German pilots in Korea War?

[Edward L. Hsiao]

There were also not so strange possiblities of Luftwaffe pilot veterans joining the US Army and Marines as ground soldiers after WWII and Heer,Waffen-SS,and Kriegsmarine veterans joined the US Air Force after WWII as pilots and crewmen of USAF planes. See if you can figure that out.

Edward L. Hsiao

[bearoutwest]

The timing may not be suitable for any ex-Luftwaffe personell to serve in the USAF in Korea. If we look at typical immigration times/waiting periods:
- 12-24 months wait post application (clearance checks, processing time);
- 6-12 months post-approval to travel and settle in the USA
- 6 months between applying to join USAF and being accepted (post-war glut of ex-USAAF aircrews wanting to stay in service)
- 6 months initial flight training (even an ex-Luftwaffe pilot would need to be taught USAF procedures and protocols)
- 6-12 months operational training (e.g. fighter stream onto T-33s, F-80s, F-84s or F-86s)
- finally to an operational squadron
- into the queue of operational pilots wanting to go to Korea to bag a MiG (there were also units in continental USA, Greenland/Iceland, and NATO regions as well as parts of SE Asia that needed pilots).

So as a rough guess, minimum of 3 years (probably longer) between applying for US citizenship to being operational and in the queue for Korea. You would need to apply in 1946 to be operational in 1949/50. Would the US have had any real need to fast-track ex-Luftwaffe pilots, when there were so many ex-USAAF aircrew wanting to re-enlist? (Ace pilots like Robin Olds were sent to USAF Europe, having had their application to serve in Korea turned down.) Probably why so few stories exist of ex-Luftwaffe types in Western air forces.

I'm aware of one case - Frank Korbl - ex-Luftwaffe and was in initial pilot training in 1945, when redirected to radio school. Eventually immigrated to Australia, and served in the RAAF in Vietnam in a helicopter squadron.
Book listing on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Luftwaffe-.../dp/B00A1WY094

Or possibly available to download free from Australian Government publications:
http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/Publ...-Luftwaffe-MBE (original title? Ex-Luftwaffe-MBE)

...geoff

[Franek Grabowski]

I would say surprisingly few German pilots emerged in various places around the world. I guess most remained in Germany, and some worked as pilots there. Others asjusted to civilian life.
I am not aware of Soviet pilots in Egypt in 1940s.

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

I can't find any good stories of German WWII Wehrmacht veterans fighting in Korea while serving with the US Armed Forces or the foreign allies of the US on my computer. I tried Google and not one good website came out about the Germans serving with the armed forces of the world during the Korean War. Could you help me please?

Edward L. Hsiao

[bearoutwest]

Here's an actual case of a Hungarian Jew refugee, who was stranded(?) in Germany post-1945, eventually immigrated to the USA, served in the infantry in the Korean War, and was eventually awarded the Medal of Honour in that conflict. His name is Tibor Rubin, and his story is detailed in the book: "Single Handed" by Daniel Cohen.

This is Rubin's timeline, post-1945, as extracted from the book.
- May 1945, in one of the concentration camps in Malthausen (Austria) liberated by Patton's army
- eventually returns to home town of Paszto, aged about 15 years
- leaves Hungary in late 1945, before Russian close the borders
- Summer 1945, enters UN-run "displaced persons" camp in Pocking (and ex-Luftwaffe facility, also being used as a PoW camp for German service personnel)
- spends at least 12 months in Pocking, moving into an "emmigration centre" in Landshut in Summer 1946
- six months later (Winter 1947?), offered a place to stay by uncle in New York
- at pre-selection interview with US officials, told that "...as a former ally of Germany, all Hungarians were classified as 'hostiles', and thus were ineligible for entry to the United States. Despite the genocide they had endured, there was no quota for Hungarian Jews. ..."
- 1948, Tibor (and other members of his family) has been selected for immigration to the USA - the laws had been relaxed, leading to signifigant immigration numbers between 1948-1952
- arrives in New York in 1948
- Late-Spring 1950, reports to military recruiting centre in Oakland (California)
- 1950, sent to Okinawa for 2 months advanced infantry training
- July 1950, arrives P'ohang-dong, Korea for combat

So assuming no 'hostile' combatants (i.e. ex-Wehrmacht, Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe; and definitely no Waffen-SS) would be selected for immigtarion to the USA before 1948; it's not surprising that there appear to be currently no record of ex-Luftwaffe pilots serving in the USAF in the Korean War. As for German ex-combatant 'hostiles', perhaps placed at the end of the immigration queue. They may not have gotten into uniform in time for Korea.


...geoff

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Well there are a few books that had testamonies of German Wehrmacht veterans of WWII that had served in the US Army and US Marines and had fought in the frontlines in Korea during the 50's.

Edward L. Hsiao

[bearoutwest]

Edward,
Your original question asked about ex-Luftwaffe pilots. I've tried to answer that question. It is my opinion that the likely times available for immigration (not before 1948-52, except for a few "valued assets" - test pilots, rocket scientists, etc), together with usual training times make it very unlikely any ex-Luftwaffe pilots would be flying USAF aircraft in the Korean War.

As for ground troops, I found you one case of a Hungarian youth - not an ex-service personnel, and highlighted the difficulties he had in reaching the USA. So obviously, it's not impossible. However, I would suggest that an foreign "hostile" that fought in combat against the USA would have had an even more difficult time.

Still, nothing is impossible. It would help if you actually listed some names of these "few books that had testamonies of German Wehrmacht veterans of WWII" or of the German veterans. That way, others here may be able to add more information to that which you seek.

For myself, though I find this topic interesting, there's probably not much more I can add.

Regards,
...geoff

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Need to examine this topic. So I'm put this up front.

Edward L. Hsiao