SOME OF THE PRISONERS HELD AT
SPECIAL CAMP 11

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

• 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

• 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.

• Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross: 14 September 1940, Oberstleutnant, commander, Zerstörergeschwader 76.
• Iron Cross, 1^st Class (1939)
• Iron Cross, 2^nd 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