[Johannes]

Hi Gary

You would need to contact TOCH member Gordon Raddock for information of how to acquire information about Walther's earlier war record i.e training e.t.c, Gordon knows the ropes about the Bundes service, though it is a pay service.
Regarding his Date of Birth, this came from Bernd Barbas who knows all that is known about JG 52, his information comes from a loss sheet for 21st September 1944 when Walther went missing, but managed to return, his place of Birth appears to be Görlitz.

This is what I have on him, all claims are with 3./JG 52 as a Leutnant:-

24th March 1944 U-2 South of Stalino 1428 hrs tief Nr.1
2nd May 1944 Il-2 15km NE Roman 1512 hrs 500 metres Nr.2
14th May 1944 P-39 5km South of Grigoriopol 1403 hrs 1200 metres Nr.3
31st May 1944 P-39 10km North of Tudora 1135 hrs 2500 metres Nr.4
2nd June 1944 Il-2 15km NW Lasi(Jassy) 1130 hrs tief Nr.5
3rd June 1944 Il-2 15km NW Lasi 1200 hrs 500 metres Nr.6
4th June 1944 Il-2 20km WNW Lasi 1613 hrs 200 metres Nr.7
4th June 1944 Il-2 25km NW Lasi 1615 hrs 20 metres Nr.8
14th July 1944 P-39 55km SW Luzk 1025 hrs 1000 metres Nr.9
14th July 1944 Il-2 25km NW Brody 1201 hrs tief Nr.10
14th July 1944 P-39 25km East of Zolocev(Zloczow) 1758 hrs 1500 metres Nr.11
16th July 1944 Jak-9 40km North of Busk 1657 hrs 2000 metres Nr.12
4th August 1944 Jak-9 10km West of Mielec 1507 hrs 1000 metres Nr.13
21st August 1944 Il-2 20km NE Leipzig(Sowiet not Germany) 1849 hrs tief Nr.14
22nd August 1944 Jak-9 45km West of Akkerman 0718 hrs 1000 metres Nr.15
25th August 1944 Jak-9 20km NNW Mielec 1607 hrs 1200 metres Nr.16
26th August 1944 Jak-9 10km North of Sandomir 1104 hrs 2000 metres Nr.17
26th August 1944 Pe-2 15th West of Sandomir 1110 hrs 1400 metres Nr.18
31st August 1944 Il-2 15km SSW Opatow 1253 hrs 400 metres Nr.19
31st August 1944 Jak-9 10km West of Opatow 1257 hrs 500 metres Nr.20
31st August 1944 Il-2 15km South of Opatow 1620 hrs 150 metres Nr.21
1st September 1944 Il-2 Opatow area 1401 hrs 400 metres Nr.22

On 24th March 1944 he collided with a HS123 and was forced to belly-land his Bf109 at the Lasi airstrip, but was unharmed. On 25th May 1944 he crashed his Bf109 whilst landing at the Leipzig airstrip, Ukraine, but was unhurt. He crash-landed his Bf109 at the Stryi airstrip, Poland on 28th July 1944, again he was unharmed. On 21st September 1944 at 2000 hrs he was shot down and wounded, his Bf109 coming down East of Dukla, and was listed as missing, he did however manage to return.

Don't know what happened after this, it is possible that he returned to combat, but he doesn't appear to be in Bernd Barbas's group 3./JG 52 end of war photo. He survived the war.

Kind Regards

Johannes