NAME: Generalmajor Walter Grabmann (Luftwaffe)
PW NO: A967266
RANK: Generalmajor
CAPTURED: Unknown
DATE: 20th June 1945
PERSONAL
DATE OF BIRTH: 20 September 1905
PLACE OF BIRTH: Bad Reichenhall
DATE OF DEATH: 1992
PLACE OF DEATH: Unknown
NATIONALITY: German
RELIGION: Roman Catholic
OCCUPATION: Regular Soldier
HEIGHT: 5'11"
WEIGHT: Unknown
HAIR COLOUR: Brown
EYE COLOUR: Blue
NEXT OF KIN: Eugen Grabmann, (US Zone)
Promotions:
Polizei Leutnant: 1 November 1926
Polizei Oberleutnant: 1 November 1930
Oberleutnant: 1 October 1934 (RDA 1 October 1932)
Hauptmann: 1 April 1935
Major: 1 December 1938
Oberstleutnant: 19 July 1940
Oberst: 1 April 1942
Generalmajor: 1 August 1944
Commands & Assignments:
24 May 1924: Joined the Polizei [Police].
24 May 1924-31 March 1931: Company officer and platoon leader with the Bavarian Landespolizei [Land Police] in Nürnberg and police recruit trainer in Fürth.
1 April 1931-30 September 1934: Pilot course with the Luftpolizei [Air Police] and assigned to Flight Surveillance North Bavaria, Fürth.
1 October 1934: Left the Police and entered the Luftwaffe as an Oberleutnant.
1 October 1934-31 March 1935: Pilot at the Kampffliegerschule [Combat Flying School] Lechfeld.
1 April 1935-31 July 1935: Fighter course at Flying School Schleißheim.
1 August 1935-6 March 1936: Course Leader at Flying School Salzwedel.
7 March 1936-14 march 1937: Adjutant, Jagdgeschwader [Fighter Wing] 134 “Horst Wesel.”
15 March 1937-31 August 1938: Group Commander in Jagdgeschwader 234 and Military Airfield Commandant Köln-Ostheim.
9 September 1938-31 March 1939: Commander of Jagdgruppe [Fighter Group] 88 of the German Legion Condor in Spain [group equipped with He 51 biplanes and Messerschmitt Bf 109s].
1 April 1939-17 July 1939: Commander of I Group of Lehrgeschwader 1 [unit equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 110s].
17 July 1939-14 April 1940: Commander of V. (z) Group of Lehrgeschwader 1, Barth / Pommern [Grabmann was wounded on the first day of World War II—1 September 1939—when his Bf 110 was hit by fire from a Polish fighter that was attacking a formation of German bombers his unit was escorting].
15 April 1940-31 July 1941: Commander of Zerstörergeschwader [Fighter-Destroyer Wing] 76 and Fighter Leader Northern Norway [This unit was equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 110s. On 18 May 1940, an enemy fighter shot down Grabmann while he was attempting a low-level attack on Douai airfield in France. He parachuted to safety but was quickly captured by French troops. Grabmann was repatriated six days later by an advancing German panzer column.].
1 August 1941-19 August 1942: Commander of Zerstörerschule [Fighter-Destroyer School] 2, Memmingen.
20 August 1942-10 November 1943: Fighter Leader for the Holland-Ruhr area.
11 November 1943-4 April 1945: Commander of 3. Jagddivision [Fighter Division].
5 April 1945-29 April 1945: Commander of 1. Jagddivision.
30 April 1945-7 July 1945: Commander of 15. Flieger-Division [Air Division].
7 July 1945-17 May 1948: British prisoner of war.
9th January 1946 transferred to Island Farm Special Camp 11 from Camp 1
12th May 1948 transferred to Camp 186 fo repatriation
Aerial Victories:
Conflicting sources state Walter Grabmann received credit for 12 aerial victories as a fighter pilot: 6 in Spain and 6 in the west during World War II.
Decorations (included):
Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross: 14 September 1940, Oberstleutnant, commander, Zerstörergeschwader 76.
Iron Cross, 1st Class (1939)
Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1939)
German Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords
Operational Flying Clasp for Long-Range Day Fighters in (Gold?)
Luftwaffe Combined Pilot/Observer Badge
Armed Forces Long Service Awards
Spanish Military Medal
Spanish Campaign Medal
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Walter Grabmann (20 September 1905 – 20 August 1992) was a German general in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Grabmann was credited with 7 aerial victories during the Spanish Civil War claimed in 137 combat missions.
Grabmann joined the Police force in 1924, learning to fly and serving with the Luftpolizei (Air Police), assigned to Flight Surveillance North Bavaria, Fürth. He then enlisted in the Luftwaffe in October 1934, and served as Adjutant, Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel" from March 1936.
From September 1938 to March 1939 Major Grabmann was Commander of Jagdgruppe 88 with the German Condor Legion in Spain, equipped with Heinkel He 51 biplanes and early versions of the Messerschmitt Bf 109. He claimed a Polikarpov I-15, I-16 and an SB-2 bomber all shot down on 23 September 1938. Another SB-2 was downed on 10 October 1938, and a I-16 on 15 October. His last claim (an I-15) was on 4 January 1939.
Following his return to Germany, he was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I.(Zerstörer) Gruppe of Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1—1st Demonstration Wing) on 1 April 1939, succeeding Hauptmann Axel von Blomberg in this capacity. At the time, the unit was based at Barth and had just been equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter, the first Luftwaffe unit to receive this aircraft.
In July 1939 he served with V.(Z)/LG 1. Whilst providing cover for the Heinkel H 111Ps of II./Kampfgeschwader 1, LG 1 encountered Polish PZL P.11s of the Brygada Pościgowa over Warsaw on the evening of 1 September 1939. Major Grabmann was wounded in this encounter when his Bf 110 was hit by fire from a Polish PZL P.11 fighter.
On 15 April 1940 Grabman became CO of Zerstörergeschwader 76. On 18 May 1940 Royal Air Force Hawker Hurricanes shot down 3 Bf 110Cs of ZG 76, including Grabmann, while flying a low-level attack on Douai airfield. He parachuted to safety (his gunner Fw. Krone was killed) and was captured by French troops. Grabmann was rescued six days later by an advancing German panzer column.
He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 September 1940. Oberstlt. Grabmann was credited with a further 6 victories during World War II — 1 during the Battle of France and 5 in the Battle of Britain — claimed in about 110 combat missions.
In August 1941 Grabmann commanded Zerstörerschule 2 in Memmingen, and in August 1942 was appointed Fighter Leader for the Holland area (Jafü Holland). During this time Grabmann flew a Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-5, (Werknummer 410054—factory number) "X" as his personal mount. In November 1943 Grabmann became Commander, 3. Jagddivision and then 1. Jagddivision in April 1945.
General Major Grabmann was taken prisoner at the end of the war, and repatriated to Germany in May 1948. He died in Munich on 20 August 1992.
According to Obermaier, Grabmann was credited with 13 aerial victories, seven in the Spanish Civil War and six on the Western Front of World War II, claimed in approximately 250 combat missions, 137 of which in Spain. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 13 aerial victory claims. This number of confirmed claims includes seven claims during the Spanish Civil War and six over the Western Allies.
Source :
https://audiovis.nac.gov.pl/obraz/31012/46c2ce30aaa3b3c8f6497897de6f592b/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Grabmann
http://www.luftwaffeinprofile.se/Fw%20190%20A%20Grabmann.html
http://www.specialcamp11.co.uk/Generalmajor%20Walter%20Grabmann%20(LW).htm
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/47499/Grabmann-Walter.htm
https://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=711
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