Generalmajor Kurt Loebell (Luftwaffe)

SOME OF THE PRISONERS HELD AT
SPECIAL CAMP 11

NAME: Generalmajor Kurt Loebell (Luftwaffe)
PW NO:           560266
RANK:            Generalleutnant
CAPTURED:   Luebeck, Germany
DATE:             3rd May 1945

PERSONAL

DATE OF BIRTH: 26 July 1890
PLACE OF BIRTH: Zwingenberg / Hessen

DATE OF DEATH:    21 April 1968
PLACE OF DEATH: Wiesbaden
NATIONALITY:       German
RELIGION:               Roman Catholic
OCCUPATION:        Regular Air Force Officer
HEIGHT:                    5'9"
WEIGHT:                   133 cms
HAIR COLOUR:       Grey
EYE COLOUR:         Grey
NEXT OF KIN:         Margarete Loebell, (British Zone)

Promotions:

Navy

Seekadett: 1 April 1910
Fähnrich zur See: 15 April 1911
Leutnant zur See: 27 September 1913
Oberleutnant zur See: 22 March 1916
Charakter als Kapitänleutnant: 27 August 1920
Kapitänleutnant a.D.: 4 January 1935

Luftwaffe

Hauptmann: 1 May 1935 (RDA 1 February 1929)
Major: 1 August 1935 (RDA 1 July 1935)
Oberstleutnant: 1 October 1938
Oberst: 1 June 1941
Generalmajor: 1 January 1945

Commands & Assignments:

1 April 1910: Entered the Imperial German Navy as a Sea Cadet.
1 April 1910-12 May 1910: First Infantry Course at the Naval School.
13 May 1910-31 March 1911: Sea Cadet aboard the school ship Hansa.
1 April 1911-31 March 1912: Officer Course at the Naval School.
1 April 1912-30 June 1912: Artillery Course at the Ship Artillery School.
1 July 1912-31 August 1912: Torpedo Course aboard the torpedo training ship Württemberg.
1 September 1912-30 September 1912: Infantry Course with the II. See-Bataillon.
1 October 1912-26 September 1913: Radio Telephone Course and Fähnrich zur See aboard the battleship Helgoland.
27 September 1913-11 June 1916: Second Radio Officer aboard the battleship Helgoland. [Assigned to the I Division of the I Battle Squadron, the Helgoland took part in the epic Battle of Jutland against the British Grand Fleet, 31 May-1 June 1916. Although hit by single a 15-inch shell just above the waterline, the ship suffered very little damage and no crew casualties.]
11 March 1916-3 June 1916: Watch Officer aboard the torpedo boat S 126.
4 June 1916-30 September 1917: Group Leader in the I. Commerce Protection Flotilla (Strait Guard).
6 June 1916-30 July 1917: At the same time, Commandant of SMS M 31.
31 July 1917-30 September 1917: At the same time, Commandant of SMS H. Vorwärts.
1 October 1917-1 January 1918: Commander Course at the U-boat School.
2 January 1918-8 January 1918: Artillery Officer Course aboard the armored cruiser Kaiserin Augusta.
9 January 1918-13 January 1918: At the disposal of the Submarine Cruiser Formation.
14 January 1918-20 January 1918: Familiarization aboard the submarine U 153.
21 January 1918-2 March 1918: Artillery Officer Course aboard the armored cruiser Kaiserin Augusta.
3 March 1918-5 May 1918: Course at the U-boat School.
6 May 1918-8 June 1918: U-boat Torpedo Officer Course aboard the artillery school ship Württemberg.
9 June 1918-19 July 1918: Familiarization aboard the submarine UB 110, Flanders Flotilla. [Commanded by Kapitänleutnant Werner “Fips” Fürbringer, who achieved the rank of Konteradmiral in World War II, the UB 110 was a Type UB III submarine armed with five torpedo tubes and one 105mm deck gun and crewed by 34 officers and men. On 19 July 1918, the UB 110 was damaged by depth charges while attempting to attack a large convoy off the Yorkshire North Coast. Forced to surface, the submarine was rammed twice and sunk by the British destroyer HMS Garry commanded by Lieutenant-Commander Charles Herbert Lightoller, whose own ship received considerable damage in the process. Kapitänleutnant Fürbringer, Oberleutnant zur See Loebell and only 11 other crew members survived the loss of their boat. Immediately after the boat had surfaced, it was sprayed with machinegun fire from the convoy escorts and aircraft; Loebell was hit by a piece of shrapnel while on the conning tower and by a bullet in the thigh after abandoning the boat. Kapitänleutnant Fürbringer personally kept Loebell afloat until he could be hauled aboard a lifeboat lowered from one of the merchant vessels. On 17 January 1919, Lightoller received a bar to his Distinguished Service Cross for sinking the UB 110. Charles H. Lightoller is perhaps best remembered as the Second Officer of the ill-fated RMS Titanic. He was the senior ranking member of the ship’s crew to survive the sinking of the ocean liner after it struck an iceberg on 14 April 1912.]

19 July 1918-26 October 1919: Prisoner of war in British captivity. [After interrogation in London, Loebell and Fürbringer were transferred to the German Officers’ POW Camp at Closterdale near Manchester where they were held until repatriated to Germany.]
27 October 1919-15 January 1920: On leave.
16 January 1920-2 March 1920: Second Adjutant of the Commandant of Wilhelmshaven.
3 March 1920-30 March 1920: At the disposal of the Admiralty.
31 March 1920-27 August 1920: On leave and then separated from the Navy.
19 April 1920-30 November 1920: Expeditor with the Promotion, Production and Trader Company, Berlin.
1 December 1920-31 December 1930: Civilian employment with a number of firms in Berlin and Essen.
1 January 1931-28 February 1931: Self-employed insurance agent.
1 March 1931-31 March 1932: Active Honorary for the National Socialist German Worker’s Party (NSDAP).
1 April 1932-31 December 1933: Bookkeeper in the Adler Pharmacy, Wiesbaden.
12 March 1933-29 June 1934: Honorary Head City Councilman of Wiesbaden.
29 June 1934-30 April 1935: Honorary City Councilman of Wiesbaden.
4 January 1935: Entered the Luftwaffe as a Supplemental Officer.
4 January 1935-28 February 1935: Supplemental Officer Course at the Air Signals School, Halle/Saale.
1 March 1935-30 September 1936: Delegated with the post of Leader of Courses for Flight Safety at the Air Signals School, Halle/Saale.
1 October 1936-30 November 1937: Leader of Courses for Flight Safety at the Air Signals School, Halle/Saale.
1 December 1937-31 December 1937: Detached to the staff of Luftkreis [Air District] Command II.
1 January 1938-30 June 1938: Radio and Flight Safety Specialist on the staff of Luftkreis Command II.
1 July 1938-31 January 1939: Radio and Flight Safety Specialist with the Signals Leader of Luftwaffe Group Command 1.
1 February 1939-31 August 1939: Radio and Flight Safety Specialist with the Signals Leader of Luftflotte [Air Fleet] Command 1.
1 September 1939-2 November 1939: Radio and Flight Safety Specialist with the Higher Signals Leader of Luftflotte Command 1.
3 November 1939-26 March 1941: Special Representative for Flight Safety Regulations with the Chief of the Air Signals Liaison Service (General der Luftnachrichtentruppe Wolfgang Martini)/Reich Air Ministry.
27 March 1941-31 March 1942: Signals Leader of the V. Fliegerkorps [Air Corps] and, at the same time, Commander of Air Signals Regiment 35.
1 June 1941: Activated.
1 April 1942-1 October 1942: Higher Signals Leader of Luftwaffe Command East and, at the same time, Commander of Air Signals Regiment 35.
1 October 1942-30 September 1943: Signals Leader of the X. Fliegerkorps.
1 October 1943-8 May 1945: Flight Safety Inspector with the Chief of the Signals Liaison Service and General Signals Leader of the Luftwaffe (General der Luftnachrichtentruppe Wolfgang Martini)/Reich Air Ministry.
3 May 1945 - May 1945: Prisoner of war in British captivity.
- 9th January 1946 transferred to Island Farm Special Camp 11 from Camp 1
- 12th May 1948 transferred to Camp 186 for repatriation.

Decorations & Awards (included):

German Cross in Silver: 7 December 1942, Oberst, Higher Signals Leader of Luftwaffe Command East.
Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class (1914) with 1939 Bar
Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914) with 1939 Bar
War Merit Cross, 1st Class with Swords
War Merit Cross, 2nd Class with Swords
Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
Medal for the Winter Campaign in Russia 1941/1942 (“East Medal”)


Kapitänleutnant Werner Fürbringer (seen here in World War II)	Lieutenant-Commander Charles Herbert Lightoller