(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
General der Flieger Karl Bodenschatz
Born: 10 Dec 1890 in Rehau, Upper Franconia (Ober-Franken)
Died: 25 Aug 1979 in Erlangen
Promotions:
Fähnrich (12 Mar 1911); Leutnant (28 Oct 1912); Oberleutnant (16 Mar 1916); Hauptmann (28 Sep 1920); Major (01 Apr 1932); Oberstleutnant (01 Oct 1934); Oberst (01 Aug 1935); Generalmajor (01 Feb 1938); Generalleutnant (01 Jan 1940); General der Flieger (01 Jul 1941)
Career:
Officer-Aspirant, Company-Officer, Platoon and Company Leader, later Battalions-Adjutant in the 8th Bavarian Infantry-Regiment, wounded several times (27 Jul 1910-14 Jul 1916)
Observer-Training with the Flying-Replacement-Battalion Schleißheim (15 Jul 1916-20 Aug 1916)
With the Army-Flight-Park in Strantz (21 Aug 1916-01 Oct 1916)
With the Flying-Battalion 3b (02 Oct 1916-07 Nov 1916)
Flying-Observer with the Fighter-Squadron Boelcke (08 Nov 1916-01 Jul 1917)
Adjutant of the Fighter-Wing 1 ‘Richthofen’ (02 Jul 1917-27 Nov 1918)
With the Airport-Commander, Bamberg (27 Nov 1918-17 Feb 1919)
Platoon-Leader in the 8th Bavarian Infantry-Regiment (17 Feb 1919-12 Apr 1919)
With the Volunteer-Detachment Probstmeyer (13 Apr 1919-24 Apr 1919)
Company-Leader in the 8th Bavarian Infantry-Regiment (25 Apr 1919-03 Jun 1919)
With the Processing-Office of the 8th Bavarian Infantry-Regiment (04 Jun 1919-14 Oct 1919)
Platoon-Leader in the 45th Infantry-Regiment (15 Oct 1919-27 Sep 1920)
Company-Chief in the 20th Infantry-Regiment (28 Sep 1920-11 Nov 1921)
Company-Chief in the 21st Infantry-Regiment (01 Mar 1921-30 Sep 1930)
At the same time, was Detached to Watch-Regiment Berlin (01 Mar 1921-31 Mar 1921)
At the same time, was Detached of Observer-Courses in Grafenwöhr (13 Jun 1921-28 Jun 1921)
In the Staff of the Commander of Ingolstadt (01 Oct 1930-31 Mar 1933)
Transferred to Luftwaffe Service as 1st Adjutant of the Reichs Minister of Aviation, RLM (01 Apr 1933-31 Mar 1938)
At the same time, was Adjutant of the Luftwaffe to the Führer and Reichs Chancellor Adolf Hitler (01 Aug 1935-20 Apr 1936)
Chief of the Staff Office of the Prussian Prime Minister Generaloberst Göring (01 Jun 1936-31 Mar 1938)
Chief of the Ministerial-Office of the Reichs Minister Of Aviation and Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, as well as Permanent Liaison-Officer of the Generalfeldmarschall, later Reichsmarshal Göring with the Führer (01 Apr 1938-08 May 1945)
In captivity (08 May 1945-1947)
Released (1947)

Decorations & Awards:
- Deutsches Kreuz in Silber: am 15.06.1942 als General der Flieger und Chef des Ministeramts des Reichsminister der Luftfahr und Oberbefehlshabers der Luftwaffe
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Ritterkreuz II. Klasse des Grossherzoglich-Badischen Ordens vom Zähringer Löwen mit Schwertern: 06.10.1914
- Kgl. Bayer. Militär-Verdienstorden IV. Klasse mit Schwertern
- Kgl. Preuss. Flugzeugbeobachter-Abzeichen
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Silber
- Türkischer Eiserner Halbmond
- Flieger-Erinnerungs-Abzeichen
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Gemeinsames Flugzeugführer und Beobachter-Abzeichen in Gold mit Brillanten
- Kriegs-Erinnerungs-Ärmelband “Jadgeschwader Freiherr von Richthofen Nr. 1 1917/1918“
- Goldenes Ehrenzeichen der NSDAP
- Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern
- Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse mit Schwertern
- Finn. Freiheitskreuz I. Klasse mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern: 25.03.1942
- Verwundetenabzeichen (20.07.1944) in Gold


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