Luftwaffe Schools:
Corporal, Luftkriegschule für Fleugzeugflieger 3:
Thirteen Luftkriegschulen were established in the greater Reich during the war period. At these schools officers and enlisted candidates, selected to become pilots, were trained not only to fly but in tactics, leadership, basic avionics, social, and other skills that would be required.
KS 3 was located in Guben which, following the end of the war, became part of the Deutsche Democratic Republic; the former Luftwaffe base then supported MiG Aircraft until reunification in the 1990s.
Following basic pilot training, and the A/B license qualification, the new pilots moved on to study the flight characteristics of selected classes of aircraft they would fly, such as single and multi-engine fighters and bombers.
Additionally, to fly combat missions they were required to pass the Blindflugschule (Instrument Rating). With this rating pilots qualified for reconnaissance, night operations, seafaring missions, as well as fighter and bomber combat roles.
Following completion of the course, the new pilot was awarded the Fleugzeugführerabzeichen. Established in March 1935 by the Luftwaffe Commander-in-Chief Hermann Göring the badge was a training confirmation, not a combat award.
The Unteroffizer’s Tuchrock or Service Bluse with the KS cipher embroidered into the shoulder insignia which is piped in golden-yellow Waffenfarben of Fliegertruppen, flying personnel, just after graduation and award of Fleugzeugführerabzeichen.
He wears either the Schirmmütz or Fliegermütz, trousers, and boots. During flight operations, he wears the Fliegerbluse along with the appropriate flight suit and equipment.
Gefreiter Technisch Kompanie Luftwaffe Kriegsschule Berlin-Gatow:
Luftwaffe Kriegsschule Berlin-Gatow In 1935, the Luftwaffe built a new airfield in Gatow which is located on the outskirts of Belin. Dedicated by Adolf Hitler in early November 1935.
After its completion, Luftwaffe Kriegsschule II and Luftwaffe Kriegs Akdamie were established here. These were both main training centers throughout the war. Hitler was regularly flown from the Gatow airfield to Berchtesgaden.
Shortly before the end of the war, Hanna Reitsch flew from the Gatow airfield on April 26, 1945, with Colonel-General Robert Ritter von Greim to the Führerbunker in Berlin, which was already completely surrounded. The Luftkriegsschulen were training facilities for junior officers of the Luftwaffe-Wehrmacht, whose graduates were entitled to fly aircraft of the A1 to B2 class.
The Gefreiter, trained as Gerätverwalter für Flugzeuggerät or Aircraft Equipment Administrator as well as a Fliegerschützen und Bordfunker or Radio Operator / Gunner. Wound in a manner that has taken him out of being in a flight crew and he now is a member of the Technical Kompanie training new pilots.
The Gefreiter’s Tuchrock or Service Bluse with the KS cipher embroidered into the shoulder insignia which is piped in golden-yellow Waffenfarben of Fliegertruppen, flying personnel. His service in the East is acknowledged by his Ost Front Medal.
A member of a bomber crew he has been wounded during a sortie shown by the Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber and the Fliegerschützenabzeichen für Bordfunker. Additionally to this collection is a Schirmmütz and Mantel with Kriegsschule cyphered Feldwebel shoulder insignia piped in yellow Waffenfarben.
Gefreiter Technisch Kompanie - Greatcoat:
This is the uniform of a 'Unteroffizier' in the Luftkriegs-schule fur Flugzeug Flieger 3. Thirteen Luftkrieg Schulen were established within the greater German Reich during the war.
At these schools, officers and enlisted candidates, selected to be pilots, not just learned to fly various aircraft, but tactics, basic avionics, leadership, social skills, radio communication operations, navigating, and a number of other skills that would be required to know to get to become a pilot.
The KS-3 was in Gauben, which following the end of the war, became part of the (DDR) 'Deutsche Democratic Republic' and then the base started supporting 'MIG' jet- aircraft until the Rektifikation of East and West in the 1990s.
Following their basic training, the A/B license qualification, the new pilot moved on to the study of flight characteristics, and certain types of aircraft they would get to fly, such as single-engine, multi-engine aircraft, short, fighters, and bombers, and they would have to get Instrument rated aka "The Blind Flugschule”, they would learn their aircraft's particular mechanics, aerial gunnery, and more avionics.
Upon his graduation from the school, and with his rating as 'Qualified Pilot’, he could do Transportation, Reconnaissance, or Night Fighting, Sea-plane operations, as well as general Fighter Bomber operations with aircraft.
The uniform may have been last used at the awards ceremony where he received his Flugzeugversicherungen. After he left the school his rank would have changed, and the uniform would have had to have its shoulder boards removed, and others sewn in, the silver chord loop indicated his 'Officer Candidate' classification and would be removed as well.
The KS cipher stitched in the hook and loop method was a common feature of the students. The uniform is a 'Touch-rock' or Service Blouse, and the dark yellow 'Waffenfarben' color indicates the affiliation with the 'Flying Troops' called 'Fliegertruppen'.
The Germans never geared up like the US when they went to war and did not produce flyers per-say in the numbers to achieve their Fuhrer's goals, no one could have anyone.
And large, the Luftwaffe did not create Nazis, that was the indoctrination at a young age, or, as when Adolf Hitler took charge of the country. The bottom line is they put up one hell of a fight, and their leadership totally botched, and as control came to Hitler, and Goring did more damage than any enemy did, the Generals had their hands tied in the end and that's exactly how war get lost, and generally started too, by the politicians who are exempt!
The Book! or well one of them, for the Luftkriegsschulehrgang.
Unteroffizier, Nachtrichtenschule:
Luftwaffennachrichtenschule :
This Unteroffizier from the Nachrichtenschule is a little different angle on the Air-Corps training school. There were many Luftwaffe (MOS) Military Occupational Specialties, from Electronica, and late in the war radar, to ground maintenance, flight school, Machinery, gunnery, etc.
This soldier worked with Radios in the Communications Department. Radio communications were an essential part of the Luftwaffe, as it was in all the Wehrmacht branches.
This soldier worked with Radios in the Communications Department. Radio communications were an essential part of the Luftwaffe, as it was in all the Wehrmacht branches. Close communication between aircraft and ground forces was an essential part of the Blitzkrieg theory of mixed forces working together in mass to spearhead operations in battle.
The Luftwaffe had to work closely with the Army and Waffen-SS Ground Forces for its mission of attacking the enemy efficiently.
The Radio systems for near and far distances were equally important, and the short-wave radio receivers for ground and air-to-air operations had to work all the time, this required skilled operators and maintenance personnel to be on their toes and keep it all running smoothly.
These skilled technicians were trained in various operations of the Radios, from several different schools prior to their assignment to Aircraft or Ground duties. In the Pre-War and early years of the War, this required a voluntary 4-year enlistment. A large part of the Luftwaffe was expanded, and many in the service saw much advance in rank.
These Radio Operators often found themselves right up on the front lines as the missions grew ever larger, and it was not abnormal for these men to be wounded or killed, some with wounds would be kept in the force to train others, and the never-ending new recruits needed to fill the line.
In this case, it was said that this NCO lost his foot, in action, as a liaison officer running between the Infantry command bunker and supporting air units. Thus, after recovery, he had been assigned to the Nachrichten-Schule to train new students in air-ground radio operations.
The Tan-Brown piping and tab color denote his affiliation with Luftwaffe Radio and Communications Operations, and the metallic intertwined NS cipher is the NCO's style and denotes his service at the school. The metallic cipher is that of an NCO, Enlisted would be I think chain stitched in the brown Waffenfarbe., and an officer, guilted Ciphers.
In this case, he was sort of used as a forward observer, but he coordinated bombing and strafing run on the enemy, this involved some tactical know-how of what works and what doesn't, and angles of attack, etc. Without bringing danger to his own forces.
Here we can see that at least he was decorated for his time at the front, as teaching does not often bring medals, but some recognition as a leader to the students, he has pinned to the jacket the War Merit Cross with Swords second class, and the First Winter of Russia ribbon.
And here the War Merit Cross with swords (First Class) Badge, he got this, for his actions that day, on the Russian front where he was calling in air support probably from JU-87's to help blunt a Red Army Offensive, and lost his foot in action on the front lines, that got him the Wound Badge in silver, though I'm sure he would have preferred just to keep his foot though.
It still contains a medical bandage- if not a thin one, and really is no longer needed...well tell the end of the war when nowhere was safe in Germany, not even at the schools and in the cities.
The lining of the Fliegerbluse is all blue and is of artificial silk material. the jacket was used only by the Luftwaffe. The jacket does retain some extra pockets internally for his ID booklet, and/or hankie whatever, pens pencils, glasses, etc.
The trousers typical of Luftwaffe Soldiers are not part of the uniform as it was received, but likely this type of pants was commonly worn with it., if not in winter for sure. The jacket was not his battlefield uniform, but his work jacket when at school, teaching, and around the air bases.
These have a small pocket watch pocket and slit pockets, with a button fly, using very small buttons. The back has a central tightening strap. and very well may have also been worn with shoes rather than boots as per the norm.
As a teacher, he wears a Non-Commissioned Officers style Schirmmutze, and it has been highly stylized by the Soldier. As mentioned before, during class. He often wore white trousers, in the summer, to set himself apart from the enlisted men, to let them know who was in charge. With the uniform, he wore black shoes with the white trousers and black boots with the gay ones. He also wore a polished belt with the uniform.
Radio Communications were essential to the functioning of the Luftwaffe as an arm of the overall Wehrmacht. Close Communication between aircraft and the ground was critical to the accomplishment of the mission of attacking the enemy and supporting advancing elements of the Army, and Waffen-SS on the ground.
The radio systems for both near and long-distance radio communications required skilled personnel for both operations and maintenance. These skilled technicians were trained at various Luftwaffe Schools prior to assignment either in aircraft or ground support operations.
In the pre-war, and early part of the war working in this area required a four-year voluntary enlistment. A large part of the Luftwaffe as the size of the Luftwaffe expanded saw advances in rank.
Often assigned to front-line operations it was not abnormal to see severe wounds. In the case of this Unteroffizier, he had lost a foot as a liaison while on the front lines, between the infantry division and the supporting units. Following his recovery he was assigned to the Nachtrichtenschule to train new radio personnel.
He has been awarded not only the Silver Wound Badge for the loss of his foot but both classes of the War Merit Cross with Swords for his actions in the support of the infantry units when he was in the field. He has also received the Ost-Front ribbon, for the early desperate days of that first winter in Russia.
The Fliegerbluse shoulder boards are piped in the same rust-brown as his collar tabs, depicting his branch (Luftwaffe-Signals) with metallic intertwined NS devices showing his school assignment. He wears a non-commissioned officer Schirmmutz with an enlisted belt, and white summer breaches with black boots when teaching, and blue/gray trousers with black shoes the rest of the time.
Gefreiter, Luftwaffe Flack Artillerie Schule Wustrow:
The Luftwaffe controlled the bulk of German anti-aircraft artillery, commonly called Flak, since the 1930s. The smallest tactical unit of anti-aircraft artillery was the Batterie which contained four to six guns.
Three to five gun Batterie and a searchlight Batterie composed the Flak-Abteilung. Abteilungs were refered to as leichte, gemischte or schwere, referring to the size of guns. Flak guns in use were 20 mm, 37 mm, 88 mm, 105 mm, and 128 mm. Abteilungs were organized into regiments, brigades, and corps. By the end of the war, there were 29 flak divisions battling the Allied bombing offensive.
One of the Luftwaffen Flak Schule was located in Wustrow. The Gefreiter is part of the school cadre most likely scheduling classes, and supervising the range used for training troops. His Flakabzeichen demonstrates he has combat experience. Seriously wounded on the Ost Front while supporting army divisions with heavy flak the Gefreiter is no longer a front-line soldier and has been transferred to support the training of more Flak personnel.
He wears the Kraftfahrpersonal sleeve badge and was awarded for having a military driver’s license for operations of one of the prime movers used to pull the 88 mm guns.
