Wilhelm Schmitter
Wilhelm Schmitter was born on 18 December 1913 in Rheydt, Germany.
He joined the Kriegsmarine on 1 July 1933, undertaking basic training aboard the Schleswig-holstein before training as a seaplane pilot from December 1934 to October 1937.
Initially serving with Kustenfligergruppe 206, he transferred to Kustenfligergruppe 706 in July 1939, and then with Kustenfligergruppe 906 with which unit he served on operations in Norway and against England.
On 11 February 1941 he transferred to I/KG40 operating against England flying Heinkel 115 and Heinkel 111 aircraft.
After re-training on the Dornier 217, he transferred to II/KG40 on operations against convoys etc., as well as on bombing operations against England including a sortie to attack the Lockeed Hydraulic Brake Factory at Leamington Spa on 16 July 1942. During this operation, Schmitter was slightly wounded and awarded the Wound Badge in Black.
Retraining on the Messerschmitt 410, he was posted as Staffelkapitän to 15/KG2. During his time with the unit, he claimed two aircraft destroyed on the ground and a four-engined destroyed on 24 August 1943. Returning from this operation, he was shot down by a night fighter and had to bale out near Zeebrugge and was rescued from the sea.
He failed to return from a sortie to London on the night of 8/9 November 1943 and was posthumously promoted to Major with effect from 1 November 1943.
Schmitter was decorated with the DRL Sports Badge, Iron Cross Second and First Class, Black Wound Badge, the German Cross in Gold, Knight’s Cross, Ehrenpokal (Honour Goblet) and Operational Flying Clasp in Gold for bomber crews.