Background
Edmund Nathanael was born on 18 December 1889 in Dielsdorf, the German Empire.
Edmund Nathanael was born on 18 December 1889 in Dielsdorf, the German Empire.
He flew both two-seater reconnaissance aircraft and single-seater fighter craft. He was killed in action while serving the German Empire. lieutenant 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 (Artillerie) 42 (Federal Aviation Administration 42).
This unit operated two-seater reconnaissance aircraft and carried out the hazardous task of directing artillery fire from its aerial station. 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.
Nathanael was forwarded to a fighter unit in late 1916.
lieutenant 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 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 education 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 Doctorate.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 Southeast-5 (of Number 56 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps). 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 Number. 23 Squadron Reconstruction Finance Corporation, which killed Nathanael in action.
Captain Kennedy-Cochran-Patrick was flying Spad VII serial number B1580 when he shot down Nathanael.
The names of Nathanael and Beckhardt were removed from the list of recipients during the Nazi era. All victories were scored while flying with Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 5.
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.