# any info on WALTER LINKE luftwaffe knights cross



## chandra (Dec 5, 2008)

I am looking for any information on wwII german Knights cross recipient Walter Linke. He was part of the luftaffe and won the award in 1944. His daughter is my elderly neighbor and never knew what happened to her father. I saw a German published book on the forum that we will try and purchase. If anyone knows anything about Walter Linke, please reply.


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## lesofprimus (Dec 5, 2008)

Linke, Walter. Luftwaffe. Oberfeldwebel. 3./Schlachtgeschwader 2. 16 Dec 1944.

Linke, Walter Oberfeldwebel Luftwaffe German 950 Misssions as a Radio Operator in the Stuka Ju 87...


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## Airframes (Dec 5, 2008)

Great stuff Les!
Hope you find what you need, Chandra.


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## chandra (Dec 21, 2008)

A relative of Walter Linke's is my neighbor, she is anxious to know what happened to him after the war. Could there have been more than one Walter Linke in the luftwaffe? The birthday and birthplace of her Walter Linke, luftwaffe, is June 15, 1912 in Neisse, Germany. In 1942 he was an unterfeldwebel and wrote:
Randotiz links oben
Gunzburg, den 18 Marz 1942. (I can't do the double dots above the letters)
Der Unterfeldwebel Walter Linke, Katholisch, wohnhaft in Brunn, Schimitzkaserne, deutscher Staatsangehoriger, geboren am 15. Juni 1912 in Niesse (Geburtsregister number 278 des Standesamts Neisse) hat am 5. Dezember 1941 vor dem Feldgericht des kommandierenden Generals und Befehlshabers in Luftgau XVII des nebenbezeichnete Kind als von inm gezeugt anerkannt. Der Standesbeamte
Danner
Can anyone tell me from this information if this is the same Walter Linke?
Thank you - Chandra


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## Amsel (Dec 21, 2008)

"The lower sergeant Walter left, Catholic, resident in Brunn, Schimitzkaserne, German Staatsangehoriger, born on the 15th of June 1912 in Niesse (birth index number of 278 the registry office Neisse) has on the 5th of December 1941 before the field court of the commanding general and commander in Luftgau XVII of the next to designated child as of inm witnessed acknowledged. The standing official"


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## seesul (Dec 22, 2008)

From L to R:
Wilhelm Noller, Walter Linke,Heinrich Meyering- SG2 Immelmann Knight cross holders 
Source: Axis History Forum • View topic - Knight's Cross Holders Identification


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## seesul (Dec 22, 2008)

Walter´s pilot was Major Herbert Bauer who passed away in 1997, more at Bauer, Herbert
Anyway, this Walter Linke seems to be someone else as he was born in 1920 and passed away in 1985 in Erfurt. More here Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 - 1945
Should it be him I could try to trace some info on him as I have friend in Erfurt, but comparing the birth year 1912 and 1920 he really seems to be someone else...
He got the Knight Cross decoration on Dec. 12, 1944.


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## Njaco (Dec 22, 2008)

May be the same as...
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/old-threads/hans-ulrich-rudel-new-book-411.html

Interesting as Bauer's Linke was awarded the DK in Gold on 15 june 1942! Maybe birthdays are confused with awards?


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## Erich (Dec 22, 2008)

Njaco you are correct it is the same Schlahtgeschwader 2 Bordfünker.

Ingo is a pretty neat guy with several special books published on LW personalities


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## seesul (Dec 22, 2008)

Njaco said:


> May be the same as...
> http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/old-threads/hans-ulrich-rudel-new-book-411.html
> 
> Interesting as Bauer's Linke was awarded the DK in Gold on 15 june 1942! Maybe birthdays are confused with awards?



I haven´t noted it Njaco. You may be right...
Should it be the guy the women is searching for, she could have a nice Xmas...let´s wait for Chandra´s response...
Anyway, this guy seems to be the only Knight cross holder with that name-Walter Linke...there´s a chance...


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## Njaco (Dec 22, 2008)

> Ingo is a pretty neat guy with several special books published on LW personalities


It seems he only posted that one time. Is Ingo his published name or just a username from here?


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## Erich (Dec 22, 2008)

yes it IS the same man. - W. Linke and Ingo is the other chaps real name.

Ingo posts on some other German language militar sites as well as on axisforums, this is how I originally came into contact with him as I was interested in one of his titles 3 opr more years ago. I had forgotten about his single posting.

note the blue covered work mid way down and the cover pic ~ of Linke on the left and his pilot Bauer holding the piggie


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## chandra (Dec 24, 2008)

If the birthdate for the Knight's Cross recipient Walter Linke is correct, then unfortunately, I think there were two different luftwaffe members named Walter Linke. Here is the mid-later 1930's enlistment photo * before 1938 * and a party photo from the same year. I don't think he looks like the Walter Linke in the photo from the other posts. Does anyone else?
I have emailed lingo on the other site twice in the past month and he has not replied.
I am so grateful for the information from your site.
Chandra


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## Erich (Dec 24, 2008)

interesting your lower foto loks more like the man above with his Kameraden than your first enlistment pic. amazing what war can do to a mans outward and inner appearance. there is only one Ritterkreuz winner Walter Linke and he was in StG 2 as described.

Merry Christmas

E ~


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## chandra (Dec 24, 2008)

I think that there are two Walter Linke - and the one in my post is not the one that received the knights cross - any advice on other sites or ways to research a luftwaffe undersargeants history from the XVII division in 1941-42?
Info known: see above enlistment photo
date of birth: june 15, 1912 in Neisse, Germany
trained at airfield in Leipheim, near Gunzberg, Danube river region, South of Munich, Germany in mid to late 1930's (where he met my neighbors mother and gave her his photo) assumed to be a *pilot *per her mother 
Last seen: december 5, 1941 listed as underfeldwebel in the Luftwaffe XVII division.
thank you again and merry christmas


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## seesul (Dec 24, 2008)

Chandra,

try LuftArchiv.de - Das Archiv der Deutschen Luftwaffe
If you don´t speak German, I could try to help you.


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## Njaco (Dec 25, 2008)

Maybe there is a confusion between the Knights Cross (Ritterkreuz) and the Deutsches Cross? Last seen in Dec 41 - before that date I don't believe alot of Ritterkreuz were given out except for extraordinary circumstances. That may be the deciding factor between the two Linkes.


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## seesul (Jan 5, 2009)

Chandra,

I got the word that in the book from Ingo there´s written that Walter Linke was born in Frankenhausen in Thüringen on March 27, 1920. But the pic in the book seems to be very similar to the pic you´ve posted!
If there´s something written on the back side of the photo you have, could you scann it and post it?
And do you know who toke the pic you have?

THX


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