Burchard Flakowski
 

I am wondering if anyone has information about the subsequent history of a Luftwaffe pilot, Burchard Flakowski, described in November 1940, as a "Captain" and "commander of a bomber group". He participated in air raids over Norway and England and was awarded the Iron Cross First Class.

Thanks

Chris

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

The only Luftwaffe pilot bearing the unusual name of Flakowski whom I have been able to find is Uffz. Flakowski (III/JG 54), a Fw 190 pilot who died on 26th March 1945.

Because of his rank I do not think that this man can be the Burchard Flakowski whose details I am seeking.

Chris

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

This would be Hptm Burchard Flakowski of II/KG 76. He was awarded the DKiG with II/KG 76 14 Feb 42 but that is all I have on him. He was alive in 1945

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Many thanks for that, Chris.

Hptm Flakowski - interesting name that, for a bomber pilot, "son of flak" - gave an interview to CBS in November 1940. This was transmitted to the USA by shortwave radio and was later published. It took place in occupied Paris whence he, as an English speaker, had been sent from his unit in Northern France. He had taken part in the Norwegian campaign and then in the bombing of Great Britain. The interview contains some comments on the aerial view of the destruction wreaked on Birmingham in the November attacks - which is the main reason for my interest.

When you say that he was alive in 1945, do you mean that he survived beyond May? Or is your information less specific?

Thanks again for the help - greatly appreciated.

Chris

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

All I have is he appears in the Rangliste of 1945 and being a Hptm promoted to that rank 1 Aug 39. It would appear that he had an unspectacular war, still being a Hptm in 1942 and again in 1945

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Thanks again, Chris

Chris

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Chris, sorry to come back to all this, but is there any indication in the information you hold that Flakowski was a member of KG 76 in 1939 and 1945 also?

If this is so, or even if it is not, could I try your patience and that of other forum members by throwing up some general questions and asking for opinions.

1. Would it be unusual for a Luftwaffe officer to remain attached to one squadron throughout the war?
2. Is it likely/probable/possible that he was flying operationally throughout the whole period? (He was thirty in 1940).
3. If he was, what sort of odds did he beat in order to survive as bomber aircrew, if indeed he did survive?
4. In 1940 he is described as "commander of a bomber group". He is doing this as a Hauptmann. Is it reasonable to assume that his responsibility in RAF terms would be for a flight, rather than the whole squadron or any larger formation?
5. Is the likelihood that he was a pilot?
6. Is his lack of progression in rank between 1939 and 1945, bearing in mind the losses around him, surprising? Does it perhaps indicate a land-based or non-operational job – training, intelligence etc. - after 1942?

Very many thanks for any opinion which may be forthcoming.

Chris

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Chris: I am afraid I have nothing further on this chap

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Hi !
I have some more info (good old VOLKSBUND, Germany).
Burchard Flakowski, very unusual name too,
strange if there should be really two guys bearing this name ...
.................................................. ..................................
Zum Gedenken

F4718119
Nachname:Flakowski
Vorname:Burchard
rank: -
D.O.B.:28.03.1910
P.O.B.:Königsberg
KIA/MIA date:08.01.1942
KIA/MIA place:UdSSR

Nach den uns vorliegenden Informationen ist die o. g. Person seit 08.01.1942 vermißt.
.................................................. ......................................
bye-bye

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Thanks for that, FrankieS.

This is almost certainly the man. My information is that he was 30 in 1940 and his home was East Prussia. This ties in with the Volksbund information.

Is a possible explanation of the discrepancy with the information kindly provided by Chris Goss that:

1. The award in February 1942 would have gone ahead whatever the fate of the recipient, and
2. If a man was missing but not definitely killed, his name would be retained on the Rangliste mentioned by Chris? (I don’t know – I am asking).

Chris

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Chris: Be careful about jumping to conclusions! There is no rank given so he could be Army and I have no obvious mention of him in the Luftwaffe Losses fiche. Perhaps Remi might like to search his database? By the way, if they were missing, some times they were still recorded in the rank list!

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Hello Chris,

Good choice he is listed, Falkowski Brughardt hptm MIA it was the pilot, during a mission over Staritza for an unknown reason, IIST.KG76 JU88A-4 F1+AC, looks like the plane of the kdr, 8.jan 1942

Rémi

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Very many thanks, Chris Goss, FrankieS and Remi, for all your help on this.

Over the next week or so I’ll pull together what I now know about Burchard Flakowski and post it within this thread, for the record and in his memory.

Chris

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Hi Remi,
Following on from this tread, and given your loss information on Falkowski,
do you have the W.Nr of this a/c and other crew details?
Many thanks,
Steve.

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Ju 88 A-4, Wk Nr 2609. Lt Dankmar Meyer, Uffz Hans Mewes & Ofw Friuedrich Wegner also missing

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Fantastic Chris, many thanks.

Steve.

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

I have collected as much as I can - with a lot of help from members of this forum - about the life of Hptm. Burchard Flakowski of KG76 and summarise it below, for the record and in his memory.

1910
March 28th
He is born in Königsberg, East Prussia. His surname is most appropriate for his later career, literally "son of anti-aircraft fire".

1930s
As an adult he is over 6ft tall and unmarried. He lives in England for almost a year in 1930 where he becomes an amateur light-heavyweight boxing champion. At some stage, he joins the Luftwaffe whose existence, in contravention of the Treaty of Versailles, is announced in 1935. He trains as a pilot.

1939
Appointed Hauptmann (captain) in the Luftwaffe. His role and affiliation immediately after the outbreak of war on September 1st are unknown.

1940
April 9th
Participates in the Norwegian campaign. Awarded the Iron Cross, Second Class for commanding 'only the third Luftwaffe aircraft' to land at Oslo. This is a Ju-52 of I/KG76, loaded with six squadron ground crew and ammunition and it lands whilst the airfield of Oslo-Fornebu is still being defended by Norwegian troops. Only later in the day when further Ju-52s arrive laden with airborne troops will the area be secured by the German forces. At this time Flakowski is described as an "instrument flying instructor".
Summer
He takes part in daylight attacks on many British aerodromes and is awarded the Iron Cross, First Class for his role in these operations.
Summer/autumn
He participates in raids on many British cities including London, Bristol, Coventry, Southampton and Birmingham, flying either Do-17 or Ju-88A aircraft.
Early December
He is brought to Paris from his base (either Cormeilles-en-Vexin or Creil, both some 50/60km north of the city) to be interviewed by CBS for a short-wave broadcast to the American nation. He is described as a "commander of a bomber group" which could mean a Gruppe comprising some 60-70 aircraft or a Stafel of 10-15. In the interview he talks of the challenge of night flying and navigation, of what can be seen from above during night attacks on British cities especially Birmingham, the frequency of operations for individual aircrew, the quality of the Luftwaffe bombsight, the size of the bombing fleets used on British targets and attacks on marine targets. His most recent operation was the previous Saturday, against Southampton – probably that of November 30th which had particularly devastating effects on the city. A record of this conversation which was scripted and of course tightly censored, survives. Another pilot, Lt. Peter Hinkeldeyn, from Schwerin, is similarly interviewed by a second US radio network.

1941
Unknown but at some stage, possibly from the beginning, he is involved in the Russian campaign which begins on June 22nd 1941.

1942
January 8th
Operating from Orscha-Süd, midway between Minsk and Smolensk, he is posted missing in action near Staritsa, some 300km south-west of Moscow, together with his three crew members, Lt. Dankmar Meyer, Uffz. Hans Mewes and Ofw. Friedrich Wegner. He is flying a Ju-88A-4, ser. no. 2609.
February 14th
Whilst still missing he is awarded the DkiG (German Gold Cross, one rank up from the Iron Cross First Class) as a member of II/KG 76.

1945
He appears, still as a Hauptmann, on the Luftwaffe list of serving officers, since his fate has not been confirmed.

1945 – 2007
He remains missing.

Im Gedenken.

(Sources of the above information to whom acknowledgement is gratefully made:
"Assignment to Berlin" by Harry W. Flannery - Michael Joseph Ltd., London, 1942; contributors to this forum, "Chris Goss", "FrankieS" and "Remi"; the Volksbund and several other websites. The information is not based on original research and therefore cannot be regarded as definitive but is believed to be mainly accurate).

Chris

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

9 Apr 40: There was a Hptm Flakowski who flew into Oslo-Fornebu in a Ju 52 and was said to be with 1/ZG 76's ground crew. I have no record of a Flakowski on I/ZG 76 but believe he was a pilot with 1/KGzbV 103; KG 76 was definietly not involved in the Norway Campaign

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Beg me pardon?

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Sorry, Franek, but I thought that was correct - "son of flak". Can you put me right please?

Thanks for your response, Chris............I think there is little doubt that the pilot bringing into Fornebu a Ju-52 and a plane load of equipment and ground crew is the Flakowski who later acted as a bomber pilot in the Battle of Britain and the night bombing on England. The man interviewed in connection with the latter is stated by Flannery to have been previously honoured for his exploits on that occasion. And if he were in fact bringing in I/ZG76 personnel and equipment would it be a mere coincidence that he later appears in II/KG76?

What I don’t know, and perhaps you can advise me, is how unusual it would be for a pilot of a wholly different Geschwader to be involved in something like this; whether a bomber pilot would ever have been co-opted into a role of this type; and/or whether it would have been unusual for a Ju-52 pilot to have transferred to medium bomber duties – and in a responsible role - at this early stage of the war.

There is a dramatic description of the Oslo incident in a Spanish forum (not surprisingly written in Spanish, but I imagine based on an original German or English source) mentioning Flakowski and a number of other Luftwaffe personnel. (…..El capitán Flakowski, profesor de vuelo instrumental del I Grupo de la 76 Escuadra de Caza Pesada……..) I’m clearly wrong in assuming that the ground crew was of I/KG76. I/ZG76 is as you state much more likely, in that there seem to be Me-110s already on the airfield and the arrival of mechanics appears to have been a source of rejoicing. (On reflection, ‘Caza Pesada" means literally I think ‘heavy hunting or chasing").

But it still doesn’t explain to me how or why someone who might belong to one Geschwader is involved in a transport operation on behalf of another and only two or three months later is commanding some sort of bomber group over England. All I am confident about is that it is the same man in each case.

Please tell me if I am talking rubbish (as will no doubt Franek) or asking stupid questions – I probably am!

Chris

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Ski suffix means more less equal to von, see my name, Grabowski - from Grabów. It is used in the context of son, but then the christian name was used, just like in the name Peterson. Example could be Jakubowski or Piotrowski. Another lenghty issue are Jewish names, but this has nothing to the case.
Flakowski would mean a man from Flaków, but as I find no such place in Poland, I believe this was previously Flak, which means gut (no though guy meaning) and is a peasant's name, so I assume someone changed it to sound more noble. This often happened in 19th century.

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Very interesting, many germans hv the final "ski", is this "ski" rein polish, or some dialectal form for example Silesian or....

rémi

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Thanks very much for that, Franek. I now have an idea of the true origins of the name. As far as I can tell, it seems a fairly unusual one, or at least in Luftwaffe circles.

What I was doing in my summary of Flakowski’s life was to repeat a "joke" which might have originated from the man himself or was the creation of the American interviewer, Harry Flannery. Flannery says: "My man…..was Captain Burchard Flakowski. The name was an unusual one for a bomber pilot since flak in German means "anti-aircraft" and the ski on the end of a name means "son of". Thus the name of my interviewer was, appropriately enough, translatable as: Burchard, son of Anti-Aircraft."

Perhaps "nearly translatable" would have been a better way of expressing it!

Chris

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

It would appear that Flakowski was a pilot with the transport unit 1/KGzbV 103 and that he flew in groundcrew from the Bf 110 unit 1/ZG 76, the unit which 'captured' Fornebu earlier that day. Apart from odd aircraft, German combat flying units did not have their own transport aircraft hence his unit was carrying out this role. He appears to have been posted to another unit afterwards, possibly but not definitely KG 76, possibly as an instructor if the fact that he was an instructor is correct. Apart from the interview, nothing has come to light to confirm he commanded a Gruppe or even a Staffel apart that F1+AC would indicate it was the mount of the Gruppen Kommandeur; I cannot recall if the loss report states after his name Gr Kdr

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Thank you, Chris. With your help I now have an understanding of the possibilities/likelihoods of Flakowski’s career in 1940. I shall amend my brief summary accordingly, with all appropriate qualifications as it seems that there are unlikely to be any absolute certainties.

I appreciate your help and that of other forum members very much and thank you all for it. My interest in Flakowski is because he has provided the only contemporary account I have seen of attacks on my home city of Birmingham through Luftwaffe eyes. Also, whilst he was sitting up aloft, I was lying far below, listening with my mother and sister to the thumps. And looking forward to seeing another dawn, as he probably was as well.

Chris

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

It could be estimated that about 50% of Germans have Slavic origin, mostly Western Slavic and Polish. In most cases their "ski" names indicate Polish origin. Silesian dialect is just Polish with plenty of German words, so Silesian names would be either Polish or German, but there is nothing between.
It would not surprise me if Flakowski did not know what does it mean himself. Plenty of Germans with Polish names neither know their meaning nor how to pronounce them. It is also obvious that he must have been a subject of several jokes because of his name, and it is possible he just told it as a joke but it was miswritten by interviewer as an authentic meaning.
Flakowski is not a very common name ion Poland but you can find it on a google. Grabowski is a very popular name, but I am not awared of any Luftwaffe member of this name.

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Grabowski is a very popular name, but I am not awared of any Luftwaffe member of this name.

Not that's makes you happy but I hv at least 5 + a Soccerworldcup winner, + some Grabow

rémi

Re: Burchard Flakowski
 

Revisiting this thread of about a year ago I realise that I never did forum members the courtesy of mentioning the final result of their advice. This was a website page about this man, including extracts from his 1940 NBC radio interview which I mentioned in the thread. It's here, if anyone wants to have a look at it: http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/L3O...esstaffshg.htm

I remain very grateful for all the help which forum members generously gave me.

Chris