Code: 10655
Ferdinand Altmeyer Born 23-03-1926 joined the German Airforce in late 1943.
He trained firstly in a BU181 progressing to a KL35. After his training he flew C445, FW58, W34, JU86, SI204, NA57, FW56, AR96, FW190 and finally twelve missions in the ME262. All of this information is in his flight log. (This is part of the collection as is his pilot’s licence). It is interesting that the swastika on his licence has been erased in pencil. He would have needed this after the war to join the Aero club in Saar (membership card is part of the collection). His last flights in the ME262 are interesting as the airfield in Zerbst was captured by the American 83rd division on the 23rd of April 1945. Later the area was handed over to the Russians. His last recorded flight was on 2nd of May. It could have been a mistake, or he could have been aiding the Americans to get the planes out to a safer place before the area was handed over to the Russians
There were ten Me262 fighters based here at the end of the war and they first flew from Zerbst. I think that Altmeyer was transferred here when the number of fighters was increased to twenty.
There is a difference between the German and the Allies on recording flights. If you are flying touch and go training flights in the Luftwaffe each time the wheels touch the ground it counts as a flight. With the Allies only the first and last count as a flight. This is why in the flight log there are some flights only lasting a few minutes.
He found himself in a POW camp where he was kept until November 1946 (His discharge paper is part of the collection) He was allowed to go to Lauterbach to study French.
By 1948 he was in Kollerbach and still listed as a student he was head hunted by the French Air Force (his papers to travel to France are part of the collection) This Sauf Conduct Valant Passport is very rare, it would have had his photo on the front but it is missing, possibly used for something else later.
He was in the French Air Force until his retirement in the 1960’s and for most of the time he was an instructor based in Cherbourg.
Included in the collection are three of his flight maps. There were twenty produced to cover all of western Europe. The three included are No 6, No 7 These two cover the area Rostock, Stolp, Danzig and Tilsit. The third map covers Berlin, Posen, Dresden & Breslau. They all show restricted areas marked by the pilot in red pencil. The maps also have squares with numbers. This I am told its to get the fighters into an area where they can then be guided by ground control.
Also included in the Collection is his lucky mascot. The death Cross from his uncle killed in the First World War.
Other items in the collection are some army and police badges, and epaulettes either belonging to the recipient or a family member, possibly father or brother.
item on consignment from vendor JF.
