Knowledge that is not shared is eventually forgotten. Danish WW2 Pilots exists to preserve, verify, structure and share the history of Danes in military aviation during the Second World War. The objective is not simply to publish information, but to organise it into a coherent body of historical knowledge that preserves the memory of the people behind the historical records.

By bringing together documented research, interconnected historical data and freely accessible information, Danish WW2 Pilots seeks to create a lasting resource for everyone with an interest in this chapter of Danish history.

The project

The primary focus of the project is Danes who served in the Allied air forces throughout the world. The scope has also been extended to include Danish pilots who fought during the German invasion of Denmark on 9 April 1940, volunteers who joined the Finnish Air Force during the Winter War, and Danes who served in the Luftwaffe.

The name Danish WW2 Pilots reflects the origins of the project. While the project began as a study of Danish military pilots, its scope has gradually expanded to document all Danes who served in military aviation during the Second World War.

Guiding principles

The project is founded on four guiding principles.

  • Historical accuracy forms the foundation of every entry. Wherever possible, information is based on archival material, official records, published sources and contemporary documentation. As new evidence becomes available, existing records are reviewed, corrected and expanded.
  • Structure is equally important. Historical information becomes more valuable when individual facts are connected. Rather than presenting isolated biographies, the website links people with aircraft, units, operations, places, dates and historical sources, allowing each subject to be understood within its wider historical context.
  • Accessibility ensures that the results of historical research are available to everyone. The information published on Danish WW2 Pilots is intended to be freely accessible to historians, researchers, relatives, enthusiasts and all those interested in the history of Danish military aviation during the Second World War.
  • Preservation is the project's long-term purpose. Historical knowledge often exists only in private collections, family archives or unpublished research. By documenting, organising and sharing this material, Danish WW2 Pilots seeks to preserve both individual stories and the collective history of the Danes who served in military aviation during the war.

The database currently includes biographies together with information on military service, the units in which they served, the aircraft they flew and many other aspects of each individual's wartime career. As the project continues to develop, additional datasets, visualisations and analytical tools will further expand the historical record and strengthen the connections between individual people, organisations and events.

Historical research is never complete

New sources continue to emerge, existing interpretations evolve, and additional documentation regularly comes to light. Danish WW2 Pilots is therefore intended as a living reference work that grows alongside the historical record.

Contributions are always welcome. If you possess photographs, documents, logbooks, personal recollections or other information relating to any of the individuals included on the website, I would be delighted to hear from you. Every verified contribution strengthens the historical record and helps preserve these stories for future generations.

About the author

My name is Mikkel Plannthin, and I am an independent Danish historian whose research focuses on Danes in military aviation during the Second World War. I am the author of several books on the subject and have researched the field for more than twenty-five years.

In 2000, while visiting a museum in England, I came across the story of several Danish pilots who had served in the Royal Air Force. Returning to Denmark, I wanted to learn more about their stories and quickly discovered how little information was readily available.

What began as a personal interest gradually developed into more than twenty-five years of historical research and ultimately into the digital reference work that is Danish WW2 Pilots today.

Today, the project combines my own research with information drawn from archival collections, official records, published works and invaluable contributions from relatives, historians and fellow researchers. Although I remain responsible for the research and editorial content, Danish WW2 Pilots has benefited enormously from the generosity of many people who have shared photographs, documents, logbooks, corrections and personal knowledge over the years. Their willingness to share their knowledge has helped make the project both more comprehensive and more accurate than it could ever have become through individual research alone.

I believe that history is best preserved when knowledge is documented, structured and shared. That belief continues to guide the development of Danish WW2 Pilots.