Josef “Sepp” Wurmheller was born on 4 May 1917 at Hausham in Oberbayern. He was an accomplished glider and powered aircraft pilot pre-war. He began his training as a fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe in 1937. By summer of 1938, Gefreiter Wurmheller was serving with 2./JG 334. At the outbreak of World War 2, Unteroffizier Wurmheller was serving with 2./JG 53. He recorded his first victory, a RAF Fairey Battle single-engined bomber near Saarbrücken, on 30 September 1939. From November 1939 to June 1940, Wurmheller undertook instructing duties. In June 1940, Wurmheller returned to JG 53 and combat duty. Feldwebel Wurmheller was assigned to 5./JG 53. He participated in the Battle of Britain surviving two ditchings in the English Channel. His dousing in the Channel of 23 November in Bf 109 E-4 (W.Nr. 5212) following aerial combat over England resulted in hospitalisation until March 1941. On 7 May 1941, he gained his 9th and 10th victories when he downed two RAF Spitfire fighters. He spent a short period on the Eastern Front where he added nine victories to his tally. Oberfeldwebel Wurmheller was transferred back to the Channel front to serve with the Stabsstaffel of II./JG 2 in July 1941. In less than four weeks, Wurmheller claimed 13 Spitfires. On 4 September, Oberfeldwebel Wurmheller was awarded the Ritterkreuz for 31 victories. A further spell of instructing followed before a return to combat duty in May 1942. Assigned to 1./JG 2, Wurmheller gained 10 victories during May 1942. In June he claimed another 11 victories. His most successful day came during the Allied landings at Dieppe on 19 August 1942. Despite a crash-landing, during which he broke a leg and suffered concussion, Wurmheller claimed seven victories during the day. The feat earned Wurmheller a promotion to the rank of Leutnant and the award of the Eichenlaub (Nr 146), presented on 20 August 1942. His score stood at 60 victories.

    On 1 April 1943, Wurmheller was appointed Staffelkapitän of 9./JG 2. He recorded his 70th victory on 17 May, when he shot down a USAAF B-17 four-engine bomber. On 23 September, he was wounded by bomb splinters while making an emergency landing in Fw 190 A-6 (W.Nr. 530 314) “Yellow 2” during a bombing raid at Vannes-Meuçon. On 8 March 1944, he claimed his 90th victory. Hauptmann Wurmheller was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 2 on 8 June 1944. He replaced Hauptmann Herbert Huppertz (78 victories, RK-EL) who had been shot down and killed in aerial combat. He downed two USAAF P-47 fighters near Caen on 12 June (100-101). Wurmheller killed in Fw 190 A-8 (W.Nr. 171 053) on 22 June 1944 during aerial combat with  Allied fighters near Alençon when he collided with his wingman. He was posthumously awarded the Schwerten (Nr 108) and promoted to the rank of Major on 24 October.
    Josef “Sepp” Wurmheller achieved 102 victories. He recorded nine victories over the Eastern Front. Of the 93 victories recorded over the Western Front, at least 20 were four-engine bombers and at least 56 RAF Spitfire fighters.
 

No	Date	Time	A/c Type	Unit	Location / Comments
1.	30.9.1939	12:10	Battle	2./JG 53	K 9283, S/L Mc Donald, 150 Sq. - crash-landed at Ecury-sur-Coole
2.	28.9.1940	13:45	Spitfire	5./JG 53
3.	30.9.1940	17:43	Hurricane	5./JG 53
4.	12.10.1940	12:15	Spitfire	5./JG 53	60 km NW of Brest
5.	16.10.1940	15:20	Blenheim	5./JG 53	20 km NNE of Ile d`Ouessant
6.	4.4.1941	11:18	Spitfire	5./JG 53	20km N Wissant
7.	9.4.1941	17:21	Spitfire	5./JG 53	Dover Straits
8.	10.4.1941	18:43	Blenheim	5./JG 53
9.	7.5.1941	7:47	Spitfire	5./JG 53
10.	7.5.1941	7:47	Spitfire	5./JG 53
11.	22.6.1941	-	SB-3	5./JG 53	Russia
12.	23.6.1941	9:00	SB-3	5./JG 53	Russia
13.	1.7.1941	19:50	SB-3	5./JG 53	Russia
14.	4.7.1941	14:52	SB-3	5./JG 53	Russia
15.	6.7.1941	19:45	SB-3	5./JG 53	Russia
16.	6.7.1941	19:47	SB-3	5./JG 53	Russia
17.	11.7.1941	3:25	I-16	5./JG 53	Russia
18.	12.7.1941	19:46	SB-3	5./JG 53	Russia
19.	15.7.1941	18:35	SB-3	5./JG 53	Russia
20.	24.7.1941	12:25	Spitfire	Stab II./JG 2	Hazebrouck
21.	7.8.1941	7:52	Spitfire	Stab II./JG 2
22.	7.8.1941	17:47	Spitfire	Stab II./JG 2
23.	16.8.1941	19:40	Spitfire	Stab II./JG 2
24.	18.8.1941	16:05	Spitfire	Stab II./JG 2	Lille-Calais
25.	18.8.1941	16:16	Spitfire	Stab II./JG 2	Lille-Calais
26.	21.8.1941	15:08	Spitfire	Stab II./JG 2
27.	26.8.1941	19:23	Spitfire	Stab II./JG 2
28.	26.8.1941	19:24	Spitfire	Stab II./JG 2
29.	27.8.1941	9:30	Spitfire	Stab II./JG 2
30.	29.8.1941	8:30	Spitfire	Stab II./JG 2
31.	4.9.1941	17:38	Spitfire	Stab II./JG 2	St Omer-Béthune
32.	17.5.1942	14:02	Spitfire	1./JG 2
33.	19.5.1942	20:45	Spitfire	1./JG 2
34.	19.5.1942	20:47	Spitfire	1./JG 2	20km NNW Calais
35.	19.5.1942	20:49	Spitfire	1./JG 2
36.	30.5.1942	21:30	Spitfire	1./JG 2
37.	30.5.1942	21:30	Spitfire	1./JG 2
38.	31.5.1942	19:32	Spitfire	1./JG 2
39.	31.5.1942	19:33	Spitfire	1./JG 2
40.	31.5.1942	19:35	Spitfire	1./JG 2
41.	31.5.1942	19:37	Spitfire	1./JG 2
42.	2.6.1942	10:58	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Sea, off Dieppe-Le Treport
43.	2.6.1942	11:00	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Sea, off Dieppe-Le Treport
44.	2.6.1942	11:04	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Sea, off Dieppe-Le Treport
45.	3.6.1942	16:47	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Sea, off Le Havre
46.	3.6.1942	16:50	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Sea, off Le Havre
47.	5.6.1942	15:45	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Somme Estuary-Abbeville
48.	5.6.1942	15:45	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Somme Estuary-Abbeville
49.	5.6.1942	15:46	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Somme Estuary-Abbeville
50.	5.6.1942	15:46	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Somme Estuary-Abbeville
51.	20.6.1942	15:51	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Sea, off Le Havre
52.	20.6.1942	15:52	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Sea, off Le Havre
53.	19.8.1942	9:08	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Near Dieppe
54.	19.8.1942	9:12	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Near Dieppe
55.	19.8.1942	9:16	Blenheim	1./JG 2	Near Dieppe / more likely Baltimore
56.	19.8.1942	15:16	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Near Dieppe
57.	19.8.1942	15:17	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Near Dieppe
58.	19.8.1942	17:32	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Near Dieppe
59.	19.8.1942	18:45	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Near Dieppe
60.	20.8.1942	19:02	Spitfire	1./JG 2	100km N Caen
?	20.8.1942	19:04	Spitfire	1./JG 2	100-105km N Caen
?	8.9.1942	14:39	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Sea, NW Le Havre
?	8.9.1942	14:40	Spitfire	1./JG 2	Sea, NW Le Havre
?	2.10.1942	15:43	Spitfire	1./JG 2	N Fécamp
?	31.10.1942	18:08	Spitfire	1./JG 2	1-3km SE Canterbury
?	31.10.1942	18:12	Spitfire	1./JG 2	SE Walmer
?	16.2.1943	11:15	B-17	1./JG 2	N Brittany
?	16.2.1943	11:18	B-17	1./JG 2	N Brittany
?	12.3.1943	13:11	Typhoon	1./JG 2	50km N Fécamp
?	16.4.1943	14:25	B-17	9./JG 2	4838 / 14 West
?	1.5.1943	11:30	B-17	9./JG 2	3876 / 14 West
70.	17.5.1943	12:13	B-17	9./JG 2	EO Lorient-BP St. Brieuc
?	29.5.1943	16:25	B-17	9./JG 2	29359 / 14 West
?	29.5.1943	16:27	B-17	9./JG 2	2919 / 14 West
?	28.6.1943	17:10	B-17	9./JG 2	Off St Nazaire
?	4.7.1943	13:09	B-17	9./JG 2	Pl Qu 4725/14 West
?	4.7.1943	13:11	B-17	9./JG 2	Pl Qu 4725/14 West
?	10.7.1943	8:15	B-17	9./JG 2	15km SW Berck-sur-Mer
?	3.8.1943	20:26	Spitfire	9./JG 2	14 West N/5947
?	16.8.1943	12:28	Spitfire	9./JG 2	5km SW Bernay
?	22.8.1943	19:50	Spitfire	9./JG 2	Bernay area
?	27.8.1943	9:46	Spitfire	9./JG 2	05 Ost S/0047
81.?	2.9.1943	19:05	P-47	9./JG 2	05 Ost S/1034
?	3.9.1943	9:47	B-17	9./JG 2	29317 / 04 Ost
?	3.9.1943	10:48	B-17	9./JG 2	1015 / 15 West
?	15.9.1943	19:41	B-17	9./JG 2	St Germain-en-Prés
?	15.9.1943	19:46	B-17	9./JG 2	St Germain-en-Prés
?	8.2.1944	10:26	B-17	9./JG 2	Crevecoeur-Le Tréport
?	20.2.1944	14:20	B-24	9./JG 2	20km NW Étretat
?	25.2.1944	11:26	B-26	9./JG 2	20km N Knokke
?	25.2.1944	11:28	B-26	9./JG 2	20km N Knokke
-	25.2.1944	15:28	B-17	9./JG 2	Mondorf / not confirmed
?	2.3.1944	11:35	B-17	9./JG 2	Charleville
90.	8.3.1944	-	E/a	9./JG 2
?	10.4.1944	9:26	B-17	9./JG 2	Dormans, 7000m
?	10.4.1944	9:28	P-38	9./JG 2	Dormans, 6000m
?	12.4.1944	13:15	B-24	9./JG 2
98.	7.6.1944	6:03	Typhoon	Stab III./JG 2	Bayeux-Caen
99.	8.6.1944	9:25	P-51	Stab III./JG 2	N Caen
100.	12.6.1944	10:44	P-47	Stab III./JG 2	Lisieux
101.	12.6.1944	10:48	P-47	Stab III./JG 2	Caen
102.	16.6.1944	20:04	P-51	Stab III./JG 2

Victories : 102
Awards : Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (21 August 1942)
                Ritterkreuz (4 September 1941)
                Eichenlaub (13 November 1942)
                Schwertern (24 October 1944)
Units : JG 53, JG 2