When he enlisted on 20 August 1914, he had not yet completed requirements for his International Flying Certificate, but carried a letter of recommendation for pilot training from Jatho.
[4][5] Meinecke was posted to duty training Turkish aviation cadets in the Ottoman Empire on 1 October 1915.
[2] He scored six confirmed victories in a year and two days, starting with downing a Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c with his Fokker Eindekker monoplane on 27 January 1917.
He had received the Ehrenbecher für den Sieger im Luftkampfe, or Honor Goblet for Victory in Air Combat as well as both the First and Second Class Iron Cross.
[4] His awards from the Ottoman Empire included the Pilot's Badge, the Gallipoli Star, and the Silver Liakat Medal with Swords.
As part of his job, he accompanied airplanes being sold to the Russians, and test flew them for acceptance trials.
[citation needed] Circa 1925-1927, Meinecke was in Bolivia as Fokker's technical representative for the Chaco War buildup.
[11] On 27 February 1936, Meinecke flew the maiden test flight of the Fokker DXXI from Welschap Airfield.