Prestien, Fritz.

Prestien, Fritz, born 06-03-1887 in Gotha, Thüringen, joined the Army Service after his education to Cadet on 10-03-1904, age 17, with the 9^th Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 173,

  as a Fahnenjunker. Promoted to Leutnant on 18-08-1905. He in spring of 1913 was transferred to the Air Force starts a pilot training. He was in the air of the first war with the 5^th Field Flyer Squadron and promoted to Oberleutnant and he ends the war as a Hauptmann. On his marriage a guest was his best friend, the flying ace Manfred von Richthofen. 

 He retired from the Army Service on 30-09-1919 and in spring of 1933 he as an instructor is assigned to the Commercial Flying School , in Braunschweig. He changed to the Flyer School in his hometown Gotha as an instructor, on 01-06-1934 and becomes the commander of the School in Gotha on 01-10-1934. He is accepted in Hermann Goering’s (did you know)

    Luftwaffe as a Supplement Officer on 01-03-1935 and appointed as a Major as Fliegerhorst Commander Gotha. At the beginning of World War II he as an Oberstleutnant is the Quartermaster II with Air Region Command IV. On 01-02-1940 promoted to Oberst and on 01-12-1943 to Generalmajor. In the spring of 1944 he is appointed as Airport Area Commander 4/III. He is released of this position 11-02-1945 and placed to the disposal of the Flying Replacement Division.

Death and burial ground of Prestien, Fritz.

Fritz Prestien not a battlefield General was retired on 28-02-1945, age 57, not useful anymore. Living in Bensheim Prestien, died at the old age of 84 and is buried with his wife Wally, born von Minckwitz, who died old age 95, in 1988, on the cemetery of Schönberg, Bensheim.