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Luftwaffenhelfer

(Redirected fromFlakhelfer)

ALuftwaffenhelfer,also commonly known as aFlakhelfer,was any member of theauxiliarystaff of the GermanLuftwaffeduringWorld War II.Such terms often implied studentsconscriptedaschild soldiers.

Hitler Youth operating anacoustic locatorin early 1943
Hitler Youth (Luftwaffenhelfer – born 1927) as crew for an anti-aircraft searchlight in Berlin (1943)
2cm-antiaircraft gun with Hitler Youth (Flakhelfer – born 1927) on theFlak towerBerlin-Gesundbrunnen (Humboldthain), 1943

Establishment

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Luftwaffenhelfer(literally, "air force assistants" ) were established on January 22, 1943, following implementation of the decreeKriegshilfseinsatz der Jugend bei der Luftwaffe( "Youth War Assistance Service in the Air Force" ). The order called for drafting whole school classes of male students born in 1926 and 1927 into a military corps, supervised byHitler YouthandLuftwaffepersonnel. The draft was later extended to include 1928 and 1929 births. Deployment included ideological indoctrination by the Hitler Youth, military duties and limited continuation of the normal school curriculum, often by the original teachers.

While the official term wasLuftwaffenhelfer (HJ),the term more commonly used isFlakhelfer(female:Flakhelferin) (Flak-helper). The 1926–1929 births are commonly referred to as the "Flakhelfer-Generation".In German culture, the phrase is associated with the collective and incisive experience of being torn out of conventional adolescent life through circumstances of total war and being thrown into strict military service and extreme peril; in the final phase of the war, the antiaircraft batteries became preferred targets of Allied aircraft.

In August 1944, some 660,000 regular male soldiers and 450,000 female helpers (anti-aircraft personnel) in all departments served with theLuftwaffewithin the 'auxiliary antiaircraft defense'. Many of the girls came from theBund Deutscher Mädel(BDM), although they had to officially join theWehrmachtbecause it was forbidden forBDMmembers to do armed duty. In 1945, "Flakhelferinnen"and other female assistants were trained and allowed to carry weapons to defend themselves.

In Latvia

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In April 1944 the Germans had requested the drafting of 7000 Latvian boys, aged 14–16, and 400 girls, all for service as Air Defense auxiliaries. However, the Self-Administration of Latvia refused and consented only to invite the youths to volunteer. As the situation at theEastern Frontworsened, in June and July the Self-Administration did agree to draft boys born in 1927 and 1928. From July 28 to September 9, 4139 boys were enlisted, 525 of whom were volunteers.[1]

Famous members

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See also

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References

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  1. ^Mangulis, V. Latvia in the Wars of the 20th Century. Chapter IX July 1941 to May 8, 1945ArchivedMarch 14, 2012, at theWayback Machine.Historia.lv.
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