Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Hauptmann der Reserve (Flight Lieutenant of Reserves)

Unit:

Staffelkapitän, Wüstennotstaffel, Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

June 19th, 1942

Awarded for his service while in command of the Wüstennotstaffel, the German formation of Fi-156 Storchs created for the purpose of recovering pilots who had been shot down over the desert. On 12.05.1942, Kroseberg flew a mission in support of the Seenotstaffel following the downing of a large number of Ju-52s over the Mediterranean. His intent was to locate any survivors and report their position to the seaplanes. In the process however he ended up also tossing out all the lifevests aboard his aircraft (including his own) to the people in the water. He would later be shot down this day, thus paying the ultimate price for his selflessness. Kroseberg would be awarded the Knight’s Cross posthumously, with the following press article detailing the rationale for his being decorated as such…

“Hauptmann Heinz Kroseberg has done extraordinary work in salvaging aircraft crews who’d been shot down in either the desert or the ocean. Deeply fulfilled by his task of recovering his downed comrades, he was able to save the lives of many German soldiers through quiet heroism before sacrificing himself during a salvage flight far over the sea, from which he did not return.”

Awarded posthumously.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)