information on Ofw Hans Balker

[gilles collaveri]

good morning

On 26 May 1944, Ofw Hans (Johann ?) Balker (born 20 Oct 1915) crashed on a church in Blagnac in the South West of France.

He was flying the Dewoitine 520 N°888 (Matti : thanks for info)

Can anyone find any information on this pilot ? any picture ? family ? burial place ?

I can read that this aircraft belonged to "Sonderkdo. O.K.L". (or "Kommando Erla"). what was this exactly ?

Thanks

Gilles

[Matti Salonen]

Buried at Dagneux/Frankreich, Block 5, Reihe 12, Grab 379.

Matti

[Chris Goss]

Born Czarnen-Johannisberg

[Larry deZeng]

Erla
There were at least 7 of these, but I only located these two:

Identified Frontreparaturbetriebe (Arabic Numbers):

Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2551 (Erla VII)
Formerly Frontreparaturbetrieb GL Antwerpen. Overhauled and repaired Bf 109 and Fw 190 fighter airframes; Mar 42 had 127 Germans plus 2,660 civilian employees; remained in operation in Antwerpen (Antwerp)/Belgium until at least 24 Aug 44, then withdrew to Germany and disbanded. (FpN: L 19583).

Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2552 (Erla VI)
Mar 42 in Brussels – overhauled airframes; had 65 Germans and 984 civilian employees. Aug/Sep 44 withdrew to Germany and disbanded. (FpN: L 51273).

==============================

Fliegersonderkommando Ob.d.L.

also as: Fliegersonderkommando d. Ob.d.L. (L.P.) Jüterbog

Perhaps the least known and most misleading of all the “Sonderkommandos”, Fliegersonderkdo. Ob.d.L. was the administrative unit for Luftwaffe personnel assigned or attached to manufacturers as test pilots, ferry pilots and for related purposes. It seems to have been little more than an office or orderly room with a couple of clerks and an NCO or an officer. It was first noted in official documents dated March 1943 with location at Jüterbog, but in October 1943 several paybooks (Soldbücher) taken from prisoners have entries placing it in Dedelstorf on both 7 and 23 October. Designated Fliegersonderkommando OKL from June 1944, it was still in existence in March 1945.

L. deZ.

[gilles collaveri]

thanks guys

I also found this amazing link where I have everything :

https://crainsmilitaria.com/index.ph...roduct_id=1926

have a good week-end

Gilles

[Chris Goss]

It appears he did not start flying training until 1940 and after that, had no combat experience

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Well done Gilles and nice finding! Seems he flew quite a lot of twin-engined machines before! A nice story surely will arise....keep us informed!
All the very best for you and yours.
A.

[Chris Goss]

He was until 1940 groundcrew hence FBK-Flughafenbetriebskompanie (Airfield Servicing) admittedly with He 111 units. He was army until 1936

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Thanks for clarifying Chris. I just saw the various KG units and thought that he had then flown with them....now it clear that he had a chance to take a Flying Course and that he came from the Ground Crew Branch. My actual boss was also a Mechanic (Part 121) and "won" the Helicopter Commercial Course from ANAC.