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1 Walter Regener
Walter Regener, born 29.11.1916 in Haldensleben, Germany.


Dear Mr Melvin Brownless,

After your article in the local newspaper (Volksstimme) of 2.11.1995 I would like to be in contact with you. Maybe I can contribute something to the research of the history of the airwar.
In those days I was stationed in France, Sicily and Crete and carried out operational attacks on your country, Malta, Italy, Crete and Egypt.

At the start we were flying the Dornier Do 17 and later we transferred over to the Junkers Ju 88. I was working as the radio operator (Bordfunker).
During 1940 we were flying some daylight missions to your country, London docks, Coventry and other cities. Later our operations were changed to night missions, because from the day attacks only a few aircraft returned. We mostly took off from Reims, Rennes or Schiphol (Holland). The actions in the South were flown from Comiso-Sicily or Crete Tympakion.. Mostly also night missions.

For our crew the war was already over on the 5th of September 1942.
The last take off from Crete to Egypt, target: an airbase near Cairo. One of your nightfighters (Hurricane) intercepted us with his guns blazing South of Alexandria and our “dream”ended.”
Aircraft burning and then crashed in flames.The mechanic was burned in the crash and the three of us, the pilot, the observer and me could save ourselves by parachute. I was hurt.
I had got some shrapnel from one of the grenades and in the jump and I broke two ribs.
I was taken prisoner by a New Zealand officer and taken to number 6 General Hospital.
Later after my recovery I went to prison camp number 306 near the Great Bitterlake at the Suez Canal.

On the 1st April 1943 we were transported to the United States by ship (Westpoint) and from there by rail to Canada. After about 5 weeks we reached our destination.: camp 132 Medicine Hat in the State of Alberta. There I stayed till September 1944 and a part of the prisoners were moved to Neyes at Lake Superior.

On the 1st April 1946 we went to England by boat, into the Farm Camp 48, Presteigne Radnorshire. Here I stayed some months. After that I came to work with farmer Fred Kinch, on the Byton Farm, in Radnorshire.

On the 29th of December 1946 I came into the Release camp and from Hull I was shipped to Cuxhafen and ended up in Munsterlager from where I was realeased as a POW on 17th January 1947.

I also state that during my stay in England I was in any aspect treated fair and according to the
Geneva Convention. Especially good I liked my stay at the Kinch family. Here I was treated as if I were a brother. Unfortunately I could not contact them afterwards as I went into the Russion Section of Germany because there my young wife was waiting for me and also my son, born during the time I was a prisoner. I crossed the border illegally, while it still was also my country.

2 Walter Regenercc3 Walter Regener

4 Walter Regener
Walter Regener. 4 Staffel, II. Gruppe Kampfgeschwader 77


5 Walter Regener
Whilst stationed at Comiso, Italy. Junkers Ju 88 being “bombed up” (Regener) Below; completing the 5,000 mission of the II.Gruppe. (Regener)

6 Walter Regener
Walter Regener far right with his crew 4 Staffel, II. Gruppe Kampfgeschwader 77. (Regener)

9 Postcard from Haldensleben

10 Udo, Steve, Walter & Melvin
May 1996, Melvin Brownless, Steven Hall and Udo van den Brock visited Walter and his family at his home in Haldensleben.

11 Toast wuth Udo, Steve, Walter and Melvin (Germany)
Visited again in June 1997 when we presented him with his medals & decorations that he left in England with the Kinch family back in 1946.

7 Walter Regener (Comiso)cc8 Gustav Kasdorf (pilot)
cccccWalter at Comiso, Italy. (Regener) ccccccccccccccccccccc Walter’s pilot Gustav Kasdorf, Comiso, Italy. (Regener)


Awards: Iron Cross 1st & 2nd Class, Bronze, Silver & Gold War flights badge, Honour Goblet, German Cross in Gold.

12 R.Op badgecc13 R.Op badge reverse
Walter’s Radio Operator’s badge. (Regener)ccccccccccccccccccccccccc Reverse of badge. (Regener)

14 Iron Cross 2 Class EK. IIcc15 Iron Cross 1 Class E K. I
Iron Cross 1st Class. (Regener)cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Iron Cross 2nd Class. (Regener)

16 Gold war flights badge 110 missions
Gold war flights badge 110 missions (Regener)

17 German Cross in Gold D.K.i.G. Regenercc18 D.K.i.G. reverse
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold – German Cross in Gold awarded 27th October 1942. (Regener)

19 Coventry Citizen August 1996

20 Steve Hall, Walter Regener, Melvin Brownless
Steven Hall, Walter Regener & Melvin Brownless pay their respects in memory of those who lost their lives. (Brownless)

21 Haldensleben Zeitung
Compiled from the personal archive of Melvin Brownless in memory of Walter Regener +

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