Gerd Gaiser-German Post war author
 

I'm trying to find out the unit(s) that Gerd Gaiser served in the war. He became a fairly well known author after the war.
According to some information I found on the Web, he was a Bomber pilot but another site has the following information:" The author [Gerd Gaiser] was conscripted into the Luftwaffe as a ground officer and served as a fighter pilot in Poland, Norway, Northern Germany, Rumania, Hungary and Italy and was interned by the British at Rimini in April 1945."
He seems fairly old to have served as a fighter pilot since he was born in 1908, which would make him 32 years old in 1940.
Any information is welcome.

Re: Gerd Gaiser-German Post war author
 

To my knowledge, he served in the ground staff of a Jagdgeschwader. His most popular book, 'The Dying Chase', appeared in the early 1950s and deals with a fighter unit of the Reichsverteidigung in mid-1944. I came across an extract of it in my German schoolbook in 1972, and it became one of my favorite reads til today. I don't think he ever flew missions in WW II, but seems to have captured the spirit and attitude of those day's fighter pilots and their environment. At least, that's what some of the survivors say.

Re: Gerd Gaiser-German Post war author
 

The reason I asked is I have a book by him called "The Last Squadron" which I've enjoyed reading. Thanks very much for the information.

I have another War Fiction novel (AKA Roman) by Rudolf Braunburg called "Betrayed Skies". He seems to have flown in FW-190 unit flying against the USAAF. You wouldn't know his war record by any chance?

Thanks,

Carlos

Re: Gerd Gaiser-German Post war author
 

Hi
the book "The Last Squadron" was originally published in the UK with the title "The Falling Leaf" in the 1950's, I think "The Last Squadron" was the title used for the Fontana paperback edition - it was pretty good.
Cheers

Bruce Lander