Walter Brandt was born on 24 March 1917 at Bad Salzuflen. At the outbreak of World War 2, Brandt was serving with 2.(J)/LG 2. He claimed his first victory on 13 March 1941, when he shot down a RAF Spitfire fighter 20km north of Cap Gris Nez. Brandt participated in the invasion of Russia. On 6 January 1942, 2.(J)/LG 2 was redesignated 2./JG 77. By June 1942, Brandt had 20 victories to his credit. He had also flown over 100 ground attack missions. In July 1942, 2./JG 77 was relocated to the Mediterranean theatre. From bases in Sicily, Brandt claimed 14 victories over and around Malta to raise his victory total to 35. Operating over North Africa from October 1942, Brandt added three further victories. However on 14 January 1943, having recorded his 38th victory, he was seriously wounded, flying Bf 109 G-2 (W.Nr. 10 744) “Black 4”, in aerial combat southwest of Buerat. Hospitalised, he was to lose a leg. Oberfeldwebel Brandt was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 24 March while still in hospital. In August 1944, Brandt returned to combat duty, complete with an artificial leg, leading 2./JG 3 on Reichsverteidigung duties. In the afternoon of 26 November, I./JG 3 were ordered to scramble on a defensive mission in very hazy weather. Radio contact with the ground was lost. In these poor conditions the Gruppenkommandeur, Hauptmann Horst Haase (62 victories, RK) collided with his wingman, Leutnant Hans Fritz (12 victories), both aircraft crashing from low altitude near Erkelenz with their pilots still aboard. Brandt assumed command of the formation and led it back to Paderborn. However, Brandt was then placed under arrest for cowardice in the face of the enemy because there had been no contact with the enemy and the formation could not be reached by radio at low level to be guided on to the enemy. The charges were later dismissed.  On 12 December, he led a successful interception against a formation of RAF Lancaster four-engine bombers making a daylight raid on Essen. Brandt was successful in the engagement, claiming one of the bombers shot down. Brandt suffered injuries on 25 December, when his Bf 109 G overturned in a take-off accident at Paderborn. His injuries were serious enough to require hospitalisation and keep him from participating in Operation Bodenplatte, the aerial attack on Allied airfields in Holland, Belgium and France on 1 January 1945. On 22 January 1945, 2./JG 3 was relocated to Stettin-Altdamm for operations over the Eastern front. The primary mission of the unit was low-level attacks in support of the German army in the Bromberg/Posen area. Additionally, escort missions for Fw 190 ground-attack and Ju 87 anti-tank aircraft were flown. On 10 February, the unit relocated to Pinnow near Kolberg in Pomerania. On 3 March 1945, Brandt destroyed 3 Russian tanks with bombs, strafed and set on fire 20 trucks and shot down two Russian Pe-2 twin-engine bombers and a LaGG-3 fighter. However, he was again shot down and wounded in aerial combat with a Russian Il-2 Sturmovik ground attack aircraft. He successfully managed a belly landing in his damaged Bf 109 G-14 (W.Nr. 464 278) near Augustwalde. Following the dissolution of I./JG 3 on 23 March 1945, Brandt was appointed Staffelkapitän of 7./JG 3. He held the post until the end of the war. Brandt died of complications from the wounds he received during the war on 28 January 1977 at Bottrop.
    Walter Brandt was credited with 43 victories in 527 missions. Included in his mission total are over 100 ground attack missions. He recorded 23 victories over the Eastern front. Included in his total is one four-engine bomber  and twelve Spitfires recorded over the Western front.
 

No	Date	Time	A/c Type	Unit	Location / Comments
1	13.3.1941	15:20	Spitfire	2.(J)/LG 2	20km N Cap Gris Nez
2	24.6.1941	-	SB-2	2.(J)/LG 2	-
3	16.10.1941	14:00	SB-2	2.(J)/LG 2	-
4	19.10.1941	15:10	I-15	2.(J)/LG 2	-
5	23.10.1941	16:10	MiG-3	2.(J)/LG 2	-
6	1.11.1941	12:07	I-15	2.(J)/LG 2	-
7	1.11.1941	12:08	I-15	2.(J)/LG 2	-
8	9.2.1942	15:45	I-15	2./JG 77	-
9	20.2.1942	14:57	Pe-2	2./JG 77	-
10	9.3.1942	16:17	I-301	2./JG 77	-
11	8.5.1942	7:04	I-153	2./JG 77	-
12	28.5.1942	5:24	I-16	2./JG 77	-
13	28.5.1942	5:29	I-16	2./JG 77	-
14	2.6.1942	12:33	Yak-1	2./JG 77	-
15	10.6.1942	10:42	Yak-1	2./JG 77	-
16	13.6.1942	16:15	Il-2	2./JG 77	-
17	14.6.1942	18:40	I-16	2./JG 77	-
18	26.6.1942	17:00	LaGG-3	2./JG 77	-
19	28.6.1942	6:16	MiG-3	2./JG 77	-
20	28.6.1942	16:15	MiG-3	2./JG 77	-
21	10.7.1942	6:33	Spitfire	2./JG 77	-
22	13.7.1942	8:22	Spitfire	2./JG 77	-
23	26.7.1942	16:55	Spitfire	2./JG 77	-
24	30.7.1942	18:20	Spitfire	2./JG 77	-
25	15.9.1942	10:17	Spitfire	2./JG 77	-
26	11.10.1942	8:25	Spitfire	2./JG 77	-
27	12.10.1942	10:15	Spitfire	2./JG 77	-
28	14.10.1942	8:10	Spitfire	2./JG 77	-
29	14.10.1942	17:50	Spitfire	2./JG 77	-
30	16.10.1942	17:40	Spitfire	2./JG 77	-
31	7.12.1942	15:03	Spitfire	2./JG 77	-
32	10.12.1942	11:30	P-40	2./JG 77	-
33	10.12.1942	15:05	P-40	2./JG 77	-
34	13.12.1942	8:37	P-40	2./JG 77	-
35	13.12.1942	15:37	P-40	2./JG 77	-
36	12.1.1943	8:37	P-40	2./JG 77	-
37	12.1.1943	15:10	P-40	2./JG 77	-
-	13.1.1943	8:37	P-40	2./JG 77	probably double (see victory Nr. 36)
38	14.1.1943	10:20	P-40	2./JG 77	-
39	12.12.1944	13:54	Lancaster	2./JG 3	Bottrop-Recklinghausen
40	19.2.1944	16:07	LaGG-3	2./JG 3	-
41	3.3.1945	17:10	LaGG-3	2./JG 3	-
42	3.3.1945	17:12	Pe-2	2./JG 3	-
43	3.3.1945	17:13	Pe-2	2./JG 3	-

Victories : 43
Awards : Ehrenpokal (5 September 1942)
                Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (18 December 1942)
                Ritterkreuz (24 March 1943)
Units : LG 2, JG 77, JG 3