Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Dear all,
Short Introduktion, my Name is Marcel Klemmer, I am 43 years old. Working as an engineer for Airbus and I am interested in aircraft and modelling.
Back to the topic, my grandfather Erich Zickler was pilot, crewman was Josef Pudlig of Bf 110 for ZG76 over Polen and Norway. Later in NJG1, as trainer and at the end flying for NJG 100 or NJG 101 I guess. I found here two remarks about him. He told me about the battles with the blenheim and about three victories against spitfire. Long Time ago I saw a foto of victories of ZG76 with his name the victories of blenheim and spitfire. Does anybody now something more about this foto or about my grandfather?
Thank you in advance.
Best regards
Marcel

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Marcel-I have quite a lot of information on I/ZG 76 to August 1940 if you would like to PM me. His Bordfunker was Josef Pudlik by the way-I contacted him many years ago. Assuming he remained with your Grandfather, in Sep 40, they went to 6/NJG 1, then 8/NJG 1 to Apr 42, 7/NJG 1 to Feb 43 then 9/NJG 101, 6/NJG 102 and finally 7/NJG 102. On 6 Jul 40, they were credited with a Blenheim of 254 Sqn at 1050 hrs and a Spitfire east of Blyth at 1358 hrs on 15 Aug 40 (they were badly damaged in combat on this day and landed at Jever, Pudlik being wounded)

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Hello Chris, thank you for the information. I am very surprised about all your knowledge. It is exited :-) How Do you get all these Information?. Grandpa was not interested to write everything down, he said, that no one will read, he was no star or hero and he do not want back his nightmares! During NJG1 he told me, that his identifier was G9+ER, can you valitate this? never met Josef Pudlik, something happened after the war between them, I don't know. From my grandma, she was Luftwaffenhelferin, I know one story, that both were misst after a combat for more than 4 days and they came back, Josef wounded carried by grandpa. I can not validate the storry.
I must check my packing cases , to find the Flightbook of him and a letter written after the war from Gordon McGollob, he was Staffelkapitän, I think during ZG76 time. Do you know something about the foto with the victories of ZG76?
I have so many questions.

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Hallo. Send me a PM and I will help
Chris

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Hello Marcel,

I have some info on your Grandfather of his service in III./NJG101, I believe the right spelling of the name of his Bordfunker was Uffz. Puttlich (at least that's the way his name was spelled in the Kriegstagebuch of the Jagdfliegerführer Süddeutschland).

Please send me a PM and I'll help you in any way I can.

Cheers, Theo

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Theo-definitely Pudlik as I was in contact with him unless he had another BF

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Hello Marcel,

I've some info on the photo of victories you mention. Send me a PM and I'll share more.

rgds
andre

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Hi Marcel

Your Grandfathers claims with 3./ZG 76 have not survived on the micro films, so anything mentioned we cannot be 100% sure about. With the Nachtgeschwader I can find nothing for him, most units do have entries on the micro films before the daily entry micro film take-over in(usually) late July 1942, but again I can find nothing for him. However with NJG 100 there as several claims on a micro film giving time and date only, he could be one of these claimants. Also with any other unit he doesn't appear on the micro films unless a name I have not been able to identify. Best thing is to search through his logbook. Even here details of claims are often so brief, and there is no guarantee they were confirmed, but a great help to anybody interested, and there are several collectors of logbooks around.
Like your Grandfather Karl Gratz just didn't like to talk about the war. If you think about it in later life it becomes just a small part of there life!

Kind Regards

Johannes

P.S I will search through my losses records(which are incomplete) and see if there is anything on him.

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Erich Zickler never flew with NJG 100 & his only claims were with 3/ZG 76. I have passed all of this on to Marcel who has confirmed his units with a copy of his Wehrpass. His logbook no longer exists according to Marcel-he was mistaken.

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Marcel/Chris,

What claims did he make with 3./ZG76? Do we know his plane code?

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Larry
Yes and it is well known. Blenheim 6 Jul 40 west of Stavanger 1050 hrs flying M8+GL and Spitfire 15 Aug 40 5 kms east of Blyth 1358 hrs flying M8+BL. Before you ask, apart from photos of him, no aircraft photos

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Marcel, at the moment I cannot shed any light on your grandfather, but if - as I suspect - he took part in the daylight raid on northern England on 15 August 1940, I would be pleased if you would contact me.

Bill Norman

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Bill
He did but Marcel has nothing that refers to it apart from what I have told him! No photos of note, no FB, only the Wehrpass and a few of his awards. Sad I know

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Hi Marcel

Couldn't find any claims, or losses within NJG 1, NJG 101, NJG 102. The micro films do cover each unit entirely up to end 1944. So his career after ZG 76 is rather obscure. Within his logbook your find details of his claims, which are very useful to us, but also unlike the claims that are recorded to individual tastes/habits his flights will be a very accurate recording of each of his flights with take-off and landing times, but also more important here the type of aircraft flown i.e for combat with ZG 76 Bf110's and there codings, perhaps a few other types for non-combat flights. But after 1940 everything is vague, but his aircraft type could reveal what he was doing! Perhaps he never flew combat as a night-fighter pilot. Also recorded will be from where he flew....another clue. Sometimes a pilot will record the start of a new unit also.

So just by looking through Erich's logbook your find-out so much.

Kind Regards

Johannes

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Johannes,

Chris said that there was no FB = logbook.

Larry

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Johannes et al

As Larry says, no logbook and his flying career is no mystery and is as follows:

9/JG 132 15 Jan 37 to 31 Oct 38
6/JG 141 1 Nov 38 to 30 Apr 39
3/ZG 76 1 May 39 to 31 Aug 40
6/NJG 1 1 Sep to 30 Sep 40
8/NJG 1 1 Oct 40 to 30 Apr 42
7/NJG 1 1 May 42 to 15 Feb 43
8/Nachtjagdschule 1 16 Feb 43 to 18 Jul 43
9/NJG 101/6/NJG 102 19 Jul 43 to 29 Jul 44
7/NJG 102 30 Jul 44 to 14 Apr 45

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Hi Chris

Many thanks for that.

Do you happen to know his D.O.B or final rank?

Also 8./NJS 1 as a trainer?

Kind Regards

Johannes

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Johannes
Ofw was his final rank, no date of birth and looking at the time he was at 8/NJS 1, perhaps he was being trained as an instructor?

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Thanks Chris

I know he died in 2003, I can give the exact date if your interested?

Kind Regards

Johannes

Re: Information about my grandfather Erich Zickler
 

Thanks Johannes-I know where to come!