Edmund Nathanael


Edmund Nathanael 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.

Early life

Edmund Nathanael was born on 18 December 1889 in Dielsdorf, the German Empire.

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 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 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.

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. The squadron itself would amass 57 victories by war's end.
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. Nathanael was assigned to fly an Albatros D.V. In contrast to Jagdstaffel 22, Jagdstaffel 5 would be credited with 253 victories during World War I.
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. 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. Captain Kennedy-Cochran-Patrick was flying Spad VII serial number B1580 when he shot down Nathanael.
Nathanael was one of only 18 German fliers to receive the House Order of Hohenzollern during the First World War and one of three German Jews to do so, the others having been Fritz Beckhardt and Wilhelm Frankl, the latter a 20-victory ace who later won the Pour le Merite. The names of Nathanael and Beckhardt were removed from the list of recipients during the Nazi era.

Aerial victories of Edmund Nathanael

All victories were scored while flying with Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 5.
No.DateTimeOpponentSquadronLocation
16 March 19171345 hoursMorane-Saulnier serial number A268Escadrille 3, Aéronautique MilitaireNorth of Guedecourt
211 March 19171245 hoursRoyal Aircraft Factory F.E.2bNo. 23 Squadron RFCNorth of Beugny, France
324 March 19170900 hoursSopwith 1 1/2 StrutterNo. 70 Squadron RFCÉcoust-Saint-Mein, France
425 March 19170920 hoursSopwith 1 1/2 StrutterNo. 70 Squadron RFCVélu, France
525 March 19170925 hoursNieuport 17No. 29 Squadron RFCEast of Beugny, France
62 April 1917MorningRoyal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b s/n 6953No. 22 Squadron RFCNortheast of Gouzeaucourt Wood
73 April 19171635 hoursRoyal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b s/n 4987No. 23 Squadron RFCNorth of Boursies, France
86 April 19170820 hoursRoyal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b s/n A6388No. 57 Squadron RFCDouchy
913 April 19171935 hoursObservation balloon s/n 34-16-4West of Saint Quentin
1022 April 19171410 hoursObservation balloon s/n 3-13-5Bus, Pas-de-Calais, France
1122 April 19172005 hoursSpadNo. 23 Squadron RFCRibecourt
1228 April 19171315 hoursSopwith 1 1/2 Strutter s/n/A993No. 43 Squadron RFCVacquerie-le-Boucq, France
1329 April 19172100 hoursNieuport fighter s/n A6745No. 40 Squadron RFCBeaumont
1430 April 19171005 hoursRoyal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 s/n A4866No. 56 Squadron RFCEast of Fresnoy, France
156 May 19171840 hoursNieuport 17No. 60 Squadron RFCNorth of Bourlon, France