Lost in Palestine 23 May 1918

[stevenbecker]

Mates,

 

I was cross checking at German pilot said to be PoW when his aircraft crashed near Nablus on the 23 May 1918.

 

The Australia 1 Sqn AFC claimed three Albatross DVa's that day?

 

Two claimed out of control by Lt's Paul/Weir

 

and one forced down by Tonkin/Camm

 

These are just some of the seven Albatross D5a' claimed that month by 1 Sqn AFC, while the German show only three lost that month?

 

Schneidewind (Chedelwind) Gustav    VzFeldwebel    Pilot Airforce Jasta 305 Flieger-Abteilung 305 1-18 to (Jasta 55) Jagdstaffel F1 1-18 to 5-18 to Flieger-Abteilung 305    1918-    (1890 in the Kingdom of Prussia died?) from Infanterie Regiment No 97 to Pioneer Regiment No 25 to pilot's training at Großenhain 8-16 to Flieger-Abteilung 29 5-17 to Jagdstaffel 17 17-6-17 shot down Sopwith Pup 66 Sqn RFC over Noordschote and credited with three more victories Sopwith Camel over Menin 14-9-17 and SE 5a E of Ypres 21-9-17 and RE 8 near Noble-Ville 1-12-17 to Turkey 1-18 shown in Albatros D5a claimed 3 victories claimed a balloon possibly Lt Hargreaves KIA from 50th KBS also claimed by Lt Kunz 8-5-18 & a balloon 9-5-18 and unknown EA 5-18 in Palestine shown (Jasta 55) Jagdstaffel F1 lost three Albatross D5a (5350/170 (5359/170 (5360/17) during May 1918) PoW & WIA 23-5-18 in both arms during a dog fight possibly with BF (C4627) with Lt Paul/Weir or BF (B1276) Tonkin/Camm 1 Sqn AFC around Nablus 23-5-18 (7 victories) awarded Prussia Military Merit Cross and EK II & EK I and Ottoman Liakat Medal and War Medal (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen)
 

The only other German plane lost is shown next day 24 May 1918 but what happened to them I am unsure?

 

Breitenbach Bruno    ObLt    Pilot Airforce jasta 304b 10-17 - Flieger-Abteilung 304    1917-18    (born at Hofstädten ) from Bavarian Reserve Infanterie Regiment No 4 WIA 1915 to Airforce reported WIA 8-11-17 with Scheler (P) in dogfight with Lt's Peck/Williams 111 Sqn RFC during air raid in Wadi es-Sarar where the airfield west of the village of 'Araq el-Manshiya - shot down possibly in AEG C4 with Lt Saradeth (P) 24-5-18 possibly 23-5-18 (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen)
 

Saradeth (Max)     Lt    Observer Airforce Jasta 304b - Flieger-Abteilung 304    1917-18    (born possibly at Ruhpolding ) Bavarian shot down possibly in AEG C4 with Lt Breitenbach (P) 24-5-18 possibly 23-5-18 (not identified)?
 

No others show up, do you have any details of what happen that day?

 

S.B

[michaeldr]

 

In 2016 Cross & Cockade International published a booklet titled 'Lawrence of Arabia & Middle East Air Power' [ISBN;978-0-9555734-7-7] and at the end of that publication is some research by Peter Wright, based upon AIR1/2415/303/28. He includes the following details for May 1918 which may be of interest here

 

Flieger Abteilung 300

Ltn Geuzel, died, 6 May 1918

Vizefeldwebel Kappeler + Ltn Wolff, shot down & killed, 7 May 1918

Fwbl Nette, injured, 24 May

Ltn Vongehr, wounded, 25 May 1918

 

Flieger Abteilung 302

Ltn Gonnella + Oblt Bernhardt, shot down & killed, 11 May 1918

 

Flieger Abteilung 304b

Oblt Breienbach + Oblt Saradeth, failed to return, 23 May 1918

Oblt Forster, injured, 30 May 1918

 

Flieger Abteilung 305

Oblt Haidenheim, wounded, 1 May 1918

Vzw Seubert, wounded, 4 May 1918

1 Klasse Dr Jaffe, died of wounds, 17 May 1918

 

Jagdstaffel 1 (F)

Ltn Meyerdirks, killed (wings collapsed), 4 May 1918

Vzw Schniederwind, wounded in fight, 23 May 1918

Edited 22 December , 2020 by michaeldr

[Guest]

Michael,

 

Yes May 1918 appears to have been busy.

 

Most of these names I have;

 

FA 300

 

Genzel (Geuzel) Willi    Lt deR    Observer Airforce  (Jasta 55) Jagdstaffel 1 F 4-18 shown combined Jasta 300    1918-    (1891 at Frose DoW 6-5-18) reported WIA 14-4-18 with Vfz Knevels in dog fight with Lt Bott 111 Sqn RFC near Tabsor
 

Kaeppler (Käppeler) Karl    VzFeldwebel    Observer Airforce Jasta 300 to (Jasta 55) Jagdstaffel 1 F    1918-    (1892 at Hohenzollern DoW 8-5-18) Wurtemburg from Fliegerabteilung (Artillerie) FA (A) 252w WIA 10-17 to Turkey reported WIA 7-5-18 when crashed landed with Lt Wolff (P) in dog fight by Lt Smith/Mustard 1 Sqn AFC BF2b (B1229) shared with Lt Tonkin/Camm near Djenin around Nazareth died at Nazareth also shown KIA 8-5-18 awarded Wurtemburg Gold Military Service Medal
 

Wolff Richard    Lt deR    Observer Airforce Jasta 300 9-17 - Flieger-Abteilung 300    1917-18    (1892 at Nieder-Gutsdorf DoW 8-5-18) an seinen wunden (of his wounds) reported shot down with Kefler (P) a British Niueport near Nabus 22-4-18 reported WIA 7-5-18 when crashed landed with Lt Kappeler (P) by Lt Smith/Mustard in BF2b (B1229) 1 Sqn AFC shared with Lt Tonkin/Camm near Djenin around Nazareth (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen) an feinen wunden
 

Nette    Feldwebel    Airforce Flieger-Abteilung 300 (no details known?

Vongehr    Lt    Airforce Flieger-Abteilung 300 (no details known)?

 

FA 302

 

Gonnella (Gonella) Adolf    Lt deR    Pilot Airforce Jasta 302 - Flieger-Abteilung 302    1917-18    (1897 at Cologne KIA 11-5-18) from Fliegerabteilung (Artillerie) FA (A) 212 reported shot down with Bernhard (O) by Lt Palmer in SE5a (B51) 111 Sqn RFC at Jerusalem buried Nazareth Cemetery Israel brother Robert in Airforce Der Brite besuchte Familie Gonnella in den 1920'er Jahren.
 

Bernhard Kasimir    Lt deR    Observer Airforce Jasta 302  - Flieger-Abteilung 302    1917-18    (1888 at Warsaw KIA 11-5-18) shown DoW 11-5-18 reported shot down with Gonnella (P) by Lt Palmer in SE5a (B51) 111 Sqn RFC at Jerusalem buried Nazareth Cemetery Israel
 

304b

 

Breitenbach Bruno    ObLt    Pilot Airforce jasta 304b 10-17 - Flieger-Abteilung 304    1917-18    (born at Hofstädten ) from Bavarian Reserve Infanterie Regiment No 4 WIA 1915 to Airforce to Turkey 10-17 reported WIA 8-11-17 in AEG C4 with Scheler (P) WIA 8-11-17 in dogfight with Lt's Peck/Williams 111 Sqn RFC during air raid in Wadi es-Sarar where the airfield west of the village of 'Araq el-Manshiya - shot down possibly in AEG C4 with Lt Saradeth (O) 24-5-18 or 23-5-18 (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen)
 

Saradeth (Max)     ObLt    Observer Airforce Jasta 304b - Flieger-Abteilung 304    1917-18    (born possibly at Ruhpolding ) Bavarian shot down possibly in AEG C4 with Lt Breitenbach (P) 24-5-18 or 23-5-18 (not identified)?
 

Forster (Förster) von (possibly Maximilian)     ObLt    Pilot Airforce Jasta 304b 10-17 - Flieger-Abteilung 304    1917-18    Bavarian photo of christmas party with Flieger-Abteilung 304b shown injured in accident 30-5-18  (not identified) (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen)
 

FA 305

 

Haidenheim    ObLt    Airforce Flieger-Abteilung 305 (no details known)?

 

Seubert    VzFeldwebel    Airforce Flieger-Abteilung 305 (no details known)?

 

Jaffe Hermann    Capt deR Dr    OberStabsarzt (Staff Surgeon) Airforce Feldflieger-Truppe - Flieger-Abteilung 305    1917-18    (1886 at Santomischel DoW 17-5-18) gefallen at Damascus 
 

Jasta 1 F

 

Meirederks or Meyerdirks or Maierdirch Karl    Lt deR    Pilot Airforce shown first OC (Jasta 55) Jagdstaffel 1 F 1-18 to 5-18 combined into Jagdstaffel 1 F 5-18 shown combined Jasta 300 & (Jasta 55) Jagdstaffel 1 F 3-18  T/CO (from Felmy) - Jagdstaffeln    1918-    (1896 at Bremen KIA 4-5-18) vermißt MIA 4-5-18 at Es-Salt Jericho listed on Ehrentafel (photo shot down British RE 8 24/25-4-18 near Nablus) reported (Jasta 55) Jagdstaffel 1 F lost three Albatross D5a (5350/170 (5359/170 (5360/17) during May 1918) shown killed accidental crash in Albatros DVa when plane wings collapsed and crashed shown KIA 4-5-18 on grave buried in Nazareth Cemetery Israel (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen)
 

Schneidewind (Chedelwind) Gustav    VzFeldwebel    Pilot Airforce Jasta 305 Flieger-Abteilung 305 1-18 to (Jasta 55) Jagdstaffel 1 F 1-18 to 5-18     1918-    (1890 in the Kingdom of Prussia died?) from Infanterie Regiment No 97 to Pioneer Regiment No 25 to pilot's training at Großenhain 8-16 to Flieger-Abteilung 29 5-17 to Jagdstaffel 17 17-6-17 shot down Sopwith Pup 66 Sqn RFC over Noordschote and credited with three more victories Sopwith Camel over Menin 14-9-17 and SE 5a E of Ypres 21-9-17 and RE 8 near Noble-Ville 1-12-17 to Turkey 1-18 shown in Albatros D5a claimed 3 victories claimed a balloon possibly Lt Hargreaves KIA from 50th KBS also claimed by Lt Kunz 8-5-18 & a balloon 9-5-18 and unknown EA 5-18 in Palestine shown (Jasta 55) Jagdstaffel 1 F lost three Albatross D5a (5350/170 (5359/170 (5360/17) during May 1918) shown PoW & WIA 23-5-18 in both arms during a dog fight BF (C4627) with Lt Paul/Weir or BF (B1276) Tonkin/Camm 1 Sqn AFC around Nablus 23-5-18 (7 victories) awarded Prussia Military Merit Cross and EK II & EK I and Ottoman Liakat Medal and War Medal (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen)
 

not mention

 

Geissler Louis    Sgt    Ground crew Airforce Jasta 303 7-17  - Flieger-Abteilung 303    1917-18     (1892 at Linden DoA 25-5-18) at Samakh shown He belonged to the ground staff of the aviation department and crashed in the Jordan and drowned buried Nazareth Cemetery Israel 
 

Klaus Edwin    Offizier Stellvertreter     Pilot Airforce 1st Aircraft Company Tayyare Boluk 3-17 to 2nd Aircraft Company Tayyare Boluk    1917-18    (1889 at Obergneus died 9-5-18) near El-Humar cause not stated? (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen)
 

Krause Otto    Flieger    Airforce (unit unknown)    1917-18    (1896 at Romanshof died 18-5-18) at El-Humar cause not stated? (not identified) 
 

Lichtenstein (Erich?)     ObLt (Capt)    Observer Airforce Jasta 300 4-17 - Flieger-Abteilung 300    1917-    (1890 at Thiede KIA 27-5-18) possibly RTG shown Capt KIA 27-5-18 also KIA 10-6-18 with Lt deR Emil Wolf from Fliegerabteilung (Artillerie) FA (A) 229 near Mezieres France 
 

Siege (Riege) possibly Kurt    Lt deR    Observer Airforce 10th Aircraft Company Tayyare Boluk 6-17    1917-    (born 1890 at Ludingworth Hadeln KIA 19-5-18) gefallen att 2nd Army on Caucasian front (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen) RTG to Fliegerabteilung (Artillerie) FA (A) 241 western Front 
 

A number of claims bu Germans are shown.

S.B