Edmund Nathanael

Offiziersstellvertreter Edmund Nathanael (18 December 1889 – 11 May 1917) was a World War I flying ace credited with 15 aerial victories. He flew both two-seater reconnaissance aircraft and single-seater fighter craft. He scored all his victories while flying for Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 5, and received a rare award of the House Order of Hohenzollern for his valor. He was killed in action while serving the German Empire.

Edmund Nathanael
Nathanael in March 1917
Born	18 December 1889 Dielsdorf, German Empire
Died	11 May 1917(1917-05-11) (aged 27) Bourlon Wood, Belgium
Allegiance	German Empire
Service / branch	Luftstreitkräfte
Rank	Offiziersstellvertreter
Unit	Flieger-Abteilung (Artillerie) 42, Jagdstaffel 22, Jagdstaffel 5
Awards	House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross First Class, Wilhelm Ernst War Cross, General Honor Decoration in Gold with Swords

Early life

Edmund Nathanael was born on 18 December 1889 in Dielsdorf, the German Empire.^[1][2]

Reconnaissance service

It is not known if Edmund Nathanael first served in a ground unit, although that was the usual practice for German aviation volunteers. However, Nathanael's first aviation service was with Flieger-Abteilung (Artillerie) 42 (FAA 42). This unit operated two-seater reconnaissance aircraft and carried out the hazardous task of directing artillery fire from its aerial station. While serving with Flieger-Abteilung (Artillerie) 42, Nathanael served with enough distinction that he earned the seldom awarded Wilhelm Ernst War Cross from his native Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, as well as the Grand Duchy's General Honor Decoration in Gold with Swords. The German military customarily seasoned its aviation personnel in combat; the most promising were then "promoted" to fighter pilots. The system conserved the single-seater fighter pilots, as they would not easily fall victim to rookie errors when they entered combat.^[1][2][3]

Service in fighters

Nathanael was forwarded to a fighter unit in late 1916; it was then customary to reassign a pilot to one of the four national air forces that constituted the German Air Service. In Nathanael's case, his native Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach adjoined the Kingdom of Saxony. He was not only assigned to a Saxon squadron, he seemed to be a founding member of Royal Saxon Jagdstaffel 22, which formed in November 1916. He would serve with this unit until March 1917. He gained no victories while with this squadron.^[1][2] The squadron itself would amass 57 victories by war's end.^[4]

Nathanael in front of his Albatros D.III at Boistrancourt in March 1917

However, he served well enough that in March 1917, he transferred to the prestigious Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 5. With this reassignment, he was posted to serve with some very successful aces—Renatus Theiller, Werner Voss, Hans Karl Müller, and Hans Berr among them.^[5] Nathanael was assigned to fly an Albatros D.V.^[6] In contrast to Jagdstaffel 22, Jagdstaffel 5 would be credited with 253 victories during World War I.^[7]

Nathanael scored his first aerial victory with Jagdstaffel 5 on 6 March; he would run his victory total to 15 in two months. Nathanaels 14th victory on 30 April 1917 made him the first pilot in history to shoot down an SE-5 (of No. 56 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps). Five days after his 15th victory was credited, Nathanael's plane was shot down in flames as the ninth of 21 victories of Scottish ace Captain William Kennedy-Cochran-Patrick of No. 23 Squadron RFC, which killed Nathanael in action.^[1][2][8] Captain Kennedy-Cochran-Patrick was flying Spad VII serial number B1580 when he shot down Nathanael.^[9]

Nathanael was one of only 18 German fliers to receive the House Order of Hohenzollern during the First World War.

Controversy on jewish faith / origins

Nathanael was listed, without proof of sources and likely because of his surname, as a German of jewish faith / origins in the media on occasions. Extensive recent archival research has proven this to be untrue, he was of protestant faith and no jewish family connections could be traced over the last ca. 200 years.

Aerial victories of Edmund Nathanael

All victories were scored while flying with Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 5.^[2]

No.	Date	Time	Opponent	Squadron	Location
1	6 March 1917	1345 hours	Morane-Saulnier serial number A268	Escadrille 3, Aéronautique Militaire	North of Guedecourt
2	11 March 1917	1245 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b	No. 23 Squadron RFC	North of Beugny, France
3	24 March 1917	0900 hours	Sopwith 1½ Strutter	No. 70 Squadron RFC	Écoust-Saint-Mein, France
4	25 March 1917	0920 hours	Sopwith 1½ Strutter	No. 70 Squadron RFC	Vélu, France
5	25 March 1917	0925 hours	Nieuport 17	No. 29 Squadron RFC	East of Beugny, France
6	2 April 1917	Morning	Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b s/n 6953	No. 22 Squadron RFC	Northeast of Gouzeaucourt Wood
7	3 April 1917	1635 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b s/n 4987	No. 23 Squadron RFC	North of Boursies, France
8	6 April 1917	0820 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b s/n A6388	No. 57 Squadron RFC	Douchy
9	13 April 1917	1935 hours	Observation balloon s/n 34-16-4		West of Saint Quentin
10	22 April 1917	1410 hours	Observation balloon s/n 3-13-5		Bus, Pas-de-Calais, France
11	22 April 1917	2005 hours	Spad	No. 23 Squadron RFC	Ribecourt
12	28 April 1917	1315 hours	Sopwith 1½ Strutter s/n/A993	No. 43 Squadron RFC	Vacquerie-le-Boucq, France
13	29 April 1917	2100 hours	Nieuport fighter s/n A6745	No. 40 Squadron RFC	Beaumont
14	30 April 1917	1005 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 s/n A4866	No. 56 Squadron RFC	East of Fresnoy, France
15	6 May 1917	1840 hours	Nieuport 17	No. 60 Squadron RFC	North of Bourlon, France

References

1. "Edmund Nathanael". theaerodrome.com. The Aerodrome. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
2. Norman Franks (1993). "Above the Lines: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918". pp. 171–172. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
3. Jon Guttman (2011). "Spad VII Vs Albatros D III 1917–18". p. 8. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
4. Norman Franks (1993). "Above the Lines: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918". pp. 38–39. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
5. Norman Franks (2000). "Albatros Aces of World War I". pp. 19–23. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
6. Jon Guttman (2011). "Spad VII Vs Albatros D III 1917–18". pp. 9, 20. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
7. Norman Franks (1993). "Above the Lines: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918". p. 31. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
8. "William John Charles Kennedy-Cochran-Patrick". theaerodrome.com. The Aerodrome. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
9. Jon Guttman (2011). "Spad VII Vs Albatros D III 1917–18". p. 45. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)

Further reading

• Albatros Aces of World War 1: Part 1 of Albatros aces of World War I. Norman Franks. Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1-85532-960-3, ISBN 978-1-85532-960-7.