Info needed on Rudolf Walther

Hi Guys, new to the forum, I'm looking for information or perhaps a way to proceed in researching Rudolf Walther, just doing a few quick German google searches I have found 3 guys of that name, the guy I'm looking for was a Fähnrich in around 1938-41, of the 3 I have found one was an Oberst Leutnant in 1942, I believe I can rule him out as he has too high a rank for my guy, the other two have possibilities, one was an Observer in bombers in 1944 and had a rank of Oberleutnant, I can't find out anything else about him, the 3rd and last guy I have found was posted to Russia in JG52 III in May 1943 at a Leutnant, after researching the time it took for a Fähnrich to become a fully fledged pilot at least 18 months I believe, this guy seems my best hope, is there an archive I can look at online where I can find out more about these last two guys or any research that I may be able to handle myself, I'm not a fluent German speaker but I can make myself understood if it is in Germany.

Hope you guys can help me

Cheers

Gary

[Johannes]

Hi Gary

Cannot find a Rudolf Walther with III./JG 52, but there was one with 3./JG 52 who made twenty-two claims as a Leutnant between 24th March 1944 and 1st September 1944. I suspect he is the JG 52 guy you have considered, but not the guy you are looking for as he was born on 2nd February 1923, so too young.

Regards

Johannes

[Matti Salonen]

1944-08-15, 1./Vers.Verb.d.O.K.L., Ju 88 T-1, 430499, Fl.Pl. Oranienburg, Bruchlandung um 16.20 Uhr infolge Motorstörung. Bruch 80 %.
Flugzeugführer Olt Loah, Wolfgang, verletzt
Beobachter Olt Walther, Rudolf, verletzt
Bordfunker Fw Dänekas, Karl, verletzt
Bordwart Ofw Ruf, Werner, verletzt
1944-12-29, 1./Vers.Verb.d.O.K.L., Fl.Pl. Oranienburg, Unbekannt.
Flugzeugführer Olt Walther, Rudolf, verletzt

This Walther was born in 1913.

Matti

Johannes

I think you have got the right guy, being born in 1923 is spot on, if he received the item that I have in 1940/41 and entered the luftwaffe at that time as a Fähnrich, I believe it would be correct for a young guy of 17 or 18 to join up as an officer cadet just after leaving school, I have read accounts of guys doing this.
The other guy that Matti found would probably be to old to enter service with the Luftwaffe as an officer cadet, more than likely he worked his way up through the ranks or went in as a trainee officer. Please correct me if I'm wrong on anything here, I had been hoping that it would be the guy in Russia and you are correct, it is 3./JG52, the same guy that I had found.
Could you let me know where you found his date of birth, or point me in the direction of where I can find some other information on him I would like to find out more of his school days, whether or not he trained in Gliders before the Luftwaffe, perhaps where he did his training as an officer cadet.

Matti, thank you very much also for your help,

Cheers

Gary

[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

Hi Johannes

That is some great information you have found, I cannot thank you enough for helping me with my research, I will contact "Toch" and see where that line of investigation takes me.

Once again, Many Thanks

Gary