Description
Wehrpass to ME109 Pilot – Fähnrich Gerhard Penner
Penner was born in Russia on the 12.August 1924. Likely the family returned to Germany before the outbreak of the war, he lived with his father in Kiel. Penner was a student and could speak English, he demonstrated good physical fitness in the Hitler Youth. Earning the HJ Leistungsabzeichen.
Penner was enlisted into the Reichsarbeitsdienst in February 1942, and by January 1943 he volunteered to go to Officer school and try and be a pilot. By AMrch 1943 Penner swore an ath of alliegence to Adolf Hitler, during his training in Oschatz.
By February 1944 Penner arrived to the 1./Jagdgeschwader 104 for fighter pilot training, by August 1944 he was qualified as a fighter pilot.
Penner spent one month in active service with Jagdgeschwader 5 in Norway, before his final posting to Jagdgeschwader 4 in October 1944.
Interestingly in the Wehrpass is the entires for his Flying Helmets – both Winter and Summer Versions.
Since September of 1944, Penner was stated to have taken part in the defence of German Airspace. But on the 2nd of November 1944, the day fighter pilot Penner would fly his last mission.
Penners’ unit was sent to intercept American bomber formations in the Leipzig area, attacked the 457th Bomb Group and destroyed nine B-17s. Penner did not return, stated in the Wehrpass:
‘Im Luftkampf Gefallen’ Killed in air combat, Penners’ body was recovered and he has a marked grave in Zerbst-Heidetorfriedhof, Germany.
