(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)

General der Flieger Rudolf Meister
Born: 01 Aug 1897 in Cologne (Köln)
Died: 11 Sep 1958 in Hannover
Promotions:
Gefreiter (26 Sep 1914); Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (02 Jan 1915); Fähnrich (03 Feb 1915); Leutnant (22 Mar 1915); Oberleutnant (31 Jul 1925); Hauptmann (01 May 1931); Major (01 May 1935); Oberstleutnant (01 Aug 1937); Oberst (01 Aug 1940); Generalmajor (01 Sep 1942); Generalleutnant (01 Mar 1943); General der Flieger (01 Sep 1944)
Career:
Entered the Army as an Fahnenjunker in the 34th Fusilier-Regiment (16 Aug 1914-18 Nov 1914)
Wounded, in Hospital (18 Nov 1914-01 Jan 1915)
Transferred to the Replacement-Battalion of the 34th Fusilier-Regiment (02 Jan 1915-04 Jan 1915)
Company-Officer in the 149th Infantry-Regiment (05 Jan 1915-28 Apr 1915)
Taken ill, in Hospital (28 Apr 1915-30 Sep 1915)
Transferred to the Replacement-Battalion of the 34th Fusilier-Regiment (01 Oct 1915-22 Dec 1915)
Company-Leader in the 34th Fusilier-Regiment (23 Dec 1915-11 Aug 1916)
Aircraft-Observer-Training with the 4th Flying-Replacement-Battalion and Detached to the Artillery-Observer-Course (12 Aug 1916-30 Oct 1916)
Observer with the Flying-Battalion A 244 (31 Oct 1916-27 Feb 1917)
Observer with the Flying-Battalion A 285 (28 Feb 1917-07 Dec 1918)
Instructor at the Flying-Observer-School Stolp (08 Dec 1918-09 Jan 1919)
Observer with the 420th Volunteer-Flying-Battalion (10 Jan 1919-30 Apr 1920)
Transferred to the Air-Base Königsberg (01 May 1920-15 May 1920)
Transferred to the 2nd Motor-Transport-Battalion (16 May 1920-30 Sep 1920)
Company-Officer in the 4th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1920-18 Sep 1923)
Detached to the 2nd Pioneer-Battalion (19 Jun 1922-12 Aug 1922)
Subsidiary-Leadership-Training (19 Sep 1923-30 Jun 1925)
Detached to the I. Battalion of the 2nd Artillery-Regiment (01 Jul 1924-30 Sep 1924)
Detached to the 7th Pioneer-Battalion, 7th Motor-Transport-Battalion and 7th Signals-Battalion (01 Jul 1925-30 Sep 1925)
Company-Officer in the 4th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1925-31 Aug 1927)
Detached to the Head-Photography-Office Berlin (10 Jul 1927-20 Aug 1927)
Placed to the Disposal of the Commander Berlin – Assigned to the Training-Staff of the Courses for Army Technology (01 Sep 1927-31 Mar 1928)
Retired (31 Mar 1928)
Secret Flying Training Abroad (01 Apr 1928-30 Apr 1931)
Reactivated to Army Service as Hauptmann with the Staff of the Replacement-Battalion of the 5th Infantry-Regiment (01 May 1931-30 Sep 1931)
Company-Chief in the 5th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1931-31 Mar 1933)
Advisor in the Reichs Defence Ministry (01 Apr 1933-31 Aug 1933)
Transferred into Luftwaffe Service as Group-Leader with the Inspection Of Flying Schools, RLM (01 Sep 1933-31 Mar 1935)
Officer with Special Duties of the RLM and Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe – Instructor for Air-Affairs at the Army War Academy (01 Apr 1935-30 Jun 1936)
Commander of Flying-Group 124 and Air-Base-Command Kassel (01 Jul 1936-28 Feb 1937)
Chief Of Operations (Ia) in the Staff of Air-District-Command IV (01 Mar 1937-17 Sep 1937)
Detached to the 3rd Department in the Luftwaffe General Staff (18 Sep 1937-09 Jan 1938)
Detached to the Air War Academy (10 Jan 1938-31 Jan 1938)
Course-Leader at the Air War Academy (01 Feb 1938-31 Mar 1939)
Chief of the Training-Department with the Chief of Luftwaffe-Training-Affairs, RLM (01 Apr 1939-17 Dec 1939)
Chief Of Staff of the I. Flying-Corps (18 Dec 1939-23 Jun 1940)
Department-Chief in the Luftwaffe-Personnel-Office, LP Chief Department, RLM (24 Jun 1940-15 Oct 1940)
Chief Of The General Staff of the VIII. Flying-Corps (16 Oct 1940-09 Mar 1942)
Shot and wounded in an Air-Attack near Kalinin, USSR, in Hospital (13 Oct 1941-13 Dec 1941)
Chief of the 1st Department in the Luftwaffe General Staff (10 Mar 1942-31 May 1943)
At the same time, Acting-Chief of the Luftwaffe-Operations-Staff (10 Apr 1942-31 May 1943)
Chief of the Luftwaffe-Operations-Staff (01 Jun 1943-03 Sep 1943)
Commanding General of the IV. Flying-Corps (04 Sep 1943-15 Dec 1944)
At the same time, Commanding General of German Luftwaffe in Denmark (16 Sep 1944-15 Dec 1944)
Chief of the Luftwaffe-Personnel-Office, RLM (22 Dec 1944-08 May 1945)
In US Captivity (08 May 1945-1948)
Released (1948)

Decorations & Awards:
- Ritterkreuz: am 05.09.1944 als Generalleutnant und Kommandierender General des IV. Flieger-Korps
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold: am 10.11.1941 als Oberst i.G. und Chef des Generalstabs des VIII. Flieger-Korps
- RK des Kgl. Preuss. Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern: 08.11.1918
- 1914 EK I K
- 1914 EK II K
- Kgl. Preuss. Flugzeugbeobachter-Abzeichen
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis II. Klasse
- Spange zum EK I
- Spange zum EK II


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