Lt Wilk L.F.A.

[joegertler]

I don't think we ever succeeded in confirming what L.F.A. stood for in WWI Austrian military.
I came across a 1915 aviation book signed? by "Lt Wilk, L.F.A. Wien." I know Wien is Vienna... I looked up the Austrian pilot license listings, from beginning through 1919, and did not see his name listed for a pilot license. Good possibility he was either an observer, or in ground field artillery, as this was about small Austrian aircraft-mounted sending radio, in the observer's cockpit. ("Kleine Flugseuggeber")
Anyone know of a Lt. Wilk (possible that first his initial is an "O".)or definite meaning of L.F.A.? There was earlier speculation that it may have had something to do with artillery units?

[rammjaeger]

Hi Joe,

the earlier artillery speculation was correct.

L.F.A. stands for "Luft-Fahrzeug-Abwehr" [literally: air-vehicle defence], the Austrian term for Flak or AAA.
You will also find the term Lfa.-Dienst. This is anti-aircraft service.

So, "your man" is an officer in this service in Vienna.

VBR
Hannes

[joegertler]

Thank you, Hannes;
This makes perfect sense. Could LFA Also have responsibility of aircraft DIRECTED artillery? Lt. Wilk of the LFA would have good reason to have a manual for wireless communication equipment from aircraft, to direct artillery fire.

[rammjaeger]

Joe,

IMHO in the Lfa.-Dienst he would not really need knowledge about artilleriy direction via wireless.
However, I think he could be an original artillery officer - either a) with great interest in this matter or - maybe more likely - b) an officer serving in some different staff functions who did work for Abteilung III (includes Lfa.) and Abteilung IV (incl. wireless) in the homeland during his career.

See organizational table: Austro-Hungarian Army - k.u.k. Luftfahrtruppe (http://www.austro-hungarian-army.co.uk/lft.htm)