Wilhelm Stör

Who was Wilhelm Stör?

Vizefeldwebel Wilhelm "Willi" Stör was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.

After serving in a Hussar Regiment of the Imperial German Army in World War I he transferred to the Luftstreitkrafte, he then became a fighter pilot with Jasta 68 and was credited with shooting down three aircraft and two balloons. He was awarded the Iron Cross for his actions.

In the interwar period he became a stunt pilot and aerobatic instructor. He was then a pilot at the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule and won the German master aerobatic contest in 1935 and 1936 flying a BFW M.35 monoplane with a distinctive 'sun-burst' livery which he also demonstrated in other countries. He was then appointed the chief test pilot for Messerschmitt at their factory in Augsburg and was notable for tutoring Rudolf Hess to fly Messerschmitt aircraft including the Bf 108 and the Bf 110 that he flew to Scotland in 1941. Stör was directed to deliver two Bf 109 fighters to Kawasaki, Japan in May 1941 and his colleague Helmut Kaden then took over as the flying instructor to Hess.