August

August Geiger, born 06-05-1920 in Überlingen, Kreis Bodensee, was a German Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Geiger claimed 53 aerial victories, all of the them at night. Geiger joined Hermann Goering's (see Hermann Goering) (did you know) Luftwaffe in 1939 in the 8^th Squadron of the Night Fighters I, as a lieutenant. He is really an Ace and received the Iron Cross first class, in 1943. Promoted to Oberleutnant he becomes Captain of the 7^th Squadron and in the night of 29-03-1945 he shoot 5 opponents. Total skills 22 now, he is awarded with the Ritterkreuz and promoted to Hauptmann and commander of the III Group of the Squadron in Twente, Netherlands (see About). On 29-09-1943, his squadron mounted to intercept an English attack and was shot by the ace killer specialist, Bob Braham. Bob Braham, this English ace died of a brain tumor, age 53, on 07-02-1974, in Nova Scotia (see Joe Crilley), Canada.

    

      Bob Braham.

Geiger, 53 skills in 328 flights, could jump out with his parachute, landed in the channel and drowned. His body washed ashore and is buried on the large war cemetery of Ysselsteyn, 32.000 graves, in the Netherlands (see About) close to the grave of Friedrich Kussin (see Kussin), the first killed and scalped General during operation Market Garden. He was posthumously awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 02-03-1944. Also buried there the personalities, General Kurt Schmidt (see Schmidt), General Oskar von der Hagen (see Hagen), Flyer aces August Geiger (see Geiger), Paul Gildner (see Gildner), Lippe Weissenfeld (see Lippe Weissenfeld), Sayn Wittgenstein (see Sayn Wittgenstein), Helmut Woltersdorf (see Woltersdorf) and Karl Willius (see Willius).