Date of birth:

April 13th, 1911 (Köln, Germany)

Date of death:

April 4th, 1943 (Marittimo Island - at sea near Trapani, Sicilia - Italy)

Buried on:

German War Cemetery Motta San Anastasia
Plot: 1. Row: 2-B. Grave: 47.

Nationality:

German

27.10.1942: Ju 88D-1 Werknummer 430202 "5M + J" flown by Oberfeldwebel Hugo Blum from Wekusta 26 made a crash landing at Son San Juan (Baleares Island). Remaining crew: Reg Rat Walter Wolfgarten, Meteorologist, Uffz Hans Debrodt, R/O and Ofw Ewald Jander, Mech.

Oberinspektor Walter Wolfgarten served in the Wekusta 26 deployed in Russia, Poland, Sicily and Italy, among others. Wekusta, sometimes also Westa were flying units of the Air Force of the Wehrmacht in squadron strength. Their primary job was to collect weather data in areas that only planes could penetrate. This data flowed into a wide variety of weather reports from the Wehrmacht. The weather forecast is one of the decisive factors for the planning and execution of military operations. However, a large number of international weather data is required for an accurate weather report, which was not available in times of war. The Wehrmacht therefore created a worldwide network of weather stations, weather ships and weather planes. The Air Force summarized the weather aircraft in special squadrons. Most of them were directly subordinate to the commander-in-chief of the Air Force or the Air Force Command. There were a total of eleven Wekustas, which had between three and twelve twin-engine aircraft in their ranks. Many meteorologists who were obliged to perform military service flew in them and collected weather data. More than 200 of them fell during the war.
One of them was Wolfgarten, who drowned when falling into the sea near Sicilia. In the letter of condolence to his wife, the whole dramatic process, including the agony, is described.

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• Photo: Walter Wolfgarten
• - PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
  - PATZWALL, K. D., Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2008.
  - Walter Wolfgarten - Ehrenpokal Nachlass Wetterdienst-Inspektor Walter Wolfgarten - EXTREM, 6.890,00 €
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  - Kracker Luftwaffe Archive
  - Incidentes aéreos en España en la SGM: Junkers Ju 88
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