Commanders

Oberst Eduard Ritter von Schleich (1 Sep 1939 - 9 Dec 1939)
Major Hans Hugo Witt (9 Dec 1939 - 23 June 1940)
Major Gotthardt Handrick (23 June 1940 - 21 Aug 1940)
Oberstleutnant Adolf Galland (21 Aug 1940 - 5 Dec 1941)
Major Gerhard Schöpfel (6 Dec 1941 - 10 Jan 1943)
Oberst Josef Priller (10 Jan 1943 - 27 Jan 1945)
Major Franz Götz (27 Jan 1945 - 8 May 1945)

Honor title

This unit was named after Albert Leo Schlageter. He was a WW1 veteran and Freikorps member, he was arrested 5 Apr 1923 by the French troops in the occupied Ruhr for taking part in sabotage operations. He was sentenced to death by a French military tribunal and executed by firing squad 26 May 1923. Within 24 hours the Schlageter-Gedächtnis-Bund was formed and plans were made for a memorial (a large cross erected in 1931), Schlageter was becoming a martyr of the right-wing groups, among them the NSDAP as he had been a member of the NSDAP and SA as well as other fringe groups.

His name was also given as a honour title to two SA-Standarten: SA-Standarte 39 Schlageter at Düsseldorf and SA-Standarte 142 Albert Leo Schlageter at Lörrach and Infanterie-Division Schlageter.

Notable members

Adolf Galland (Holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds)
Eduard Ritter von Schleich (World War I fighter ace with 35 victories)
Johannes Steinhoff (General in post-WW2 Luftwaffe, Chief of Staff and acting Commander Allied Air Forces Central Europe, Chief of Staff of the Luftwaffe and Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, the Bundeswehr barracks General-Steinhoff-Kaserne in Berlin-Gatow was named in his honour 1994 and Jagdgeschwader 73 "Steinhoff" was named in his honour in 1997)

Insignia

The "Jagdgeschwader Schlageter" cuff title was used by this unit from 8 Dec 1938.

Sources used

Research by Gareth Collins
Gordon Williamson & Thomas McGuirl - German military cuffbands 1784-present

Reference material on this unit

Donald Caldwell - JG 26: Photographic History of the Luftwaffe's Top Guns
Donald Caldwell - JG 26: Top Guns of the Luftwaffe
Donald Caldwell - The JG 26 War Diary (2 vol)
Marek J. Murawski - JG 26: Jagdgeschwader "Schlageter"
Axel Urbanke - Green Hearts: First into combat with the Dora 9
John Vasco - 9.Staffel/Jagdgeschwader 26:The Battle of Britain Photo Album of Luftwaffe Bf 109 Pilot Willy Fronhöfer