Date of birth:

January 17th, 1908 (Nuremberg/Bavaria, Germany)

Date of death:

June 21st, 1942 (near Kharkov/Kharkov Oblast, Soviet Union)

Nationality:

German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Beckh entered service with the Reichswehr in 1926 when he joined the Kavallerie. He transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1935 with the rank of Oberleutnant. Here he was placed with Jagdgeschwader 134 and was trained to Generalstabsoiffizier.l It was there where he learned to know Werner Mölders. In October 1940, it was Mölders who transferred him to the Geschwaderstab with Jagdgeschwader 51, with the rank of Major im Generalstab. He achieved his first victorie on 5th February 1941. He took command over IV. / Jagdgeschwader 51 on 27th February 1941. On 21st July 1941 he took over the command of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" and was severely injured when hit by flak on 16th September 1941. After his recovery he was placed with the Reichs Luftfahrt Ministeriums but received command over Jagdgeschwader 52 on 3rd June 1942 as its Kommodore. On 21st June 1942 he had his last operational flight and was hit by flak near Walijki, east of Kharkov and reported Missin-in-Action. Friedrich Beckh was promoted to Oberstleutnant posthumously and achieved 41 victories.
In 2004 during the reconstruction of a road, a Messerschmitt Me 109F-4 was found with in it the remains of Oberstleutnant Bechk and he was no longer Missina-in-Action.

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• Photo 1: Norbert Beyerlein
• Photo: Beyerlein sammlung
  
• - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
  - OBERMAIER, E., Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe, Hoffmann, 1989.
  - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
  - Die träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eiserne Kreuz 1939 - 1945
  - Traditionsgemeinschaft JG 52