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Luftgaukommando reports NARA
Luftgaukommando reports NARAAuthor: RDC (Guest)
Time Stamp:
19:07:53 Saturday, February 5, 2005
Post:
Hello all. Some readers may recall discussions last February surrounding the availibility of captured German Luftgaukommando records housed at the National Archives and Records Administration in Maryland, USA. RodM was very helpfull in directing us to this source as well as interpreting various meanings. I have received a copy of the report for a particular night's operations and have identified the aircraft I was researching. MY QUESTION IS: On the far right column of the report there is a numeric or in some cases alpha numeric reference given. Is this a reference to a file (compiled by the Luftgaukommando) for that particular aircraft loss? Secondly are these individual reports available through the NARA? If so what other information would be beneficial for the NARA to provide such reports?
Leaving no stone unturned,
Rob Campbell
RE: Luftgaukommando reports NARA
Author: George (Guest)
Time Stamp:
18:31:53 Saturday, March 5, 2005
Post:
Hi Rob,
I have learned so far that the prefixes J, KU, ME a.s.o. give a hint to the country resp. theater and incidences in/under which these reports were made. KU and J normally originate from Germany and the Low Countries, ME often from the Mediterranian (maybe this is an abbreviation). Sorry I cannot help with more details. You can order them at the Textual Branch or NARA.
All the best, George
RE: Luftgaukommando reports NARA
Author: RodM
Time Stamp:
11:58:21 Tuesday, April 5, 2005
Post:
Hi Rob,
'glad that the index has provided something useful to you.
Just to reiterate my basic understanding of the history of these files, the Luftwaffe did, on orders from Goering, manage to successfully destroy 80-90% of their records (i.e. - those that had not already been destroyed by bombing). However, the Allies did manage to capture the 'bits and pieces' that have mostly now been returned to Germany.
Among these were surviving original German Luftgau intelligence reports on crashed Allied aircraft. The reports detail and information gained from the wreckage, the fate of crew members and what actions were taken to find airmen on the run.
These reports were captured by various western powers at various locations. From what I have seen in the indexes, most of the reports are from the 1944-45 period, mainly relate to US aircraft, are very fragmentary (i.e. not all crashed aircraft or periods are covered)and, from what I have seen so far, in the Reich proper, mainly cover crash locations in central to northern Germany.
The western Allied powers collated their captured documents and most of the surviving crash reports now reside at NARA in the US (these reports were not returned to Germany). I say most because a fair number of the NARA reports are paper copies from microfilm provided by the British (see report numbering system below). I can only presume that the originals of these reports are still in British hands...
The Americans made a contemporary index of the reports, microfiche of this is in RG 92, while the original/paper copies of the reports are in RG 242. Also, I have found reference to these reports in casualty files where the report number is not indexed. How many unindexed reports there are and whether these are at NARA, I do not know....
Each report has a report number/reference, which is given in the index. The numbering system seems to be:
(x = numeral)
1. Jxxxx - reports relating to fighter aircraft
2. KUxxxx - reports relating to US bomber aircraft
3. KExxxx - reports relating to British bomber aircraft
4. AVxxxx - reports relating to all aircraft. 'AV' may relate to where the docs were captured.
5. MExxxx / KSUxxxx / KSUJxxxx / KSEJxxxx - reports relating to Allied losses located in the Mediterranean, Balkans and Italy.
6. xxxxxx - reports referred to by the microfilm frame number as supplied by the British. The frame numbers start at around 101400 on the 4/09/39 and end with frame number 132744 on the 25/3/45.
To obtain a copy of a specific report, write to:
The National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD
(NOTE - they only accept written orders, nothing online)
Tell them that you want to copy report xxxx of Records Relating to Captured Allied Personnel among the records of the Luftgaukommandos, Record Group 242
Cheers
RodM
PS - Ross, at some stage will, start putting up my transcription of the report indexes on his RAF Commands sites. Please bear in mind that this will be a slow process as there are around 7,000 entries in total, of which, only around 1,000 have been databased....
RE: Luftgaukommando reports NARA
Author: RDC (Guest)
Time Stamp:
17:35:25 Sunday, June 5, 2005
Post:
Thanks Rod for all the information. I have now sent off a further request to the NARA to hunt down the specific individual reports.
Rob Campbell