Bomber pilots.

[Larry deZeng]

40, 43, hmmm........

I wonder if maybe some of those listed were assigned to a Transport unit at the time the award was bestowed, but were actually getting it for a large number of Feindflüge flown while serving in bomber units? There was considerable assigning back and forth of personnel between the Kampfflieger, C- and BF-Schulen and Transportflieger branches, with bomber crews often being moved to transports after accumulating a hefty number of combat missions. These happened especially during 1943-44 when the Kampfflieger were in decline and the other branches were in their ascendancy. What they held in common was the multi-engine "B" license with bad weather and instrument training and this made them interchangeable to a large extent. There are lot's of examples of this in the records. A minor point, but possibly worth a thought.

L.