Asger Tage Harild

Asger Tage Harild is the oldest Danish officer to become Luftwaffe pilot during the war. Of the six officers accepted for Luftwaffe, he is holding the highest rank, major, at the end of hostilities.

Asger Tage Harild is born on 21 October 1905 in Copenhagen. He is the son of architect Carl Valdemar and Elna Margrethe Kirstine Harild. He is, thus, the oldest of the Danish pilots accepted for Luftwaffe service. Another reason he stands out is the fact, that he is not a trained military pilot; he holds a private pilot’s certificate since 1938.

He joins the army in the late 1920’s. On 3 May 1929, he is appointed Sekondløjtnant (2nd lieutenant) and he is promoted to Premierløjtnant (1st lieutenant) in the 5th Regiment on 1 November same year. On 1 October 1936, he is appointed Kaptajnløjtnant (lieutenant captain). At the outbreak of war, he is commanding the army’s 17th battalion.

Joining the Luftwaffe

On 8 July 1941, an announcement from the Ministry of War permits commissioned officers of the Danish armed forces to volunteer for Frikorps Denmark (Free Corps Denmark). A number of Danish officers enlist; on of these being Harild who volunteers for Luftwaffe service. He is in Luftwaffe service until the end of the war.

I have not yet been able to trace his exact whereabouts during the nearly four years in Luftwaffe service. According to Krabbe (1998), he is attached to 9./KG1 "Hindenburg" flying Junker 88 over Orel in 1943. He is promoted to major during the war.

Harild survives the war and he is dismissed from the army on 25 May 1945 (Ancker, 2001; Boeck, 1935; Clauson-Kaas, 1943; Politiken, 26.05.1945)