Soldier and Luftwaffe Pilot

When Willi was in Bomber School at Thorn, he visited the town and took these pictures in July-August 1940. Is this a German-built town? You betcha, although today it belongs to Poland.

This letter of 8 March 1940 from the Bürgermeister confirms that the school principal Ludwig Kriessmann has been nominated to be town councilor (Gemeinderat) for Feistritz in Rosental

Willi has written on this picture, of which I only have a zerox copy, "Take off with Walther rockets 19th Feb. 1945 from Hildesheim to Buoy (?) #140 586-12:59

From Willi's scrapbook: The Heinkel 111, an early German medium bomber with a top speed of 250 mph, was extensively used but became obsolete later in the war. Willi is in the cockpit in this June 8, 1943 photo. Bottom left: Willy, center, and his crew lunching outside of their huts on a warm day. Right: A visit to the mother of one of the crew, in Marienburg Sept. 1942. Willi is on far left.

No amusements here, but Willi manages to smile while sitting outside a hut in what looks like pretty cold weather.

Willi Kriessmann training on a Ju87 Stuka

Willi is on the left, with classmates at the Bomber school in Thorn on the Vistula River in the Generalgovernment, 1940. Man in center is Koenig who became a pilot in Willi's squadron and was killed during the dangerous January '43 Welikije Luki mission. From Life of WLK:

On December 10, I fly with Lt. Koenig on my starboard side in bright sunshine over white glaring ground, not higher than 60 ft., and experience heavy anti-aircraft gun fire. Koenig steers off and nearly collides with me.

Wilhelm, still a cadet, visiting Kolberg on the Baltic Sea after graduating from C school, June 1940.

Wilhelm Kriessmann Luftwaffe portrait