Josef Veltjens

Josef Veltjens
Josef Veltjens in 1918
Nickname(s)	"Seppl"
Born	2 June 1894 Geldern, German Empire
Died	6 October 1943 (aged 49) Monte Cervellino, Northern Italy
Buried at	Piacenza, Italy Reinterred at Travemünde, Germany.
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Infantry  Luftwaffe
Years of service	1914–1919 1940–1943
Rank	Oberst d. R. (Colonel reserves)
Unit	Guards Regiment 4, Infantry Regiment 8, FFA 23, Jagdstaffel 14, Jagdstaffel 18, Jagdstaffel 15
Commands held	Jasta 15 Jagdgeschwader II
Awards	Pour le Mérite, House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross

Josef "Seppl" Veltjens (2 June 1894 – 6 October 1943) was a German World War I fighter ace credited with 35 victories. In later years, he served as an international arms dealer, as well as a personal emissary from Hermann Göring to Benito Mussolini. He was awarded Pour le Mérite, the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, and the Iron Cross.

Josef Veltjens was born in Geldern, Rhineland, Imperial Germany, the son of a factory manager. He attended Humanisti High School in Berlin, then the Technical University in Charlottenburg, where he read mechanical engineering. His prime interest was internal combustion engines.

He enlisted in the Kaiserin Augusta Guards Regiment Number 4 on 3 August 1914. Four days later, he and his regiment were at the front. When his column was attacked by the French, Veltjens and three others tried unsuccessfully to defend it. The vehicles were set on fire. As a straggler, Veltjens joined Infantry Regiment Number 8. Promotion to Vizefeldwebel (literally vice-sergeant) rapidly followed. After several requests, he was sent for aviation training.

On 2 December 1915, at Johannisthal near Berlin, Veltjens first soloed in a plane. He took his pilot's examination on 15 December after three solo flights. Without waiting for his official pilot's ticket, he took advantage of the confusion of the holiday season to take himself to Tergnier.

He was posted as a member of Flieger Abteilung 23 on 10 May 1916, to fly reconnaissance missions. Because of his success, he was commissioned as a Leutnant der Reserve (lieutenant in the reserves). He served there with another future ace, Rudolf Berthold. From there, he moved on to single-seat fighters with Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 14 when Berthold was given its command.

Veltjens scored his first victory, over a SPAD, on 14 April 1917. He was flying an Albatros D.III at the time, with his own personal aircraft marking of a white barbed arrow pointed back from the scarlet nose down the length of the royal blue fuselage. By 1 June, he had downed three more SPADs and a Farman. Berthold mentored him through this, but was very demanding.