(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generalmajor Hans-Joachim Rath
Born: 11 Dec 1894 in Berlin
Died: 10 May 1968 in Bad Neuenahr
Promotions:
Leutnant (22 Mar 1914); Charakter als Oberleutnant (31 Dec 1920); Oberleutnant a.D. (01 Oct 1924); Hauptmann (01 Jan 1934); Major (01 Sep 1935); Oberstleutnant (01 Oct 1937); Oberst (01 Jun 1940); Generalmajor (01 Dec 1943)
Career:
Entered the Army as a Company-Officer in the 32nd Infantry-Regiment (22 Mar 1914-15 Oct 1914)
Wounded, in Hospital (15 Oct 1944-24 Mar 1915)
Educator at the Head-Cadet-Institute Berlin-Lichterfelde (25 Mar 1915-06 Jun 1915)
Pilot-Training with the 1st Flying-Replacement-Regiment (07 Jun 1915-23 Mar 1916)
Pilot with Combat-Wing 5 of the Supreme Army Command (24 Mar 1916-12 Dec 1916)
Detached to Army-Flight-Park 7 (13 Dec 1916-06 Jan 1917)
Pilot with Fighter-Squadron 22 (07 Jan 1917-02 Aug 1917)
Detached to the Central-Selection-Commission, Flight-Mastery (03 Aug 1917-22 Nov 1917)
Detached as German Representative with the Royal & Imperial Austro-Hungarian Army-Front South-West (23 Nov 1917-26 Dec 1917)
With the Flight-Mastery, Aircraft Department (27 Dec 1917-17 Jun 1918)
Leader of Battle-Squadron 5 (18 Jun 1918-30 Nov 1918)
Leader of the Construction-Supervision (Siemens) with the Flight-Mastery (01 Dec 1918-31 Aug 1919)
Adjutant of the Flight-Mastery (01 Sep 1919-28 Feb 1920)
Detached to the Aviation-Peace-Commission, Reichs Defence Ministry (01 Mar 1920-30 Sep 1920)
Company-Officer in the 2nd Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1920-31 Dec 1920)
Retired (31 Dec 1920)
Reactivated to Army Service as a Territorial-Officer and Specialist in the Technical Office (L), Detached to the Inspection of Weapons and Equipment, 6 F (01 Oct 1924-31 Mar 1925)
Camouflaged Activity for the secret Luftwaffe in the USSR (01 Apr 1925-31 Mar 1928)
Specialist in the Army Weapons Office, RWM – Department Wa. Prw. 6 F, Wa L Pr. Then Wa.Prw. 8 (01 Apr 1928-28 Feb 1933)
Transferred into Luftwaffe Service as Advisor in the RLM, Office C (01 Mar 1933-30 Apr 1933)
Leader of the Defence Office Air in the Central-Office, RLM (01 May 1933-31 Mar 1935)
Detached to Formation-Leader-Course (06 Mar 1934-27 Mar 1934)
Detached to Infantry-Course in Döberitz (15 Oct 1934-14 Dec 1934)
Officer with Special Duties of the RLM and C-in-C Luftwaffe – Detached to Bomber-Flying-School Lechfeld (01 Apr 1935-31 May 1935)
Squadron-Captain with Flying-Group Giebelstadt (01 Jun 1935-30 Apr 1936)
Adjutant with Air-District-Command III (01 May 1936-30 Jun 1938)
Group-Leader II in the Staff of Luftwaffe-Group-Command 2 (01 Jul 1938-31 Jan 1939)
Group-Leader II in the Staff of Air-Fleet-Command 1 (01 Feb 1939-15 Nov 1939)
Briefing as Commander of I. Group of Bomber-Wing 4 (15 Nov 1939-26 Nov 1939)
Commander of I. Group of Bomber-Wing 4 ‘General Wever’ (27 Nov 1939-22 May 1940)
Commodore of Bomber-Wing 4 ‘General Wever’ (23 May 1940-15 Jun 1942)
Commander of the Greater Bomber-Flying-School Thorn (16 Jun 1942-30 Sep 1942)
Flying-Leader Gabes (01 Oct 1942-05 Mar 1943)
Flying-Leader Crete (06 Mar 1943-30 Sep 1943)
Commander of the 2nd Flying-Training-Division (01 Oct 1943-31 Nov 1943)
Commander of the 1st Flying-School-Division (01 Nov 1943-08 May 1945)
In Captivity (08 May 1945-00 Jun 1947)
Released (00 Jun 1947)

Decorations & Awards:
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (05 Sep 1942)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (05 Jan 1942)


Back to ABR Homepage