Flieger-Regiment 22

[Karsco88]

Dear forummembers,

As an avid WWII enthusiast, I spend a large amount of my free time on things related to this topic. I'm also very interested in the liberation period my country, Belgium, and especially the fighting in my province, Limburg. During my search for more clues on the liberation of a nearby village, I stumbled upon an intriguing fact. In the village, and the vicinity of it, at least 16 members of Flieger-Regiment 22 died on the same day. Another thing is that these soldiers were all very young. 18 years was about the average age of the group. As I said, intruiging. After some clue searching I came into contact with a family member of one of the soldiers, who told me about the life of the person in particular. Thus I learned that Flieger-Regiment 22's soldiers were composed of a bit of everything, such as fighterplane students who were pressed into service (as ground infantry) after the allied landing in France, 1944.

My question is: where can I find more information on the formation of this 'unit' and it's evolution during the war? They were incorporated into a FJ unit in september 1944 (possibly the 3rd and 5th FJ division) but I'm not sure of this fact.

So where do you think I should start looking? I can't find substantial info on the web about the unit itself. Little seems to be known about the Flieger-Ausbildungs-Regiments... Moreover, I expect to find more in the LXXXI. Armee-Korps's Kriegstagebuch, but where can I consult it? Bundesarchiv Freiburg im Breisgau maybe? Does anyone have a good (literature/ reference) tip?

Kind regards,

Karsten

[Tom Peters]

Fl.Rgt. 22 has some mention in T971 R051 (von Rohden). In Sept 44 it was attached and later incorporated into Div. Nr. 176. Due to the lack of most of the records for the time period, official sources are few and far between. As far as I know, no Lw records of this unit for the time period exist. Material on Div. Nr. 176 is also very rare, but I do have some information. Please PM me.

Mad Dog

[Karsco88]

A PM was sent to you Tom. Hope to hear from you soon !

[Tom Peters]

Karsco88, please check your messages and email me at my listed email address.

thanks,

Mad Dog

[Luft 76]

Dear forummembers,

I learned that Flieger-Regiment 22's soldiers were composed of a bit of everything, such as fighterplane students who were pressed into service (as ground infantry) after the allied landing in France, 1944.

They were incorporated into a FJ unit in september 1944 (possibly the 3rd and 5th FJ division) but I'm not sure of this fact.

Karsten

As all the others regiments Fl. Regt. 22 was a basic training unit, for all young recruts who arrived in the air force, without speciality (Flak or airplane, ...). Since 1942, many of the soldiers were send to ground units (Felddiv or Fj.) by a classic way. The allied landing was not responsible of that.
Between august and september 44, most of the Flieg. Regt. fought "by thelmselves", often in or with others Kampfgruppen. To my knowledge, 22. was not particulary incoporated in the 3. or 5. FJD. But it's depend also of the date (early september ? Or October ?).

[Lodieu Didier]

Hello,

This topic is very interesting.
In the area of Mantes sur Seine (France), call now Mantes la Jolie, was a severe fighting. THis battle is call the Bridgehead of Mantes. The 79th US Inf Div was engaged here against FJR 21, 49. Inf Div and the 18 FeldDiv. (L) (there is also a Cp of s Pz. Abt. 503 and etc).
So, a friend of mine found a Gasmask last year with inside the FPN. 55 969. It represents the Stab of the III./Flieger Rgt 22.
Probably that it equiped a an officier from a Jg Rgt from the 18th?
What you think about that?
Didier

[Luft 76]

a friend of mine found a Gasmask last year with inside the FPN. 55 969. It represents the Stab of the III./Flieger Rgt 22.
Probably that it equiped a an officier from a Jg Rgt from the 18th?
What you think about that?
Didier

Very certainly ! Already saw the case of members of Flg. Regt. 22 transfered to 18. Lw FD. And from Flg. Regt. 26 to 17. Lw FD.

[Lodieu Didier]

Thanks a lot to take the time to answer me and share your knowledge.
For information, this Gasmask is green, like in the Heer. Even not the blue-grey from the LW. But it's normal in this kind of Lw Divisionnen.
Best regards
Didier

[Luft 76]

Green color was also often used in others branches of Lw, like signals or Flak. Even in Fliegerboden units. I know few others Flg. Regt's gasmasks who are also green.
What is curious for your gasmask is the own inscription of Fl. Regt. 22, and not the last FD unit. Probably an oversight (?).

[Lodieu Didier]

Yes, probably that he didn't take time to change it.
It's funny because I saw, trwo monthes ago, a military site in California, which proposes a helmet with this inscription : Flieger Karl (not sure of the name, but sure for Flieger) and 17 LW FeldDiv. The helmet was in very bad shape. The cam was at 30 %. At the beginning I believed that it as false, because It was wrote Flieger. For me it must be Jäger, but after to check thoses inscriptions in the gasmak, I am sure now that the helmet was good. Impossible to refind the site. But I remember that I found it by the links of the fine site " Italian War relics". Maybe you'll find it.
Thanks to your reply.
Didier

[Tom Peters]

If anyone has any information on this unit for the period Sept-Dec 44, please let me know. There isn't much out there, other than a few references in the von Rohden files or Autumn Gale.

thanks,

Mad Dog

[Luft 76]

Unfortunatly not, Tom.

[TiesG]

The Flieger-Regiment 22 was in Groningen and Drenthe between sept. 1944 and jan. 1945. The Flieger-Regiment 51 and 53 were also in Groningen. Also 1 Kompanie of the Flieger-Regiment 55. I have a lot of very reliable resistance document together with the list of the Kriegs Lazarett 3/686 that was in Groningen. Thanks to those lists and documents I now know where they were, wich Kompanien. I also have a lot of names because they were in the hospital. With these names come their birth dates, FP.Nr. EKM info, date of being in the hospital and their Dienstgrad.

[Luft 76]

Very interessant. Are you sure that all theses regiments were in Groningen ?

[TiesG]

100% I Have checked all Feldpost numbers from the hospital list. All of them were more then once in the list from sept. 1944 till jan. 1945. All these units were also mentioned in the resistance documents. The people of the resistance seemingly had the possibility to speak to German soldiers and therefore knew everything about them. Date of birth, living place, unit, Fp.Nr and so on.

A few weeks ago a nice grouping of documents from the Flieger Regiment 51 was sold on ebay. Within this grouping was a map wich showed the places they have been. Hoogezand(Groningen) and Zuidlaren(Drenthe) was where they ended in sept. 44 .

Besides this I have the funeral list of the Ortkommandantur Groningen. I can tell you, there were a lot of soldiers from the 22., 51. and 53 buried in Groningen. Especially in the beginning of sept. 1944.

For instance: on 05-09-1944 8 soldiers of the Flieger Regiment 51 and 4 of the Flieger-Regiment 53 were buried in Groningen. They were killed on the railroad near Meppel(Drenthe), most probably because their train was attacked bij planes.