Norbert Schücking

Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel Norbert Schücking (born 15 January 1921) is the oldest and one of the last living (along with Hugo Broch) Luftwaffe aces of WW2. During the war Schücking gained 9^[1]—13^[2] aerial victories on the Western Front.

Norbert Schücking (also spelt Schueking) was born in Waldviertel, an area of Lower Austria, on the 15th January 1921. His family lived in a disused water mill. He went to school in Vienna, Budapest and a boarding school in the Harz Mountains; after completing his final exams (Abitur) in secondary school he went straight to military service.^[3]

Schücking served as a Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel^[4] in the 1st Unit of JG11 during the War on the Western front. He flew a BF-109G and an FW-190A. Schücking joined the unit in late 1943 or early 1944 and achieved his first aerial victory on the 20th February 1944 over Weimar against a B-17 Bomber. A majority of his aerial victories were against bombers (B-17s and B-24s)^[5], except for his 10th victory against a P-47 north of Alençon on the 27th June 1944, his 11th victory against a Spitfire at Balleroy on the 14th July 1944, his 12th victory on the 17th July 1944 against another P-47 near St Lo-Coutances, and his 13th and final aerial victory on the same day south-west of St Lo-Coutances against a P-51 Mustang. On the 22nd February 1945, Schücking bailed from his FW-190A at 100m, surviving by landing in snow.^[2]

Schüking received the German Cross in Gold, both the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class and the Fighter Operational clasp.^[2]

After the war he met and married a woman called Gunda and moved to Elmshorn where he took up a commercial apprenticeship, and worked in the building indirectly for 40 years since the 1950s.^[6] Schücking had an interest in hunting and although he no longer hunts but is noted as still enjoying nature and walks.^[3]

He celebrated his 105th Birthday on the 15th January 2026 at his home in Elmshorn, he also is the oldest resident of Elmshorn.^[7]