Flugbuch and award document grouping to Unteroffizier Horst Ginschel, who was killed when he was shot down as Fliegerschütze in a Ju 52 over Sardinia in May 1943. Ginschel had started his flying career in April 1940, and flew his first enemy missions over the Leningrad front in September 1941 with the I. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 2. Within a month, he had collected 47 Feindflüge as Do 17 crew member.  

Ginschel continued his career with the 4. Staffel of Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 172 in the East, and was moved with this unit to the Southern Front in April 1943. He flew a number of missions over the collapsing front of Africa, among many others in Italy. On 24th of May 1943, his Ju 52 "4V+ED" was attacked by British fighters and crashed southwest of Sassari on Sardinia. Three of his comrades were killed instantly, Ginschel was badly wounded and rushed to an Italian hospital in the town of Bonorva, but passed away a few hours later. He was awarded the Frontflugspange für Kampfflieger in Bronze, the Fliegerschützen-Abzeichen, the EKII and the EKI.  

The grouping consists of:

• Award document for the Frontflugspange für Kampfflieger in Bronze, September 1941, hand signed by Oberst Herbert Rieckhoff as Geschwaderkommodore of KG2, Knight's Cross winner and later Generalleutnant. 
• Award document for the Fliegerschützen-Abzeichen, September 1941, facsimile signed by General der Flieger Gustav Kastner-Kirdorf, DKiS winner. 
• Award document for the EKII, October 1941, hand signed by General der Flieger Wolfram von Richthofen, Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves winner. Comes with the accompanying letter hand signed by his Staffelkapitän Oblt. Heinz Schmidt. 
• Award document for the EKI, April 1942, hand signed by Generalfeldmarschall Hugo Sperrle, Knight's Cross winner. 
• Excellent postcard sized studio portrait with embossed studio stamp from his hometown Freystadt (Niederschlesien), plus another postcard sized in the field with all his awards, and another taken during his early training days. 
• First Flugbuch with a total of 126 flights, including 47 enemy flights mostly over Wjasma and the Leningrad front (Peterhof, Schlüsselburg, …) with Kampfgeschwader 2. Includes an aerial victory in a flight from Witebsk on 3rd of October 1941 and many more interesting details. 
• Second Flugbuch with a total of 170 flights with KGr.zbV.172, with flights in the East (Taganrog, Poltawa, Charkow, …), in Africa (Tunis, …) and Italy and Sardinia (Capua, Pisa, Grosseto, Olbia, Trapani, Castelvetrano, …), closing the Flugbuch with his final flight when he was killed. Also comes with the accompanying letter sent to the widow. 
• KIA Letter sent by his Staffelkapitän, which includes many details on his final missions. He had taken the place of another crew member because he wanted to see Paris; after returning to Sardinia from southern France his Ju 52 was attacked shortly after taking off from Sardinia towards mainland Italy. 
• Very touching last letter to his wife Mia, which he had kept in his personal belongings to be forwarded to her in case he got killed. He expresses his deep love for her, but also gives his blessing to pick up her life again with another man. 
• Heldentod citation, June 1943, hand signed by his Gruppenkommandeur Major Erich Zähr, Knight's Cross winner, plus the accompanying letter by his Staffelkapitän Hptm. Grosse. 
• Official copy of his mariage certficiate, 1951, also mentioning his death.