[Andre Stewart]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the info on Brückner and Petzold.


Hi Peter,

Actually I’m trying to determine what were the ‘official’ EM nos. of the 2nd II./NJG1 that was created in Sept 1940 from I./ZG76, and whether or not the ‘5359_’ series of numbers used by I./ZG76 continued to be utilized by the newly re-designated units. I believe some members of this board have source info that can confirm this.

I’m also aware of the variations in EM numbers that existed within a Staffel, especially one that is created by combining personnel from other units. But regardless of this, there was always an ‘official’ number. Sometimes the individual serviceman was required to change his EM to the ‘official’ one, but in other cases he continued to hold his ‘old’ EM, at times through numerous transfers and over several years even! So a typical Staffel would comprise servicemen holding the ‘official’ EM, and others holding a wide variation of other numbers.

Since the number-based EM system only began in Jan-Feb 1940, the degree of variation in 1940 was not so bad, unlike in the later war years. So for example, we can be reasonably certain that all individuals that carried XXXXX/1 were the Staffelkapitane or Gruppenkommandeure as at Jan-Feb 1940. To cite another example, Lt Ludwig Becker was said to have served in I./ZG1 and V(Z)./LG1 before he moved to the nightfighters. But one Lt Becker appears in a 3./ZG26 crew list, and since he carried EM no. 60035 we can confirm that he actually served in 3./ZG26 until June 1940.

3./NJG1 is not a typo. The original 1./ZG76 was supposed to have become 4./NJG1 but did not. Instead they ‘exchanged designations’ with the existing 3./NJG1, in order to bring in more experienced crews to the ‘new’ II./NJG1. This topic has been discussed here before. But here again there were exceptions, as with the example of the 4./NJG1 crew, and we also know that both Lent and Schönherr went to 6./NJG1.

And once again I’m looking for the ‘official’ EM no. for 3./NJG1, after it had exchanged designations.

Rgds
Andre