Bieler, Karl?

[Revi16]

Can someone explain what these units are?

Bieler, Karl (DOB 07.07.94) (W.B.K. Aachen). 01.11.42 promo to Hptm (Kr. O/Fl). 28.01.43 trf from Auffanglager d. Lw. Munster-Handorf to Fl.H.Kdtr. E 23/XI.

I wonder if it's possible that these are the same man, but with a typo of the last name?
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=577672

Regards,

[Larry deZeng]

All of the abbreviations are explaned here:

http://www.ww2.dk/Lw%20Offz%20-%20Ap...0-%20Intro.pdf

You have misspelled Auffanglager.

For the purposes of the Luftwaffe, an Auffanglager is a processing camp or center where personnel were briefly held pending orders. Nearly 95% of their "business" was during periods of rapid withdrawals or retreats along the front where tens of thousands were pulling back. These people were herded together in an Auffanglager until they could be sorted out and issued orders. Their stay was usually from a few days to a few weeks.

P.S. your link does not work - Wehrmacht Awards says "File not found". Several attempts were made.

[Revi16]

Thanks for the info. Larry.

The link is working on my computer. Not sure what the problem may be???

[Larry deZeng]

BEILNER and BIELER, both Karl.

Very, very unlikely that it's the same person. "Karl" was a very popular first name in Germany and still is.

[Revi16]

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

BEILNER and BIELER, both Karl.

Very, very unlikely that it's the same person. "Karl" was a very popular first name in Germany and still is.

True, but how many Karl B's served in an Air Force in WWI and WWII?

I haven't been able to find and proof positive paper work for a Beilner in WWII other than his visor cap. The cap and name tag are original, so the mystery continues.

[Larry deZeng]

I haven't been able to find and proof positive paper work for a Beilner in WWII other than his visor cap.

Karl Beilner could have been a Leutnant or Oberleutnant of the reserves or a Kriegsoffizier (war time commission from the enlisted ranks). If so, it is possible that I might have come across his name but moved on because he did not meet the criteria Doug and I had to establish of necessity (see the Introduction to our work). Or, it is entirely possible that his name never came up in wartime LPA orders at all. There were many, many World War I vets in the World War II Luftwaffe who held the rank of Lt. or Oblt. and were assigned to some administrative job in the Reich that they were kept in for the duration because of their age and their desire to have it that way. If that was the case, then there would have been no reason for LPA to cut any reassignment orders on him and accordingly his name would never have appeared in anything I researched.

The only solution I can think of would be to hire one of dozen or so German researchers accredited to BA-MA Freiburg and have him check the Luftwaffe Karteikarten at BA-MA and/or the EK I and EK II decorations lists. We know there is no Karl Beilner listed for the Ehrenpokal or for the DKiG, but nearly everyone got an EK II. That would at least establish his existence and that the spelling of his name is correct.

L.