Stofl and Kofl

rammjaeger · 16 December 2001, 03:42 AM

Did ever exist an article or source publishing a list with all known - or at least some - of the German Stofl (Stabsoffizier der Flieger) and Kofl (Kommandeur der Flieger)? ???

That would be 8)

Soderbaum · 16 December 2001, 04:45 AM

Hi Rammjäger

Such a list would be very great..

Unfortunate much of this material has probably been "spread" out on different researchers and collectors through the years...

It is obvious however that many persons today have parts of this material and that some German archives like Freiburg still has this kind of material locked down(hidden) for researchers...and that is very bad..

:-/
Gunnar

16 December 2001, 01:04 PM

One of the most hidden source - for all WW1-aviation questions - is the Krankenbuchlager (KBL) Berlin. Whereas a lot of personal documents of former aviation-officers can be found in the Bundesarchiv/Militärarchiv, KBL does only provide information, if one can present a power of the respective family member. That's really a hard job! >

I'm sure that a lot of Stofl/Kofl are known among the researches - excluding those of the Eastern front units!

Mosen

wings · 16 December 2001, 08:34 PM

The list of contents in the Ferko Collecton shows many of the Kofl reports that exist.

Droops · 17 December 2001, 03:22 AM

Why are such reports and information hidden? Information over 80 years old should be released, or at least available to qualified researchers. Could someone explain the rationale for keeping such things out of the hands of researchers?

John

Immo_Frese · 17 December 2001, 07:31 AM

Droops,

at present in Germany the situation concerning the archivs is a little bit strange. Most of the records from the former eastern german archivs were transferred to the Bundesarchiv/Militärarchiv in Freiburg after 1990. But now there is a lack of personal to assort all these papers. It is really a shame. Unfortunately the german "Archivgesetz" is closing these files until the "sorting work" is done. I'm afraid that most of the military papers from the former Potsdamer Archiv will be closed for public use the next years because of these problems

VBR, Immo

rammjaeger · 19 December 2001, 08:50 AM

I was afraid of that - everybody makes his own lists and nobody has published one in the past. :'(

John,
we have also another hampering law referring to the personal data of persons. Applied by a fearsome or bad informed subordinate clerk in an archive it can really nerve you. I made this experience recently again.

Droops · 19 December 2001, 09:28 AM

This is personal data about someone long dead, correct? Most of what you would want would involve service records, hardly the stuff of state secrets. It sounds like research can be quite daunting because of bureaucracy and bad laws. What a shame. :'(

Regards,

John

Vigilant · 27 December 2001, 11:57 AM

Hi Soderbaum!

I saw Lord of the Rings this evening at my local cinema and I now understand your 'quote'!

As for Kofls and Stofls could someone be kind enough to let me know what their closest equivalents in the RFC were? If it helps the RFC hierarchy (1917) went:
Squadron (18 aircraft) - Major
Wing (3 - 8 squadrons) - Lieutenant Colonel
Brigade (2 wings attached to a field army) - Brigadier General
RFC HQ - Major General

Thanks,

Vig.

Immo_Frese · 27 December 2001, 11:53 PM

The Kofl (Kommandeur der Flieger) and Stofl (Stabsoffizier der Flieger) were mostly officers which held the rank of Hauptmann. They were attached to the General Staff of the different AOK's to advise the Commander in chief of the Army in the effective action of the Fliegerabteilungen and Jastas.

VBR, Immo