• Fähnrich zur See: 17 September 1917
  
• Leutnant zur See: 18 September 1919
  
• Oberleutnant zur See: 1 April 1922
  
• Kapitänleutnant: 1 October 1929
  
• Major: 1 December 1934
  
• Oberstleutnant: 1 January 1937
  
• Oberst: 1 April 1939
  
• Generalmajor: 1 April 1942
  
• Generalleutnant: 1 April 1944
  

• 20 October 1916-21 December 1916: Naval School Mürwick.
  
• 22 December 1916-28 March 1917: Sea Cadet aboard the school ship Freya.
  
• 29 March 1917-7 July 1917: Aboard the pre-dreadnought battleships Schlesien and Hannover.
  
• 8 July 1917-3 January 1918: Naval School Mürwick.
  
• 4 January 1918-9 March 1918: Aboard the armored cruiser Kaiserin Augusta.
  
• 10 March 1918-12 December 1918: Assigned to the Marinekorps in Flanders.
  
• 12 December 1918: Placed in reserve.
  
• 1 January 1919-15 May 1919: With the Volunteer Naval Division East.
  
• 16 May 1919-1919: With the Harbor and River Flotilla of the East Prussian Volunteer Corps.
  
• 10 January 1920: Reactivated in the Navy.
  
• 10 January 1920-9 August 1920: Watch Officer, torpedo boats T 155 and V 5.
  
• 10 August 1920-10 September 1920: With the III Torpedo Boat Flotilla.
  
• 11 September 1920-24 March 1921: First Watch Officer, minesweeper M 93.
  
• 25 March 1921-2 January 1922: Course at the Coastal Artillery School (Flak Course).
  
• 1 April 1922-2 June 1925: Commander of artillery tender Fuchs.
  
• 3 June 1925-22 September 1925: Course at the Ship's Artillery School.
  
• 23 September 1925-5 October 1927: Second Artillery Officer, II Naval Artillery Battalion.
  
• 6 October 1927-30 September 1928: Artillery consultant and Adjutant to the Inspector of Naval Artillery.
  
• 1 October 1928-16 April 1929: Watch Officer and Second Artillery Officer, training cruiser Nymphe.
  
• 17 April 1929-1 November 1929: Watch Officer and Second Artillery Officer, light cruiser Königsberg.
  
• 2 November 1929-15 January 1930: First Watch Officer and Second Artillery Officer, training cruiser Amazone.
  
• 15 January 1930-2 March 1932: First Watch Officer and Second Artillery Officer, light cruiser Köln.
  
• 3 March 1932-25 September 1932: Course at the Ship's Artillery School.
  
• 26 September 1932-30 September 1933: Company chief and Artillery Officer in II Naval Artillery Battalion.
  
• 1 October 1933: Transferred from the Navy to the Luftwaffe.
  
• 1 October 1933-30 September 1934: Seaplane and observer training at Warnemünde.
  
• 1 October 1934-5 May 1936: Staffelkapitän [Squadron Commander], Seefliegerstaffel M1 and commander of fleet catapult flyers [Luftwaffe seaplane crews stationed aboard the heavy surface ships of the German Navy].
  
• 6 March 1936-30 April 1939: Consultant in the General Staff of the Luftwaffe / Department 2.
  
• 1 May 1939-31 July 1939: Chief of the General Staff of Luftgau [Air Zone] III.
  
• 1 August 1939-18 December 1939: Chief of the General Staff of Leader of Sea Air--Armed Forces East.
  
• 19 December 1939-21 July 1940: Chief of the General Staff of Luftflotte [Air Fleet] 4.
  
• 22 July 1940-9 November 1942: Chief of Staff to the Luftwaffe General with the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy.
  
• 10 November 1942-24 January 1943: Delegated with the temporary leadership of the 13^th Luftwaffe Field Division [deployed to Russia from December 1942].
  
• 25 January 1943-30 October 1943: Commander of the 17^th Luftwaffe Field Division in France.
  
• 31 October 1943-11 December 1944: Delegated with special tasks in the General Staff of the Luftwaffe.
  
• 12 December 1944-14 January 1945: Department chief for Special Tasks and Troop Proposals / Reich Aviation Ministry.
  
• 15 January 1945-9 May 1945: Führer Reserve.
  
• 10 May 1945-18 July 1945: Commander of the Luftwaffe Sea Division.
  
• 12 May 1945-17 May 1948: British prisoner of war.
  • 9th January 1946 transferred to Island Farm Special Camp 11 from Camp 1
    

   

  Post card sent by Olbrich 28th June 1947 whilst a POW at Island Farm (Courtesy of Jon Mills - private collection) CLICK TO ENLARGE

  Front of Postcard	Rear of postcard

  Rear of card reads: Dear Miss Way, Owing to the restrictions of our quota I can thank today from all my heart for the lovely parcel you were kind enough to send to Mrs O. (Mrs Olbrich) for our children who have been so seriously ill. I appreciate it highly and the more as I know you spent it from you whom I always think kindness such as yours is what the world just now needs most to bring nations nearer in a world still full of hate, for bless you. My wife just wrote me that Volhart (aged 10) is out of hospital too, but is still very deli cate as he suffers from a very serious inflamation of the lungs and peritonitis. Now we hope things will be going better with sun- shine Once more for bless you. Believe me dear Miss Way yours very grateful. Herbert Olbrich

  • 12th May 1948 transferred to Camp 186 for repatriation.
    

Decorations & Awards (included):