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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: Lambendsor (aka IGS) on Tuesday 13 February 18 14:55 GMT (UK)
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The young man on the far left of the group is also the man in the second photo - born 1923. Does anyone have ideas regarding any of the uniforms depicted? Many thanks!
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Hi, bottom photograph far left, I would say the German Air force.
Frank.
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I think it be of a FLAK unit to be precise.
Justin
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The collar tab is *just* about clear enough to spot a single winged motif. That suggests a "Flieger", or Aircraftman Second Class, or indeed a Flak unit's soldier.
RRTB
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Do you want me to post this in a German forum?
I´m sure someone there can help
Dave
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Sure, Dave, thanks - and thanks, too, to the previous repliers, who gave me a much better idea of what kind of jacket appears on the left in the group photo.
Just to get it clear in my own head - although he was a Flieger in the Luftwaffe doesn't mean he was or ever became a literal "Flyer" in the air force, but rather fired flak *at* aircraft?
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Yes, that would be correct. Basically "Flieger" is the lowest rank in the Luftwaffe and does not necessarily mean that he was a flyer, despite that being the direct translation of the German word into English.
RRTB
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I agree with RRTB
Left: Flieger, Private, Aircraftman 2nd Class
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranks_and_insignia_of_the_Luftwaffe_(1935%E2%80%9345)
Right: One forum member thinks, due to the Emblem on the cap, that this is German Navy.
http://www.militaer-wissen.de/ranks-of-the-german-war-navy-kriegsmarine-until-1945/?lang=en
Bottom, middle. No idea
Dave
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Thanks for the extra information. I just found another photo (attached) of the same young man in yet another setting. He is seated on the far right. Any ideas, clues, etc. would be most welcome -
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Not an expert but could it be a WW2 German "S" Boat (Schnellboot) Known to the allies as "E" Boat.
Several designs and variations were built. Possibly S26-S29
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My suggestion would be an R-Boot (Räumboot) which was a minesweeper type of launch. The reason I'm suggesting this is because of the gun mounted on the fore deck (3.7mm? cannon, 2cm cannon?) which I don't think the E-Boats had?
RRTB
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What's throwing me, too, is what looks like the Luftwaffe insignia on the ship...? Did the Luftwaffe have sea-going Flak Artillerie, or something like that?
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Here's another version of the same image, in case it helps -
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The Luftwaffe operated an air-sea rescue service "Seenotdienst" which included boats. A quick "google" showed that they also had quite a large fleet of boats performing a range of duties including Anti-Aircraft (flak) and various support vessels, which may have been armed. There was also a picture of a white (cream?) forage-type cap identified as belonging to a Seenotdienst crewman.This looks similar to the one worn by the crewman with the pipe 2nd from the left in the crew picture.
Sorry I don't have time to look further into this but I think we are on the right track here.
Maec
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Aha - that's very good to know. In a quick look I found a similar boat:
http://www.luftwaffe-zur-see.de/Kdo.Schiff/DatenFlB/FlB-5001-6.htm
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That would make perfect sense now. I've just finished reading a book entitled "Shot down and in the drink" by Air Commodore Graham Pitchfork. There are references in it to British/Commonwealth aircrew being picked up by the German equivalent of our Air Sea Rescue Units. It's nice to be able to attach a picture to the story.
RRTB
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Lambendsor,
Good find.
That site "luftwaffe-zur-see" lists the crew members of the ship in their photo. I don't read German but do they have a list of known Luftwaffe boat crews that you could search for your man ?
Maec