Lehr und Erprobungskommando 36

[Chris Goss]

Has anyone discovered who commanded this unit at Garz from 1943 to December 1944?

[Larry deZeng]

Names associated with Lehr-u.E-Kdo. 36:

BIERLING, Hptm.
BOBSIEN, Hptm.
EICHHOLZ, Hptm.
HETZEL, Ernst, Maj.
HLAVAZCEK, Hptm.
MERTENS, Hptm.
RUBE, Reinhardt, Oblt.
SCHEDEL, Heinrich, Oblt.

[Sources: Balcke: KG 100 history; CSDIC interrogation report A. 441.]

You can look up these 8 names in Lw.-Officer Career Summaries on ww2.dk.

L.

[John Manrho]

Hptm. Bobsien was St.Kap. 2./Lehr u. Erpr.Kdo. 36 from 15.10.1943-06.02.1944.

John

[Chris Goss]

Thanks John-this would fit as he was formerly I./KG 40 but I am after the Kdo Führer

[John Manrho]

Correct, he was with 2./KG 40 from late 1940 onwards. He made 5 Feindflüge. I am not sure who was Kdo Führer of Erpr.Kdo. 36.

[Chris Goss]

John: Presume you got the details from BA on Bobsien? Cannot understand why a Kdo would have St Kap? However, Oblt Heinz Schedel is stated as being a St Kap as well. Larry and Doug say he was Kdo Führer which would match as it appears that Hptm Ernst Hetzel took command Aug 43 to Sep 44 and then Hptm Günther Eichholz was in charge (he signed a document in March 1945)

[Larry deZeng]

Possibly helpful.........evidence of at least 3 numbered Staffeln.

Stab/E-Kdo. 36 KStN 1162 (L)
Betr.Techn.Gr./E-Kdo. 36 " (LP order 546/44)
1. u. 2. Staffel/E-Kdo. 36 " 1163 (L)
5. F.K. Betr.Kp./E-Kdo. 36 " 1336 (L)

[from Luftwaffenpersonalamt documents captured at Berchtesgaden May/June 1945, microfilmed, and currently at NASM/Smithsonian in the 7000-series rolls.]

Mar 44: "while all other elements of E-u.L-Kdo. 36 remained at Garz/Usedom, a separate Lehr-Kp. was established in March 1944 at Swinemünde under a Hptm. Bierling to train technical ground servicing personnel on the maintenance of the remote control equipment."

[from CSDIC interrogation A 441.]

L.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

[from CSDIC interrogation A 441.]

L.

Hi Larry,

Your post prompted me to see if I had that report and it turns out that I have a completely different A441 (source: TNA AIR 40/3114). Mine is "CSDIC CMF Report A.441", and—incredible coincidence—on page 3 names Hptm. Eichholz as CO of Lehr u. Erpr.Kdo 36. I would never have realised I had that information without your post since it was something I copied in 2014 for information on Operation Dragoon.

See attachments.

[John Manrho]

Yes, data comes from PA Pers 6/188877 and mikrofilm (FF) (still from Aachen in 1990's)

John

[Larry deZeng]

"I have a completely different A441 (source: TNA AIR 40/3114). Mine is "CSDIC CMF Report A.441"

Yes, my copy appears to be a truncated abbreviated version of CMF A 441 that I found in the boxes at Suitland back in the 1980's.