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Thiel, Edwin Ludwig (Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders")

Date of birth:
June 19th, 1913 (Höcherbach, Höcherberg, Saarland, Germany)
Date of death:
July 14th, 1944 (Volkovysk/Belarus, Soviet Union)
Buried on:
German War Cemetery Berjosa
Grave: UNK.
Nationality:
German

Biography

Edwin Thiel "was shot down on July 14th,1944 as Führer Stabstaffel, Jagdgeschwader 51 Mölders" and with the rank of Hauptmann.
KIA 14 July, 1944, shot down by Russian AA fire near Kobryn, 2 km east of Wolkowsky, east of Brest-Litovsk while strafing Soviet columns in his Fw 190A-8.
He managed to bail, but was killed when he was too low for his chute to deploy properly.
Achieved a total of 76 victories, all in the East.

1940- June 1941 : J.G.52
June 1941 - July 1943 : Staffelkapitän 2. /J.G.51 'Mölders'

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
Unit:
JG 51
Frontflugspange für Jäger in Bronze
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Leutnant (Pilot Officer)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer
Awarded on:
June 16th, 1942
Luftwaffe Ehrenpokale für besondere Leistungen im Luftkrieg
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
Unit:
JG 51
Awarded on:
1942
Medaille
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Leutnant (Pilot Officer)
Unit:
I. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders", Luftwaffe
Awarded on:
September 9th, 1942
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
with pennant '200'
Frontflugspange für Jäger in Gold mit Anhänger und Einzatszahl
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
Unit:
Staffelführer, 2. Staffel, I. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders", Luftwaffe
Awarded on:
April 16th, 1943
The following newspaper article (dated 30.04./01.05.1943) describes why Thiel received the Knight’s Cross…

“Oberleutnant Thiel shot down 47 enemy aircraft over the course of many hard aerial battles.”
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Sources

Photo