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Pioneers. Up to the time of definite agreement by the postal administration of some countries, pioneers have been discovered which were transported as a matter of courtesy by the German Postal Administration prior to the official participation date even of such countries that have not, till this date, made one of’ the catapult mail service. Such nieces are designated by fine print. (From Kayssner Catalog)

MIXED FRANKINGS
Frequently appearing nieces carrying two sets of stamps, those of the country where the pieces originated, and the stamps representing the German catapult fee, are designated as mixed frankings.

This method of franking of catapult mails was used during the first flights of 1930 to’1932. Philatelically such pieces cannot be considered true catapult mails, as no agreements had been made as yet between the various countries and the German postoffice, and no accounting of’ any kind took place between these countries. mixed franking’s are valued at no more than half the regular German catapult fights. Luxemburg is the only exception. (From Kayssner Catalog)

PILOT OF THE CATAPULT FLIGHTS
To my knowledge by this author and also only one surviving pilot as of February 15, 1970 wherein I had received a reply to a letter that I had written him. The surviving pilot is Siegfried Graf Schack von Wittenau. At this time he informed me that because of ‘World War II all the pictures, letters, and documents that he had pertaining to the Catapult years 1929—1935 were destroyed in the war. He was kind enough to send me a photograph of himself along with a short history.

Siegfried Graf Schack von Witteniau—Flight Captain—Born May 3rd, 1900 in Militsch/Silesia. In 1918 enlisted in the navy. During the years 1926—1939 a pilot for Lufthansa. 1939—1940 Air Force Captain. Shot down in 1940 and was a prisoner of war in Canada until 1915. After release he again flew for Lufthansa, until 1945. During the years 1946 until 1966 had numbers of positions in aeronautical capacities. Since 1966 retired and living in Dusseldorf.

Jobst von Studnitz—(Lufthansa employees magazine, March, 1964. )— A few days before his 65th birthday the former flight captain of the Lufthansa, and before the war chief originator of the Condor Syndicate at Brazil, died at Rio de Janeiro. He belonged to the true pioneers of the air transport which found him always where it counted, when finding new roads, and to make them workable. He was active in the South Atlantic, but became better known through his flights from the Bremen and Europa with catapult flights the fore—runners of the air traffic across the North Atlantic. He was in bad condition physically and health wise for the last years. nobody said any attention to him. The deeds were acknowledged but the man was forgotten. The funeral expenses, setting up of a memorial, the up-keeping of the grave for the duration of the cemetary was taken over by the successor of the Condor Syndicate.

 

Danzig Report Nr. 16 – 4th Quarter 1977, Page 13.