This collection consists of a scrapbook documenting all aspects of an Austro-Hungarian officer's experience on the Eastern and South Tyrol Fronts of World War I. It includes photographs as well as maps.
Scope and Contents:
This scrapbook includes images of all aspects of an Austro-Hungarian officer's experience on the Eastern and South Tyrol Fronts of World War I. Photographs include images of such cities as Trieste and Venice, of informal celebrations, life in the field, artillery, a lighter than air hangar used for the assembly of heavier than air craft, aircraft wrecks, war dead and executions of soldiers, as well as air to air images of World War I aircraft and several of a laboratory with wind tunnel. Aircraft featured in the scrapbook include the Albatros B.I, Aviatik B.II, Aviatik B.III, Aviatik triplane fighter, Brandenburg C.I (U), Brandenburg D.I (Ph), Brandenburg G.I, Brandenburg KD, Fokker A.III, Knoller B.I (Th), Lloyd triplane bomber (Type LK 1), Lohner B.I, Oeffag C.I, Phonix C.I, Rumpler B.I and Von Mises bomber (Type Gr.I). Also included are maps of the Eastern front and of towns including Kovel, Trojanowka, Loboml and Mielnica.
Arrangement:
This collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
Paul Ernst flew as an observer for the the Austro-Hungarian Army in World War I. His unit, Fliegerkompagnie 27, served on the Russian Front from June 1916 to December 1917. From March to October of 1918, Flik 27 flew on the South Tyrol front. Dr. Paul Ernst later taught at the Department of Applied Physics at the University at Glasgow, Scotland and in 1946 came to the United States, where he began work at Aberdeen Proving Ground
Provenance:
Estate of Gertrud Ernst, Gift, 2004, NASM.2004.0030
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This collection consists of photo albums and loose photographs documenting Dezsö Becker's World War I aviation career, as well as photocopies of Becker's death certificate and Buchenwald Camp entry paperwork.
Scope and Contents:
This donation consists of the following material documenting Dezsö Becker's World War I aviation career: a 13 by 11 inch cloth photo album, black background with flowers; a 7 by 9 inch gray photo album; and 24 black and white photographs. The larger photo album contains images of the following: Becker; a Russian pilot and his aircraft; the hangars and officer's mess of the FliK 44; an aircraft crash; and reconnaissance images of Bacau and other sites in Romania, including the Szentkatolna Airport, the bridge over the Szeret River, and the towns of Moinesti and Doftana. The album has Hungarian captions, which have been translated by the donor. The smaller photo album contains eight autographed 5 by 7 black and white portraits of Becker's comrades in the FliK 44. The loose photographs are mostly official portraits of Becker, but there are also a few group shots of the FliK 44. This collection also includes a small snapshot of Becker's Bradenburg C.I(U) mounted onto cardboard, with autographs on the reverse. There are also photocopies of Becker's death certificate and Buchenwald Camp entry paperwork.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged by type of material. Folder titles in brackets were applied by the archivist.
Biographical / Historical:
Dezsö Becker (1896-1945), a bookkeeper by profession and a skilled amateur photographer, was a Lieutenant with the FliegerKompanie (FliK) 44 in the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I. FliK 44 was activated in April of 1917 as a reconnaissance unit. From May until December 1917, Becker was on the Romanian Front (Siebenburgen) and from January 1918 until October 1918, he was on the Piave Front. He was a photographer for the FliK 44, and flew in a Bradenburg C.I(U). Becker was a decorated World War Air Corps Officer; however, because he was a Hungarian Jew he was drafted into an army labor battalion in 1940, first as an officer, than as a forced laborer. He was shipped to the provinces of Hungary and later to Germany. Becker died in the Buchenwald Concentration Camp, January 1945.
Provenance:
Ivan Becker, Gift, 2007, NASM.2008.0004
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Kaiserlich und Königliche Luftfahrtruppen Search this
Extent:
10.6 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Digital images
Date:
bulk 1915-1918
Summary:
This collection consists of digital scans of the forty-eight photographs in a souvenir album of Fliegerkompanie 17; "Gewidmet vom Offiziers Korps der Fliegerkomp.17. Südwest Front ("Dedicated by the Officer Corps of Squadron 17. Southwest Front"). The photographs chronicle the daily life of an active World War I squadron, showing squadron personnel in a variety of activities and providing a rare look at a lesser-known theater of the Great War.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of digital scans of the forty-eight photographs in a souvenir album of Fliegerkompanie 17; "Gewidmet vom Offiziers Korps der Fliegerkomp.17. Südwest Front ("Dedicated by the Officer Corps of Squadron 17. Southwest Front"). The photographs chronicle the daily life of an active World War I squadron, showing squadron personnel in a variety of activities: pilots and observers preparing for missions and relaxing off-duty, and enlisted menworking at all the trades required for keeping a squadron running -- repairing aircraft, manning an antiaircraft position, cooking rations, and even mending boots. The album provides a rare look at a lesser-known theater of the Great War.
Arrangement:
The digital image scans are presented in the order the photographs appear in the original photo album.
Biographical / Historical:
The Austro-Hungarian Empire entered World War I with a small air force, the Kaiserlich und Königliche Luftfahrtruppen or K.u.K. Luftfahrtruppen (Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops), consisting of eighty-five pilots, thirty-nine operable aircraft, and ten observation balloons. In the first year of the war, Luftahrtruppen units operated on the Serbian, Russian, and Romanian fronts. The Luftfahrtruppen was confronted by its most formidable opponent when Italy entered the war on the Allied side in May 1915. Fliegerkompanie 17 (FliK 17), a reconnaissance and artillery cooperation squadron, was activated on June 3, 1915 and was assigned to the South Tyrol front in Northern Italy, attached to the Austro-Hungarian 10. Armee Korps (10.AK); first at Gardolo, later at Pergine Valsugana, and once again at Gardolo. The squadron was disbanded at Hall, Austria, in 1918. Its most notable commander was Hauptmann (later Major) Raoul Stojsavljevic (1887-1930), a leading Luftfahrtruppen ace with ten aerial victories.
Provenance:
Steve Jorstad, Gift, 2015, NASM.2015.0022; digital image files created from original photo album loaned by donor for scanning.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Topic:
World War, 1914-1918 -- Aerial operations Search this
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Eastern Front Search this
