He joined the military service in the Wehrmacht in 1935, initially serving with the anti-aircraft artillery of the Luftwaffe.

Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) in June 1941.

Flying with this wing, Galland claimed his first aerial victory on 23 July 1941 on the Western Front over a Royal Air Force fighter aircraft.

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

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

At the time, Galland served with Flak-Lehr-Regiment, an anti-aircraft artillery training regiment, and participated in the Battle of France.

[5][Note 2] JG 26 was named after Albert Leo Schlageter, a martyr cultivated by the Nazi Party.

Staffel (6th squadron), Galland claimed his first aerial victory on 23 July 1941 in defense of a Royal Air Force (RAF) "Circus" mission flown by No.

In this aerial battle, JG 26 lost two aircraft and claimed six RAF fighters shot down, including Beamish who was killed in action.

[11] On 10 April, the RAF flew two "Rodeos", providing a diversion for a "Ramrod" short range bomber attack missions targeting Boulogne.

JG 26 lost three aircraft, including two pilots killed in action, for six aerial victories claimed.

Galland claimed a 340 (Free French) Squadron Spitfire shot down 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) west of Étaples.

There, Galland replaced Oberleutnant Wolfgang Kosse as squadron leader, at first as Staffelführer and later officially as Staffelkapitän.

[16] On the early morning of 2 June, the RAF flew a "Roadstead"—a low-level attack on coastal shipping—over the Somme Estuary, supported by two "Rodeos" heading for Saint-Omer.

Taking off at Abbeville at 17:24, Galland found the combat zone at Dieppe deserted and spotted a small steamer laying offshore.

Staffel had been placed on cockpit-readiness and was scrambled at 13:32 to intercept the incoming fighters approaching at low altitude.

[24] On 5 September, VIII Bomber Command targeted the Port of Le Havre and the Sotteville-lès-Rouen railroad yards, escorted by RAF Spitfire fighters from No.

[26] On 31 October, Galland's younger brother Paul, who also served as a fighter pilot in JG 26, was killed in action.

Among other changes to earlier variants, it featured GM-1 nitrous oxide 'boost' for its Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine giving it an advantage to contemporary RAF fighters at higher altitude.

General Galland had been unhappy for some time about the JG 26's lack of success against the USAAF strategic aerial bombardment campaign.

In consequence, the former Gruppenkommandeur Meyer was transferred to a training unit and Wilhelm-Ferdinand appointed his successor.

[33] On 22 January, Galland led his Gruppe in a mission against an RAF "Circus" consisting of a flight of A-20 "Boston" bombers escorted by numerous Spitfire fighters.

[36] According to Weal, this was the only time a Luftwaffe unit forced the USAAF bombers to turn back before reaching their target.

[38] On 21 April, Galland led his flight against eleven Lockheed Ventura medium bombers from No.

The presentation was made at the Vitry airfield by Generalfeldmarschall (Field Marshal) Hugo Sperrle.

[40] In the late afternoon on 4 July, RAF North American B-25 Mitchell bombers attacked Amiens.

The Gruppe claimed four aerial victories over the escorting fighters, including a Spitfire shot down by Galland, for the loss of one pilot killed in action.

[43] On 30 July 1943, the day marked the end of "Blitz Week", the USAAF targeted the Fieseler aircraft manufacturing factories located in Kassel.

To counter this attack, Luftflotte 3 (3rd Air Fleet) dispatched eleven fighter groups, among them II.

[47] Galland was killed in action on 17 August 1943 during the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission, shot down in his Fw 190 A-6 (Werknummer 530125—factory number) 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) west of Maastricht.