Paul Galland

The family with French Huguenot ancestry, had settled in Westerholt in 1792.

Galland was the last of four sons of Adolf Galland (senior) and his French wife Anna, née Schipper.

Upholding the family tradition, Galland (senior) worked as the land manager or bailiff to the Count von Westerholt.

Galland's three older brothers were Fritz, Adolf and Wilhelm-Ferdinand.

Their father had pet names for all his family members.

His wife Anna was called "Anita".

Fritz was called "Toby", Adolf was "Keffer", Wilhelm-Ferdinand was nicknamed "Wutz" and Paul was called "Paulinchen" or since they were expecting a girl, occasionally "Paula".

All four Galland brothers later served in the Luftwaffe.

Galland was trained as a fighter pilot at the Jagdfliegerschule 5 (JFS 5—5th Fighter Pilot School) in Wien-Schwechat where he befriended Walter Nowotny.

At the JFS 5, his roommates were Nowotny, Walter Krupinski, and Peter Göring, a nephew of the Reichsmarschall (Empire Marshal) Hermann Göring.

Paul Galland (3 November 1919 — 31 October 1942) was a Luftwaffe ace and brother of Luftwaffe aces Adolf Galland and Wilhelm-Ferdinand Galland.

He had claimed 17 aerial victories in 107 combat missions.

Galland was born on 3 November 1919.

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland.

On 28 February 1941, Leutnant Galland was transferred from the Ergänzungsstaffel, a supplementary training unit, of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) to 8.

Staffel (8th squadron).

8. Staffel was a squadron of III.

Gruppe (3rd group) which at the time was commanded by Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) Oberleutnant Gustav Sprick while III.

Gruppe was headed by his brother Adolf.

On 20 August, his brother was appointed Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 26 and Hauptmann Gerhard Schöpfel, who had led 9.

Staffel, succeeded him as Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III.

Gruppe.

Galland had joined 8.

Staffel at a time when III.

Gruppe was being reequipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F series at Bonn-Hangelar.

On 1 April, the Gruppe was sent to France, at first based at Saint-Brieuc airfield before on 1 June it was ordered to an airfield at Ligescourt, north of Abbeville.

Sprick was killed in action on 28 June, he was succeeded as commander of 8.

Staffel by Oberleutnant Hans-Jürgen Westphal.

On 6 July 1941, the Royal Air Force (RAF) flew "Circus" No. 35 and targeted Lille and the Fives-Lille engineering company.

In defense of this attack, Galland claimed his first aerial victory over a Supermarine Spitfire fighter.

This aerial victory was not confirmed, and he was not given credit for this claim.

Westphal was wounded on 13 August and command of 8.

Staffel passed on to Hauptmann Johann Schmid.

Galland was credited with his first aerial victory on 4 September 1941 when he shot down a Spitfire at 17:30.

The RAF flew "Circus" No. 93 that day, targeting the Mazingarbe ammonia factory.

His third claim, which again remained unconfirmed, was filed on 17 September.

"Circus" No. 95 and 96 targeted the Mazingrabe power station and the Shell Oil plant at Marquise with 24 Bristol Blenheim bombers and six Handley Page Hampden bombers.

In this encounter, Galland had claimed a Spitfire from No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron.

On 19 October, III.

Flying with Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" on the Western Front, he was killed in combat with Royal Air Force Supermarine Spitfire fighters on 31 October 1942.