(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
General der Flieger Richard Putzier
Born: 25 Feb 1890 in Zarnekow, Pommerania (Pommern)
Died: 17 Jul 1979 in Hamburg
Promotions:
Fähnrich (18 Nov 1911); Leutnant (18 Aug 1912); Oberleutnant (27 Jan 1916); Hauptmann (01 Jun 1922); Major (01 Feb 1933); Oberstleutnant (01 Oct 1934); Oberst (01 Oct 1937); Generalmajor (01 Feb 1939); Generalleutnant (01 Jan 1941); General der Flieger (01 Jul 1942)
Career:
Entered the Army as an Fahnenjunker and Battery-Officer in the 24th Field-Artillery-Regiment (17 Mar 1911-01 Aug 1914)
Battery-Officer in the 9th Field-Artillery-Regiment (02 Aug 1914-02 Sep 1914)
Aircraft-Observer with the 18th Infantry-Division (03 Sep 1914-16 Sep 1915)
Aircraft-Observer with the 11th Field-Flying-Battalion (17 Sep 1915-30 Nov 1915)
Observer with the Flying-Battalion A 210 (01 Dec 1915-15 Jan 1917)
With the Artillery-Flying-Command Wahn (16 Jan 1917-10 Jul 1917)
Detached to Army-Flight-Park 4 (11 Jul 1917-14 Jul 1917)
Detached to Flying-Battalion A 250 (15 Jul 1917-18 Jul 1917)
With the Staff of the Commander Of Flying 4 (19 Jul 1917-16 Feb 1918)
With Army-Flight-Park 4 (17 Feb 1918-17 Apr 1918)
Detached to the 256th Flying-Battalion (18 Apr 1918-26 Apr 1918)
Leader of the 250th Flying-Battalion (27 Apr 1918-31 Jan 1919)
Demobilisation with Air-Base Paderborn (01 Feb 1919-15 Apr 1919)
With Air-Base Bromberg (16 Apr 1919-18 Jul 1919)
With the Processing-Office of the 24th Field-Artillery-Regiment (19 Jul 1919-03 Mar 1920)
Battery-Officer in the 9th Artillery-Regiment (04 Mar 1920-30 Sep 1920)
Battery-Officer in the 3rd Artillery-Regiment (01 Oct 1920-31 Dec 1920)
Battery-Officer in the 2nd Artillery-Regiment (01 Jan 1921-31 Mar 1923)
Detached to Cavalry-School Hannover (20 Nov 1920-30 Sep 1922)
Hauptmann with the Staff of the III. Battalion of the 2nd Artillery-Regiment (01 Apr 1923-21 Mar 1925)
Battery-Chief in the 2nd Artillery-Regiment (22 Mar 1925-30 Sep 1929)
With the Staff of the 2nd Artillery-Regiment (01 Oct 1929-31 Oct 1930)
Battery-Chief in the 2nd Artillery-Regiment (01 Nov 1930-31 Mar 1934)
Transferred into the Luftwaffe as Officer with Special Duties in the RLM (01 Apr 1934-30 Apr 1934)
Detached to Bomber-Flying-School Prenzlau (01 May 1934-31 Dec 1935)
Commander of Flying-Group Faßberg (01 Jan 1936-28 Feb 1937)
Commodore of Bomber-Wing 157 ‘Boelcke’ (01 Mar 1937-31 Jan 1939)
Commander of the 3rd Flying-Division (01 Feb 1939-27 Sep 1939)
General with Special Duties of Air-Fleet 4 (28 Sep 1939-31 Jan 1940)
General with Special Duties of Air-Fleet 2 (01 Feb 1940-16 Apr 1940)
Acting-Commander of the 7th Flying-Division (27 May 1940-21 Jan 1941)
Commanding General and Commander in Air-Region I, Königsberg (21 Jan 1941-05 Aug 1943)
Detached to the Staff of Air-Fleet 1 (05 Aug 1943-15 Aug 1943)
Commanding General and Commander in Field-Air-Region XXVI, Riga (16 Aug 1943-31 Aug 1944)
Commander of Liaison-Staff West of OKL (04 Sep 1944-31 Nov 1944)
Führer-Reserve OKL (01 Nov 1944-28 Feb 1945)
Placed to Disposal as Plenipotentiary of the Leader for the Motor Vehicle Employment and Collection in OKW, Wehrmacht-Motor-Transport-Affairs (01 Mar 1945-08 May 1945)
In Captivity (08 May 1945-14 May 1947)
Released (14 May 1947)

Decorations & Awards:
- Deutsches Kreuz in Silber: am 20.03.1944 als General der Flieger und Kommandierender General und Befehlshaber im Feld-Luftgau XXVI, (Riga)
- Ritterkreuz des Kgl. Preuss. Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Kgl. Preuss. Flugzeugbeobachter-Abzeichen
- Ritterkreuz I. Klasse des Kgl. Sächs. Albrechts-Ordens mit Schwertern
- Kgl. Preuss. Flieger Erinnerungs-Abzeichen
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer 1914/1918
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse mit Schwertern
- Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern


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