Willy Rosenstein (28 January 1892 – 23 May 1949), Iron Cross, was a German flying ace in World War I, credited with 9 victories.

[3] Having gained his license, he set up shop as a flight instructor at Johannisthal Air Field in Berlin in 1913.

[2] Rosenstein volunteered for military service, joining the Imperial German Army's 95th Infantry Regiment.

He quickly transferred to the Die Fliegertruppen, and was forwarded to aviation training at Gotha on 24 August 1914.

He undertook twenty-five hours of testing and completed twenty-three combat flights on the type during September and October 1915.

However, it would not be until 21 September that he scored his first aerial victory, when he shot down an Airco DH.4 over Zonnebeke while on a morning patrol.

On 28 September, he received his native kingdom's award of the Knight's Cross 2nd Class with Swords of the Order of the Zahringer Lion.

His son Ernest became a fighter pilot for the South African Air Force during World War II, being killed in action over Italy on 2 April 1945.