Small group to fighter pilot and RKT Walter Matoni

[Andy F-P]

Hello all,
I would like to show a small group to fighter pilot and RKT Walter Matoni who served with various units including JG26 and JG2. Please see this link for a brief history of his career:

http://www.luftwaffe.cz/matoni.html

The first piece of paper shows Matoni signing up to serve in the Luftwaffe in 1939. Notice that he signed to serve for nine years and was due to end his service in 1948.
Regards,
Andy

[Andy F-P]

I next have a private portrait photgraph of Matoni from Easter 1942 when Matoni was serving with JG26. On the reverse it is annoted by Walter to his mother. The annotation is the photo on the left.

[Andy F-P]

The next document a Kriegsstammrolle, has Matoni transferring from JG26 to serve as an instructor with Jagdgruppe West at the end of 1942.

[Andy F-P]

The last photo shows Matoni serving as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG2 in November 1944 when the unit were based at Merzhausen. The right left of his flying trousers have been patched up and he wears the DKiG. This photo was taken a couple of months before he was awarded the RK for thirty four aerial victories in the west. The strains of many battles are etched on his face. He was seriously injured in December 1944 and did not take part in the final months of the war.

The annotation to his family is on the photo on the right.

I hope this presentation is of interest to someone.
Regards,
Andy

[Mike Davis]

Very interesting, thanks for posting. The photographs are poignant.

[Fredo]

Thanks Andy, Very nice pictures & documents !
Fredo

[i.spring]

I love the docs and photos Andy.
The last photo in the forest is a real blaster ! SUPER

Ian.
www.colorwarphotos.com

[JeremyJ]

Matoni

Very nice grouping Andy,

Thanks for showing.

Jeremy

[Andy F-P]

Thank-you all for the positive comments.
Regards,
Andy

[Eric JB]

Hi Andy,

You do know that I like your little grouping very much !

That late war photo of your man is a real eye-catcher !

Addi Glunz did wear the same type of black leather uniform.

Thanks for showing.

yours friendly

Eric-Jan

[Rose Heppler]

Very nice grouping..That last photo is killer!

[DDD777]

The last photo shows Matoni serving as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG2 in November 1944 when the unit were based at Merzhausen. The right left of his flying trousers have been patched up and he wears the DKiG. This photo was taken a couple of months before he was awarded the RK for thirty four aerial victories in the west. The strains of many battles are etched on his face. He was seriously injured in December 1944 and did not take part in the final months of the war.

The annotation to his family is on the photo on the right.

I hope this presentation is of interest to someone.
Regards,
Andy

Great pic Andy!
Thank you for showing it!

[Hundestaffel]

Great stuff Andy....a friend of mine also has a very nice (small) selection of original Matoni paper, but as a 'silent' type of collector, he has (unfortunately) chosen not to post that material here on the WAF....


"Hundestaffel"

[Andy F-P]

Hundestaffel (T) - That is his prerogative but do you know from what period of Matoni's career do they date? I was told that 'my' documents were sold by Walter's brother when he died in 1988. The photo's definitely seem like they have been taken from a family photo album. I also have another large portrait photo of Matoni in the group, taken after he was awarded the RK in early 1945 ,but this has been published numerous times beforehand. That one is still attached to a page of the album and one of the photo's reproduced below was ripped from the other side of this page.

EJ - There is a good photo of Glunz and Matoni walking together in February 1944 at Cambrai-Epinoy airfield in Caldwell's volume two of his JG26 War Diary, page 211, with them both wearing thie same type of flying kit. They both served as comrades in 5./JG26 and, who knows, may have got them at this time.

Thank you to everyone else for their comments.
Regards,
Andy

[Hundestaffel]

Andy:

It's been quite a few years since I have seen them, but if I remember correctly, various documents pertained to Matoni's transfer to JG 26.


"Hundestaffel"