of signatures are identified and that the signature page in the book may have been of some help regarding the possible identification of a 'missing' Staffelkapitän. The book comes from the estate of Walter Horten, JG 26's TO and I assume he was present as well, although I don't think his signature is on the page. Unfortunately there is no associated photo with this signature page, only the book. I would like to thank you and all the others who have identified so many signatures. |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Hi Huib --
I too looked for Horten and also his replacement Bartels and found neither. From the number of signatures that remain unidentified (and also the number of III./JG 26 pilots who should have been there for Xmas, but whose names don't match the sigs) we can best conclude that the Jagdwaffe was in a state of flux during the Sitzkrieg, with experienced pilots transferring daily to newly-formed Gruppen. Best regards, Don |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Hi again,
I recieved a personal message from Andy Pallot (reproduced below), a junior member of this board who is having problems with posting messages into threads. Perhaps with his information we can identify another signature? Hello Huib, I have a signature of the person on the bottom right in a Soldbuch that I own. His title is Stabskompanie III/JG26, Oblt und Kompanie Chef. Unfortunatley, I can post any messages at the present time and that is why I am contacting you directly. Any idea who this signature belongs too? Regards, Andy |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Hi Huib --
The signature 12th from top, left side appears to be "Esser, Hptm. Stabskompanie". This matches the name and title in Priller's book. Best regards, Don |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Don/VtwinVince
In response to the query about Lt. Daig, I have no direct evidence that Ltn. Erwin Daig of 5./JG27 is the same Ltn. Daig who’s signature appears amongst the Christmas 1939 III./JG26 signatures. However, aside from the three original Staffelkapitan of II./JG27 (Oblt. Herman Hollweg, Oblt. Hans-Christian Schafer and Oblt Werner Seffert) who in Prein’s II./JG27 history all came from JG26, there is also the following pilots of II/JG27 that have the same last names that are amongst the signatures Ltn. Hermann Kugler 4./JG27 WIA 9 June 1940 Oblt Karl Prieser Stab II./JG27 injured 29 July 1940 Combined with Ltn. Daig this suggests to me that the formation of II./JG27 may have a close connection to JG26 with possibly several pilots coming from JG26 from which the unit was built around. Therefore there is a good chance that they are the same Ltn. Daig, but as I said earlier, I have no direct proof to confirm this. Regards Craig... |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Don, do you know Esser's first name???
Thanks |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Got a few rare Fotos of JG 26 - here is one from Christmas 1939 1./JG 26
Greetings Peglar |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Rob --
All I have on Esser is the list of Stabskompanie COs in Priller, which does not give first names. Craig -- Your post sent me back to Prien's II./JG 27 history. He states that JG 27's own Traditionsgeschichte calls JG 26 the "Mutterveband" of II./JG 27. Obviously a number of JG 26 pilots (and probably some ground staff) transferred to II./JG 27 at the end of 1939, explaining the presence of some of the names on the Christmas card. It's odd (but not surprising, I guess) that nothing I have from the JG 26 side (mainly Schöpfel's early Geschichte from the BA-MA and Priller's book) mentions this exodus at all. Horrido! Don |
Re: IIII./JG26 Officers signatures Christmas 1939
Priller 40. Victory and a Gift from the 1./26 to him.
Greetings peglar |
| All times are GMT +2. The time now is 21:59. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net