Awesome D9 Ground Crew
 

I just found these photos in one of my forgotten photo archives. (I don't know the source.)

How common was this type of ground crew? I assume it started happening quite late, but does anyone know when the program started?

Does anyone have details or more info? Can anyone confirm Luftwaffe women being aircraft crew chiefs and engine mechanics?

Thanks!

Bronc

Re: Awesome D9 Ground Crew
 

I thought I saw these recently. They were posted to the falkeeins blog.

Wednesday, 18 June 2014

'new' pictures of a Fw 190 Dora 9 with all female ground crew

Re: Awesome D9 Ground Crew
 

Willi Heilmann (JG54) in his book 'Alert in the West' claims 200 of the ground staff were taken from the Gruppe and replaced with women . It would be assumed this was late in the war . He also claimed two pilots from another fighter wing were killed because the silk canopies had been removed from their parachutes to make underwear by women ground crew , only seen this in his book .

Re: Awesome D9 Ground Crew
 

Use "disgruntled" in a sentence: "Shortly after exiting his aircraft the pilot was disgruntled by the mysterious--and highly unwarranted--disappearance of his parachute."

Bronc

Re: Awesome D9 Ground Crew
 

The book from Heilmann should be taken with some resivations. But indeed a lot of groundcrew were transferred to Heer and Waffen SS (also involuntarily) in the early stages of 1945. Most of them replaced by old men (WW I particpants) and later also females.

Would be nice to know where these D-9 pictures were taken......

Re: Awesome D9 Ground Crew
 

I met a couple of airmen who went to the Fallschirmjäger, presumably because this kept them within the Luftwaffe and Göring's "empire".

Re: Awesome D9 Ground Crew
 

But as you know, there is also numerous Luftwaffe field divisions,equiped even with "Panzer" , in the later part of last war there is at least 3 different armies in Germany, with quite all the services, the Waffen SS organisation, started even to build up his own "Luftwaffe", nd maybe the best of all , it was that at the very, very end , all these armies are under suprem command of an officier ot the ...Kriegsmarine, for people seen at very "conventional", the jerries are amazing no ??

Rémi

Re: Awesome D9 Ground Crew
 

Nick, you are correct, also with JG 6 several pilots were posted to ground units. Only the experienced/good ones remained. Even some experienced pilots volunteered for ground fighting....!!!

Re: Awesome D9 Ground Crew
 

I can easily see how, when defending your country, volunteers step forward. I have seen a photo of an Me 262 fighter pilot who bailed out so close to home that he is shown with his mother. The SS established their own paratrooper battalion. It is a mystery to me how Grossadmiral Karl Doenitz became head of state.


https://www.amazon.com/SS-Fallschirm.../dp/0764329448

Re: Awesome D9 Ground Crew
 

Adolf was fond of him. Dönitz wasn't prepared for the nomination though. He had never seen any signs from Hitler which could point in this direction.
He was just extremely loyal to Hitler, unlike Göring and Himmler.

But Göring had failed as head of the Luftwaffe and had escaped to southern Germany following Hitler's last birthday celebration.
Himmler had started secret negotiations, which made Hitler outrageous.


Of the high-ranking military, Dönitz was the only one in whom the dictator still had complete confidence.
(Volker Ullrich)

Re: Awesome D9 Ground Crew
 

Thank you for your reply. I have read only one vague account that stated the orders or papers were somehow conveyed to the Admiral. There was no mention of who was involved. Of course, once this change occurred, someone among the Allies would have to have been told that this appointment was official.


Best,
Ed

Re: Awesome D9 Ground Crew
 

I think in the JG 26 book by Caldwell mentions late war female ground crews.

I think some searchlight crews were partly or all female. Theo in his NCA series might want to do a page or two on them. There are a lot of accounts of RAF bombers being shot down either by flak or fighters after being conned by searchlights

Re: Awesome D9 Ground Crew
 

The mother of my colleague refueled Me 262 at Memmingen A/D!

Re: Awesome D9 Ground Crew
 

I commissioned this drawing. I am not sure the rules on posting the artist information.