Searching for a record of fighter pilot Fritz Güntermann
 

Hello everybody here,

My name is Barry, and I live in Belgium.

I have in my possesion 5 pictures of a german ,I think, fighter pilot.

This is the story;

In WW 2, my grandmother lived near Wevelghem (Wevelgem) Flugplatz.
Early 1941, she met this man, Fritz Güntermann.
He was a Luftwaffe member( 2 wings like emblems on his uniform) .

My grandmother got 5 pictures from him.

One picture depicts a Bf109-E I guess.

I know he came from Poland, and left Wevelgem in February 1941 to Cherbourg.

Does anyone know wher I could find more info ,about his rank, his military career?

Best regards,Barry

Re: Searching for a record of fighter pilot Fritz Güntermann
 

Barry,

There are a lot of Experts here on the Forum. I know that maybe you are trying to preserve the pictures, but any details about the marking on the Bf 109 E-1 depicted could help narrowing the information about your airman. Please do bear in mind that he may have been transferred during the war, to other units, etc...

From the information you wrote he may have been a GEFREITER
http://www.luftwaffe39-45.historia.n..._principal.htm

There is a Leutnant Erwin-Günter Mann with JG 1, back in 1940...

If you could inform us the werknummer of the Bf 109 E-1 depicted or the emblem on the cowling, we (other members with much more knowledge than mine, of course) could try to help you...

Yours, must sincerely,
Adriano S. Baumgartner

Re: Searching for a record of fighter pilot Fritz Güntermann
 

Hello, first off all, many thanks for the reply.

It's a picture with the Bf109 in the background, taking of,or coming in to land.

All that can bee seen is a white 7 before the cross on the fuselage, other markings can't be seen.

I know he was in Wevelgem from 7 january to 17 febuary 1941

He bthen left for cherbourg.

Is a gefreiter a pilot? or could he have been a mechanic or something else?

Re: Searching for a record of fighter pilot Fritz Güntermann
 

Hello Barry,

You may contact local researcher Lothair Vanoverbeke who is keen about JG 26 at Wevelghem.
Our Belgian JG 1 "boss", Eric Mombeeck, may be of some help too, he sometimes visits the forum.
Others info's or pictures would help us to redirect you to someone.

Best regards.

ClinA-78

Re: Searching for a record of fighter pilot Fritz Güntermann
 

Gefreiter is a military rank, and is independant of the function. Due to the long duration of the pilot's training, only few pilots were still in the rank of Gefreiter, most were already commisioned to higher ranks when being transferred to a front line unit.
Good luck,
Ghost