Born in Calw, Schnaufer grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. Already a glider pilot at school, he began military service in the Wehrmacht by joining the Luftwaffe in 1939.
After training at various pilot and fighter-pilot schools, he was posted to Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 operating on the Western Front, in November 1941. He flew his first combat sorties in support of Operation Cerberus, the breakout of the German ships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Prinz Eugen from Brest.

Schnaufer participated in the Defence of the Reich campaign from 1942 onwards, in which he would achieve most of his success. He claimed his first aerial victory on the night of 1/2 June 1942. As the war progressed, he accumulated further victories and later became a
squadron leader and group commander. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 31 December 1943 for reaching 42 aerial victories. Schnaufer achieved his 100th aerial victory on 9 October 1944 and was awarded the Diamonds to his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 16 October. He was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 on 4 November. Schnaufer was taken prisoner of war by British forces in May 1945. After his release a year later, he returned to his home town and took over the family wine business. He sustained injuries in a road accident on 13 July 1950 during a wine-purchasing visit to France, and died in a Bordeaux hospital two days later.

Bill Reid V.C.

Reid was promised a posting to Lancasters, but this did not materialise until July 1943, when he was sent to 1654 Conversion Unit, RAF Wigsley where he flew his first operational mission as second pilot in a Lancaster of 9 Squadron, in a raid on Mönchengladbach. In September he was posted to 61 Squadron at RAF Syerston, Newark, to commence Lancaster bombing operations, and flew seven sorties to various German cities before the raid on Düsseldorf that resulted in his award of the Victoria Cross.

On the night of 3 November 1943, on the way to Düsseldorf, the windscreen of Flight Lieutenant Reid's Lancaster was shattered by fire from a Messerschmitt Bf 110 and the gun turrets and cockpit badly damaged. Saying nothing of his multple injuries, he continued on his mission and soon afterwards the bomber was attacked again by a Focke-Wulf Fw 190. His navigator was killed and the wireless operator fatally wounded. He was wounded again, as was the flight engineer, while the Lancaster received more serious damage. Although the starboard part of the tailplane had been lost he decided to carry on, rather than turn back. Reid later said that his main reason for pressing on was that turning back would have involved flying through or across the following bomber stream, with a danger of mid-air collision.

Pressing on to his target, Reid released the bombs, then set course for home. On the way back to Syerston, he saw the searchlights of RAF Shipdham, a USAAF-operated base in Norfolk. Despite being wounded and suffering from loss of blood, Reid succeeded in landing his aircraft, though the undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft slid along the runway. The wireless operator died in Shipdham's medical centre but five of the crew survived. He was awarded the VC on 14 December 1943.

After a period in hospital, Reid went to C Flight, 617 (Dambuster) Squadron at RAF Woodhall Spa in January 1944 and flew sorties to various targets in France. He was promoted to substantive flight lieutenant on 14 June 1944.

On 31 July 1944, 617 Squadron was linked with 9 Squadron for a "Tallboy" deep penetration bomb attack on a V-weapon storage dump at Rilly-la-Montagne, near Rheims. As Reid, flying in Lancaster Mk.I ME557 KC-S released his bomb over the target at 12,000 ft, he felt his aircraft shudder under the impact of a bomb dropped by another Lancaster 6,000 ft above. The bomb ploughed through his aeroplane's fuselage, severing all control cables and fatally weakening its structure, and Reid gave the order to bail out.

As members of his crew scrambled out, the plane went into a dive, pinning Reid to his seat. Reaching overhead, he managed to release the escape hatch panel and struggled out just as the Lancaster broke in two. He landed heavily by parachute, breaking his arm in the fall. Within an hour he was captured by a German patrol and taken prisoner. After various transfers, he ended the war in Stalag III-A prisoner of war camp at Luckenwalde, west of Berlin.

Wolfgang Falck KC
After serving in Poland, Wolfgang Falck served in the western campaign as Kommandeur of 1./ZGI. In June 1940 he was appointed Kommodore NJG1, the largest geschwader in the Luftwaffe. During this time the greatest night-fighter Aces were under his command. In July 1943 he joined the staff of Luftflotte Reich responsible for the day and night-fighter defence of the Reich. In the Autumn of 1944 he was appointed fighter Leader in the Balkans, and later head of staff for flying training. Wolfgang Falck flew 90 missions, and was awarded the Knights Cross in 1940.

Werner Hoffmann KC
Werner Hoffmann flew with one of the first ‘Destroyer’ units, I./ZG52, during the western campaign scoring his first victory, a Spitfire, over Dunkirk. After being wounded he served as Staffelkapitän with Ergänzungs-Zerstorer Gruppe in Denmark, before re-training as a night-fighter. Becoming Staffelkapitän of 5./NJG3, he took part in the Channel Dash operation. In July 1943 he was appointed Gruppenkomandeur of I./NJG5. He flew almost 200 missions, scoring 51 night victories and 1 day victory. Awarded the Knights Cross in 1943 he was nominated for the Oak Leaves.

Paul Zorner KC
Originally a transport pilot, Paul Zorner flew in North Africa, the Mediterranean and Southern Russia before re-training as a night-fighter pilot, joining II./NJG2 in 1942. In December he took command of 2./NJG3. At the beginning of 1943 he was Staffelkapitän of 3./NJG3, and then 8./NGJ3,which he lead until April 1944. when he took command of III./NJG5. In October he was promoted Kommandeur II./NJG100. Paul Zorner was credited with 59 victories, and awarded the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves.

Günther Bahr KC
Serving first as an instructor, he was posted to 6./SKG 210 (later 6./ZG1) on the Eastern Front until June 1942, when he re-trained to fly night-fighters. Posted first to NJG4 in August 1943, and then I./NJG6, where on the night of 21/22 February 1943 he shot down seven four-engined Russian bombers in one night. Günther Bahr flew over 90 night-fighter missions, and was awarded the Knights Cross in March 1945. He had achieved 37 aerial victories.

Fritz Rumpelhardt KC
From 1942 as an Unteroffizier, Fritz Rumpelhardt was radio operator to Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer with NJG1 and NJG4. He participated in 100 night-fighter victories with Schnaufer, and was the most successful night-fighter radio operator in the Luftwaffe. Fritz Rumpelhardt flew over130 combat missions, was awarded the Knights Cross in July 1944, and was nominated for the Oak Leaves in March 1945.