Hptm Walter Fenske

[Marius]

There is no documentary evidence for the date of the Poland claims.

Regards,
Marius

[Ellen Marktl]

Originally Posted by Gordon Raddock

Walter Fenske was born on 22 June 1911 at Neuwedel. At the outbreak of WW 2, Oblt. Fenske was serving with 2.(Z)/LG 1. On 8 October 1939, 2.(Z)/LG 1 was redesignated 14.(Z)/LG 1. On 1 October 1940, 14.(Z)/LG 1 was redesignated 2./NJG 3. In autumn 1940, Fenske transfered to 3./NJG 1. In February 1941, he was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./NJG 1. In October 1941, he transfered as Staffelkapitän to 9./NJG 2. By June 1943, he was Staffelkapitän of 11./NJG 5. By March 1944, he was serving with 3./NJGr. 10. On 28 March 1944, Fenske and his crew were killed in Bf 110 G-4 (WNr 740003) at Brodenbach. Fenske was credited with 14 victories of which 12 were recorded at night.

HTH
Gordon

Dear Gordon,

I´m on research for Hptm. Werner Fenske. You showed a tremendous knowledge about him. Do you perhaps know when he joined to the Luftwaffe? Or anything about "secret" activities in the Spanish civil war? To which German towns he had to move, while changing from one NJG to another? He is supposed to be my brothers father.

Greetings to New Zealand,

Ellen

[Gordon Raddock]

Hello Ellen

I can't add much more information to that I posted above. However, contact me off board (goma1ATxtra.co.nz) and I will gladly send you what information I have for Fenske.

Regards
Gordon

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Hello Gordon,

Nice to meet again virtually ! May I refine your quite complete description of the career of Walter Fenske?

When Walter Fenske switched to the I./NJG 1 he first joined the 1./NJG 1 and also his victory in the night of 24/25 October 1940 was within that Staffel, then led by Oblt. H. Griese. In February 1941 he succeeded Oblt. W.Hansen, who was tragically killed (shot down by German Flak). He stayed with the 3./NJG 1 up to 1th October 1941, when a general reorganisation of the German nightfighter arm took place. However, he cannot have joined the 9./NJG 2, because this Staffel (and the 7./NJG 2 and 8./NJG 2) were formed by the end of June 1942 from the Erg.Staffel NJG 2 [ source: claimlists of the Erg.St./NJG 2 and III./NJG 2, microfilm C 2027 N-2). Therefore, there is a 'gap' between 1 October 1941 and at least 31 July 1942 because then we meet Fenske again in the claimlist of 9./NJG 2.
I also think that we must be careful about Fenske and the 11./NJG 5. We know for instance, that the 9./NJG 2 was used to form the 11./NJG 3, so it might be that Fenskes claim within the 11./NJG 5 could have been misread by Tony Wood. For this he is not to blame, those records are handwritten and sometimes difficult to read.

I have direct contact with Ellen (she is of Dutch origine) and her brother (of German origine but he is more fluent in Dutch than some of my neighbours haha!)

Sad story how under wartime conditions families became disrupted. Best wishes and hoping to 'meet' on one of all the forums we abuse,

Marcel Hogenhuis / Venlo

[Gordon Raddock]

Hi Marcel

Many thanks for posting updated information for Fenske. Your help is greatly appreciated and adds more pieces to the jigsaw!

I hope all is well with you
Regards
Gordon

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Hello Gordon,

I am fine, thank you! Quite busy at the moment with the last renovation campaign of our house, so that our three young children (girl of 2 years old and our twins, boy and girl of 8 months) can grow up in a house that is finished.

Well, I must correct my last posting: on the 1th Novmeber 1941 not an Ergänzungsstaffel (replacement squadron) of NJG 2 was established, but a Einsatzstaffel (inofficially the 7./NJG 2). The abbreviated name is the same: E./NJG 2 ! Well, from this E./NJG 2 a III./NJG 2 was created on 1th July 1942. That explains also why so many officers were member of that E./NJG 2.

All the best, Marcel