Karl Rommel

Leah · 10 May 2006, 06:24 AM

Hi,my first post here.

I'm after details on Karl Rommel,Erwin Rommel's younger brother.

Desmond Young states that he flew in Turkey and Mesopotamia during the war.

Any details would be much appreciated.

Cheers,
Leah

StephenLawson · 10 May 2006, 09:00 AM

Welcome to the Aerodrome Leah. The members to ask on German personnel would be "Rick" or "Soderbaum".

Rick · 10 May 2006, 09:28 AM

I thought I heard my name mentioned. Welcome to the Aerodrome, Leah. Yes, I have a pretty decent service record for Ltn.d.R. Karl Rommel:

FEA 8 __________ 8Mar16 - 18Mar16
FS Köslin _______ 18Mar16 - 12Jul16
FEA 8 __________ 12Jul16 - 2Aug16
Hospital _________ 2Aug16 - 21Aug16 at Graudenz
FEA 8 __________ 21Aug16 - 2Jan17
AFP B __________ 2Jan17 - 27Feb17
FA 284(A) ______ 27Feb17 - 1Dec17
AFP F __________ 1Dec17 - 1Dec17
FA 300 __________ 1Dec17 - 3Apr18
Jasta 2 'F' ________ 3Apr18 - 2Jun18
Jasta 2 'F' OzbV ____ 20May18 - 2Jun18
FA 300 ____________ 2Jun18 - 9Jun18
Hospital ___________ 9Jun18 - 20Jun18 at Damaskus
FA 300 ___________ 20Jun18 - 28Jun18
AFP F ____________ 28Jun18 - 9Aug18
FEA 8 ____________ 9Aug18 - ______
FA 219(A) __________ - 6Sep18 KIA SW Bray

Leah · 10 May 2006, 10:03 PM

Thank you for your assistance.

Young's book infers that Karl survived the war but it appears not.

Best to all

Leah

FliegerJG1 · 11 May 2006, 06:45 AM

This is confusing...I did a google search and came up with this web page that mentions a Karl Rommel MIA in Norwary July 30, 1941. Maybe there are two people with the same name?

http://www.luftwaffe.no/SIG/Losses/tap412.html

Very Best Regards,

FliegerJG1

Rick · 11 May 2006, 07:03 AM

That could very well be the case. It would also explain why one of them was a pilot, while the one KIA was an observer. Anyone know the birth date and place of Erwin's brother ? R.

Rick · 11 May 2006, 10:22 AM

OK, I'm convinced. I don't know where or when Erwin's brother was born, but Erwin was born 15Nov91 in Heiderheim, Würt. The deceased Ltn.d.R. Karl Rommel was born in July 1892 at Sangerhausen, Saxony. An 8 month difference doesn't seem quite long enough

R.

FliegerJG1 · 11 May 2006, 08:11 PM

I’ve checked 2 biographies on Erwin Rommel. Karl is his older brother who returned seriously wounded from the war. He was still alive in 1944 because reference is made to a letter he wrote to Erwin, recovering from serious wounds when his car was strafed.

David Irving’s book says of Karl:

“Brother Karl volunteered for the army—but only so as to avoid taking his final examinations. He became an army reconnaissance pilot, and his fine photographs of the Pyramids and the Suez Canal are in the family papers.”

Rick, your data seems to match except for dates of birth and death.

VBR...

FliegerJG1

Leah · 12 May 2006, 06:36 AM

Hello,

I found this photo and details on the Axis History Forum.

"Leutnant Karl Rommel served as a pilot in Flieger-Abteilung (A)284 during WWI. He earned both classes of the Iron Cross and the Knight’s Cross of the Württemberg Military Merit Order (27 September 1917). The information and photo are from this source:

• O’Connor, Neal W. Aviation Awards of Imperial Germany in World War I and the Men Who Earned Them – Volume IV: Aviation Awards of the Kingdom of Württemberg. Foundation of Aviation World War I, Princeton, New Jersey & Flying Machines Press, Stratford, Connecticut, 1995."

Best to all

Leah

Rick · 12 May 2006, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FliegerJG1

Rick, your data seems to match except for dates of birth and death.

Those dates are for the Ltn.d.R. Karl Rommel (O) who was KIA with FA 219(A). They are not the dates for Ltn. Karl Rommel (P), who was the brother of Erwin. Sorry for the confusion. R.