On Monday, July 12, 2004 at 4:14:02 AM UTC+3, John wrote:
I have recently learned about Douglas Pitcairn a Luftwaffe pilot who flew with
the Condor Legion in Spain. The article didn't describe how someone with such an English sounding name ended up in Spain. At first I thought he might be an English volunteer for Franco but since the Condor Legion was really an all German show and now I learn that Pitcairn flew for the Luftwaffe in France I realize he must have been a German citizen. I am more intriqued than ever. Who was he and how did he get his name? Did he survive WW2?
John Dupre'
Later during the second world was - Dougles Pitcairn von Pentshire was promoted Oberst (colonel) and was in command of the TIGER air defense central located in Otopeni, north to Bucarest (on the location of today Otopeni International Airport „Henri
Coanda”, OTP).
The TIGER Zentralle was coordinating the joint air defense in the south east part of Romania, covering Ploiești (with its famous oil refineries), Bucarest, Cămpina, Tărgoviște, Teleajen, etc. - the oil fields, refineris and marshaling yards around -
in 1941-1944.
I found this name in two books about the TIdal Wave mission - August 1, 1943 - the first real strategic bombing mission over Ploiești. His rank in 1943 was Oberstleutnant (lt colonel) with the same mission - TIGER Zentralle.
Source - Ploesti 1943: The great raid on Hitler's Romanian oil refineries, By Steven J. Zaloga
Second source - Valeriu Avram, Alexandru Arma - Inferno over Ploiești, the american bombardment of 1 august 1943, in Romanian.
A picture of Douglas Pitcairn here -
https://www.pinterest.de/pin/645492559065763936/
In 1981-9182 when I was a cadet in air defense reserve officers school in Ploiești - I saw a large pictorial, maps and documents about the air defense of this region - a project lead by Gen mr Julius Kuderna, including pictures from the Adler magazine
with Kuderna, Pitcairn and the TIGER Air Defence Central Command. Helas .. no copies ...
Many of the officers and staff in the air defense around Ploiești and Bucarest went POW - taken over by the Soviet Red Army after August 28, 1944 - and sent to Russia. We should investigate more - because there were very few casualties among the Germans
who had positions in the air defense command. Maybe we was with Kuderna in Russia - until late 1949.
Generalmajor Julius Kuderna
Born: 10 Jan 1892 in Korneuburg
Died: 08 Jul 1976 in Vienna
Promotions:
Leutnant (01 Sep 1913); Oberleutnant (01 May 1915); Hauptmann (01 Jan 1921); Stabs-Hauptmann (01 Jun 1924); Major (20 Jul 1928); Oberstleutnant (01 Apr 1939); Oberst (01 Sep 1940); Generalmajor (01 Sep 1943)
Career:
Entered the Austrian Army as Platoon and Company Commander in the Royal & Imperial Austrian Railway-Regiment (18 Aug 1913-09 Sep 1918)
Commander of the 2nd Railway-Company (10 Sep 1918-16 Nov 1918)
Transferred to the Peoples-Defence-Company-Korneuburg (17 Nov 1918-01 Mar 1919) Discharged to the Reserve (01 Mar 1919)
Studying at the Technical College Vienna, Electro-Technology Department (1919-1920)
Reactivated as Officer in the 1st Technical Battalion and Studying at the Technical College Vienna, Electro-Technology Department (09 Oct 1920-17 Oct 1926)
Instructor at the Pioneer-Weapons-School (18 Oct 1926-1928)
Advisor in the Ministry for State Defence (1928-14 Mar 1938)
At the same time, Instructor at the Theresian Military Academy Wiener Neustadt (27 Jan 1936-14 Mar 1938)
Transferred into the German Luftwaffe as Officer with Special Duties of the RLM and Luftwaffe High Command (15 Mar 1938-31 May 1938)
Detached to the II. Flak-Battalion of the 33rd Flak-Regiment (01 Jun 1938-31 Jul 1938)
Officer with Special Duties of the RLM and Luftwaffe High Command (01 Aug 1938-25 Aug 1939)
Commander of the 116th Reserve-Flak-Battalion (26 Aug 1939-28 Feb 1940) Commander of the 131st Flak-Regiment (29 Feb 1940-18 May 1940)
Commander of Flak-Brigade VIII (19 May 1940-12 Nov 1942)
Commander of the 5th Flak-Division (13 Nov 1942-31 Aug 1944)
In Soviet Captivity (31 Aug 1944-1949)
Released (1949)
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