Willy Lehnert

Willy Lehnert (9 March 1916 – 10 July 1975) was a German Luftwaffe bomber radio operator and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He received this award after more than 300 combat missions. Lehnert was a member of the Hermann Hogeback bomber crew. Hogeback's crew earned the distinction of being the only crew to have all members awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by the end of the war, and Lehnert was the second, aside from Hogenback himself, of the three crew members to be awarded after Oberfeldwebel Günter Glasner on 31 December 1943.

Willy Lehnert joined the Luftwaffe in 1937. He flew his first combat mission from Sicily in March 1940. In July 1941 he was able to shoot down two of twelve attacking British fighters and so saved the Junkers Ju 88 from destruction.

Awards

 * Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class and 1st Class
 * Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 1 September 1941 as Feldwebel in a Lehrgeschwader
 * German Cross in Gold on 17 November 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the III./Kampfgeschwader 6
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 5 April 1944 as Oberfeldwebel and wireless radio operator in the Stab/Kampfgeschwader 6