Faver Berchtenbreiter

[Dean Berchenbriter]

Looking for information on our German relative Faver Berchtenbreiter, Luftwaffe pilot who died in 1941 and buried at Ballstadt. Can anyone please direct me to sources of information concerning his death?

deanberch@aol.com

[Larry deZeng]

We only have one individual with that last name in our data base of some 31,000 Luftwaffe officers:

BERCHTENBREITER, Anton. (DOB: 19.04.00). WW I veteran (Infanterie). Awarded the Blutorden (blood order) of 09.11.23. 1929-32 extensive flight training, including in Russia, and to 1937 medal-winning competitive aviator in international contests. 11.10.32 Generalstab training in the Reichsheer (to 01.03.33). 01.10.33 Generalstab training at the Heereskriegsakademie Berlin (to 30.06.35). 01.10.34 trf to the Luftwaffe. 01.07.35 trf to Insp.d.Aufkl.Flieger- und der Luftbildwesens/RLM. 01.08.36 promo to Maj. † died before the war (cause unknown).

An on-line data base of Luftwaffe air crew personnel does not list anyone by that last name.

HTH,

HLdeZ/DGS

[lilsis]

Hi,

the "F" is a X his name is Xaver this datas are in "Volksbund:
Nachname: Berchtenbreiter Vorname: Xaver Dienstgrad: Oberschütze Geburtsdatum: 01.09.1913 Geburtsort: Bollstadt Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 05.10.1941 Todes-/Vermisstenort: Nowo-Tischowa


Xaver Berchtenbreiter wurde noch nicht auf einen vom Volksbund errichteten Soldatenfriedhof überführt oder konnte im Rahmen unserer Umbettungsarbeiten nicht geborgen werden. Nach den uns vorliegenden Informationen befindet sich sein Grab derzeit noch an folgendem Ort:

Nowo Tischowo / Jelnja - Rußland

LG "Sis

[Larry deZeng]

Novo-Tishovo is 13.5 km west of Yel'nya (76.5 km ESE of Smolensk). His Todestag is three days after the opening of Unternehmen Taifun, the renewed attack toward Moscow. The advance from the west through Novo-Tishevo toward Yel'nya seems to have been by IX. Armeekorps and especially its 183. Inf.Div.

So if Xaver is the right one, then we know he was not Luftwaffe but rather an Oberschütze (private first class) in the Heer and possibly belonged to the 183. Infanterie-Div. at the time he was killed. Alternatively, the rank of Oberschütze was also used by the Luftwaffe's Flakartillerie branch, so we have the possibility that he may have been in the Luftwaffe after all.

There is a unit history for this division:

Ernst Schnabel - Weg und Schicksal der 183. Infanterie Division: Geschichte der fränkisch-sudetendeutschen 183. Infanterie Division, Divisionsgruppe 183 in der Korps-Abteilung C, 183. Volks Grenadier Division 1939-1945

L.

[lilsis]

Hi,

think its correct year of born + year of death are same like on gravestone and city of birth is same only the A is in real a O but maybe we get a feedback from Dean.

LG "Sis

[Brian Bines]

If the picture on the gravestone is Xaver it looks like a Heer uniform.

[Dean Berchenbriter]

Thanks everyone for your help. Here is a closeup of Xaver. It that not a Luftwaffe insigna on his cap?

[Larry deZeng]

No, Brian Bines is right. That's a Heer (Army) insignia on the cap. So he was in the Army.

L.