Alexander Vakalopoulos,DKiG Holder

[Edward L. Hsiao]

In Traces of War Website I found a Luftwaffe NCO named Alexander Vakalopoulos who won the German Cross in Gold on Oct.17.1943 while serving with KG-3 Blitz. Do you have more information about him? How many war sorties did he flew? Did he survive World War II? I know his last name does not sound German but he was born in Germany of German parents.

Edward L. Hsiao

[Chris Goss]

Bordfunker with Stab./KG 3. Also awarded EP 22 Feb 43 with the rank of Ofw

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Just for curiosity, was he a Greek who volunteered to fly for the Luftwaffe, or born from German parents in Greece? His Family name looks like Greek, and if so, he may be one of the rarer foreigners to have flown with the LW.

I know for instance that there were Brazilians (theme of a project of mine), Chilean, Venezuelan, Danish, Swiss (Wilhelm Baumgartner, it seems so) and other Nationalities. I have NEVER seen a FULL list of ALL Nationalities of airmen that have flown in the Luftwaffe....It would be surely fantastic to find them all.

[VtwinVince]

Clearly a Greek surname. Wilhelm Canaris was also descended from Greeks.

[Franek Grabowski]

Place of birth or citizenship or surname is not equal to nationality. Galland or Marseille were not French, Pitcairn was not British, Nowotny was not Czech, Krupinski was not Polish.

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,thank you for the answers. I wonder if Alexander Vakalopoulos was ever nominated for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross late in the war like 1944 or 1945?

Edward L. Hsiao

[VtwinVince]

'Place of birth is not equal to nationality'? You've already lost me. I was born in Canada, which makes me Canadian.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by VtwinVince

'Place of birth is not equal to nationality'? You've already lost me. I was born in Canada, which makes me Canadian.

Depends if you read nationality as meaning "origin" or "current citizenship" (e.g emigrated then naturalised).

[VtwinVince]

Of course Nick, it's subjective and countries have their own statutes regarding citizenship. I have German citizenship, although I've never lived there. My parents were both German citizens when I was born.

[edwest2]

My father was born in Poland and lived in the United States after the war. He never became a citizen.