Major Hermann Gilly (16 September 1894 – 23 August 1944) was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. He came to aviation service after two years infantry combat service, which saw him promoted to '' Leutnant'' in March 1916 while in Russia. He would not begin his flying career until November 1916. He served as an artillery cooperation pilot in Italy from November 1917 to March 1918. He was reassigned to a fighter unit, ''

Jagdstaffel 40 Royal Saxon Jagdstaffel 40, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 40, was a "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the '' Luftstreitkräfte'', the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. The unit would score over 54 aerial victories d ...

'', effective 14 April 1918. Gilly scored seven aerial victories from 24 May 1918 through war's end. He was discharged on 22 January 1919. Hermann Gilly also served as a

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in the '' Luftwaffe'' in World War II.

Early life and infantry service

Hermann Gilly was born in

Donaueschingen Donaueschingen (; Low Alemannic: ''Eschinge'') is a German town in the Black Forest in the southwest of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg in the Schwarzwald-Baar '' Kreis''. It stands near the confluence of the two sources of the river Da ...

on 16 September 1894, the son of Josef Gilly and Antonie Wern.''Hamburg, Germany, Deaths, 1874–1950'' He was working in a bank when World War I began. He joined Infantry Regiment Nr. 168 in October 1914. He served much of his war as an infantryman. He was commissioned a '' Leutnant'' in March 1916, while serving in Russia. In November 1916, he transferred to the '' Luftstreitkräfte''.Franks et al 1993, p. 115.

Aerial service

Gilly graduated from pilot training, then flew with ''Fliegerersatz-Abteilung''–(Replacement Detachment) 3–while awaiting orders to combat duty. In November 1917, he was posted to ''Flieger-Abteilung (Artillerie)'' 204–(Flier Detachment (Artillery) 204)–near the Piave River in Italy. His unit's duties were artillery direction and reconnaissance. Gilly flew his first combat sortie on 17 November 1917 over

Spresiano Spresiano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about north of Venice and about north of Treviso. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 10,155 and an area of .All demographics and ...

; his rear seat aerial observer somehow went overboard at 2,500 meters altitude. Gilly was returned to France and assigned to ''

''–(Fighter Squadron 40)–on 14 April 1918. He spent a brief interlude with ''

Jagdstaffel 29 Royal Prussian ''Jagdstaffel'' 29, commonly abbreviated to ''Jasta'' 29, was a "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. The squadron would score 76 aerial vi ...

'', was wounded, and returned to ''Jasta 40''. He would score seven aerial victories with them between 24 June 1918 and war's end.

Post World War I

Hermann Gilly demobilized from military service on 22 January 1919. He would return to his nation's military during World War II, serving as a

in the '' Luftwaffe''. He died in Hamburg in 1944 and was survived by his wife, Marga Johanne Antonie Gilly ''née'' Schütz.

Honors and awards

* Iron Cross Second and First Class * Kingdom of Saxony's Knight's Cross Second Class with Swords of the Order of Albert *

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

's Military Merit Cross

Sources

References

* Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell. ''Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918''. Grub Street, 1993. , . {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilly, Hermann 1894 births 1944 deaths German World War I flying aces Luftwaffe personnel of World War II People from Donaueschingen Military personnel from Baden-Württemberg Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class