(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generalmajor Ernst Bonatz
Born: 15 Mar 1891 in Stendal
Died: 14 May 1958 in Bad Harzburg
Promotions:
Fähnrich (13 Sep 1911); Leutnant (18 Aug 1912); Oberleutnant (27 Nov 1917); Rittmeister (01 Feb 1926); Hauptmann (01 Apr 1934); Major (01 Jul 1934); Oberstleutnant (01 Aug 1936); Oberst (01 Oct 1938); Generalmajor (01 Aug 1941)
Career:
One Year Volunteer in the 26th Infantry-Regiment (01 Apr 1909-31 Mar 1910)
Fahnenjunker and Company-Officer in the 44th Infantry-Regiment (08 Apr 1911-30 Dec 1914)
Detached to the War-School in Metz (12 Oct 1911-20 Jun 1912)
Detached to the Air-Base in Königsberg (00 Apr 1914-00 Aug 1914)
Platoon-Leader with the 1st Fortress-MG-Battalion (31 Dec 1914-23 Mar 1915)
Pilot-Training with the 15th Flying-Replacement-Battalion (24 Mar 1915-20 May 1915)
Detached to the Army-Flight-Park South (21 May 1915-04 Jun 1915)
Pilot with the 36th Field-Flying-Battalion (05 Jun 1915-23 Oct 1917)
Pilot with the 25th Flying-Battalion (24 Oct 1917-00 Feb 1918)
Leader of the 25th Flying-Battalion (00 Feb 1918-05 Apr 1918)
Leader of the 36th Ground-Attack-Squadron (06 Apr 1918-22 Apr 1918)
Group-Leader of Flying 19 (23 Apr 1918-17 Jun 1918)
Leader of the 18th Ground-Attack-Squadron (18 Jun 1918-15 Nov 1918)
Ordinance-Officer in the Staff of General-Command Bernhardi (15 Nov 1918-17 Dec 1918)
With the Air-Base in Halle/Saale (18 Dec 1918-19 Jan 1919)
Pilot with the Flying-Battalion Grauert (20 Jan 1919-15 Jul 1919)
Detached to the Cadet-Corps (16 Jul 1919-10 Mar 1920)
Detached with the Air-Peace-Commission (11 Mar 1920-15 May 1920)
Squadron-Officer in the 3rd Mounted-Regiment (16 May 1920-07 Jan 1923)
Leader of the MG-Half-Platoon in the 5th Mounted-Regiment (08 Jan 1923-31 Aug 1926)
With the Staff of the 5th Division (01 Sep 1926-31 Dec 1928)
Retired from Army Service (31 Dec 1928)
Reactivated into Army Service and Detached to the Staff of the 2nd Cavalry-Division (01 Oct 1929-31 Mar 1931)
Advisor in the Staff of the 2nd Cavalry-Division (01 Apr 1931-30 Nov 1933)
With the Staff of the Inspection Of Cavalry, RWM (01 Dec 1933-31 Mar 1934)
Transferred to Luftwaffe Service with the Staff of Air-District-Command II (01 Apr 1934-28 Feb 1936)
Detached to Flying-Group Cottbus (01 Mar 1936-11 Mar 1936)
Commander of the 212th Flying-Group, Cottbus (12 Mar 1936-28 Feb 1937)
Group-Chief in the RLM (01 Mar 1937-31 Mar 1938)
Department-Chief in the RLM, L P 2 (Air Personnel) (01 Apr 1938-30 Jun 1939)
Office-Group-Chief in the RLM, L P ( Air Personnel) (01 Jul 1939-30 Apr 1942)
With the Staff of Military-Replacement-Inspection, Weimar (01 May 1942-02 Nov 1942)
Military-Replacement-Inspector, Weimar (03 Nov 1942-08 May 1945)
No captivity

Decorations & Awards:
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Kgl. Bayer. Militär-Verdienstorden IV. Klasse
- Kgl. Preuss. Flugzeugführer-Abzeichen
- k.u.k. Österr. Militär-Verdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
- Kgl. Preuss. Flieger Erinnerungs-Abzeichen
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse


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