The signatories
Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel
Hans-Ulrich Rudel was the most highly decorated
German serviceman of World War II, the only person to be awarded
the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.
He flew his first combat mission in June 1941, and in September
sank the Soviet battleship Marat. In 1943 he became the
first pilot to fly over 1,000 combat sorties. Flying the 'tank
busting' Stuka, he fought at the Battle of Kursk, and in March
1944 became Gruppenkommandeur of III./StG 2.
Badly wounded by flak in Feb. 1945, his leg was amputated below
the knee. However, he returned to operations in March, destroying
another 26 Soviet tanks.
Rudel flew 2,530 combat missions, including 430 in the Fw190.
He destroyed more than 519 tanks, one battleship, one cruiser,
a destroyer and 70 landing craft, plus a further 800 vehicles,
150 guns, four armoured trains and numerous other ground targets.
In addition, he achieved nine aerial victories, was shot down
by flak 30 times, and wounded five times.
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Group Captain Byron Duckenfield AFC
Byron Duckenfield joined 74 Squadron at Hornchurch
in April 1940, flying Spitfires, and on 22 July was posted to
501 Squadron flying Hurricanes first at Middle Wallop, then to
Gravesend, scoring his first victory, a Ju87, on the 29th. During
August and September he scored three more victories. After a
spell instructing, he was posted to command 66 Squadron, and
in February 1942 to command 615 Squadron, which he took to the
Far East. In late December 1942 he was shot down in Burma and
captured by the Japanese. He remained a POW until release in
May 1945.
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Leutnant Wilhelm Noller
Wilhelm Noller joined the Luftwaffe in 1939
and trained as a bomber pilot. In May 1942 he was posted to join
2./StG 2 fighting on the Eastern Front. He took part in the Battles
of Kursk and Stalingrad, and became one of the most successful
pilots of St.G.2. By early 1943 his combat mission total passed
the 500 mark, rising to over 800 by the end of the year. He was
awarded the Knight’s Cross in April 1944, a few weeks after
passing the 1000 mission mark. After a period instructing, he
returned to combat in February 1945, flying the Fw190 with 7./SG.
10 in Czechoslovakia. Wounded in April 1945, and hospitalised
in Prague, he was taken prisoner by the Soviets when they took
over the city in May. Transported east by rail towards Russia,
he jumped from the moving train and escaped back to Germany.
During the war he had flown 1058 missions, destroyed 86 tanks,
2 armoured trains, plus many vehicles, boats and bridges. He
also gained 2 victories in aerial combat.
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Wing Commander Tony Pickering
With the RAFVR just before the war commenced.
Tony Pickering joined 32 Squadron at Biggin Hill in July 1940,
flying Hurricanes; and in August 1940 went to 501 Squadron at
Gravesend. In September he was shot down unhurt in a duel with
a Me109, destroying another 109 a few weeks later. In December
he joined 601 Squadron at Northolt. After a spell instructing,
he joined 131 as a Flight Commander in February 1943, and later
served as a Squadron Commander in the Middle East.
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Squadron Leader Douglas Nicholls DFC
Doug Nicholls joined the RAFVR in 1938, and was
called up at the outbreak of war. Converting to Hurricanes he
had brief stays with 85 and 242 Squadrons, before joining 151
Squadron in September 1940. At the end of the month he shared
in the destruction of a Ju88 and returned to base with his Hurricane
badly damaged by return fire. In August 1941 he was posted to
258 Squadron, and went to Singapore, via the Middle East, flying
their first combat operation on 31 January 1942. By 10 February
only three Hurricanes survived, and 258 was withdrawn to Palembang
with the fifteen surviving pilots. Six remained behind to fly
with 605 Squadron, and Nicholls, being one of the rest was evacuated
from Java to Ceylon, where 258 Squadron was reformed. Awarded
the DFC in May 1944, he remained with the squadron until August,
when he was posted away to HQ 224 Group, in Burma. |
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Major Eric Rudorffer
Erich Rudorffer joined I./JG2 ‘Richthofen’
in November 1939, and was soon flying combat patrols. He took
part in the Battle of France, and the Battle of Britain, becoming
Adjutant of II./JG2 in June 1941. In December 1942 he was transferred
to North Africa, and in July 1943 he was posted to command II./JG54
in Russia. In February 1945 he took command of I./JG7 flying
the Me262. Erich Rudorffer was the master of multiple scoring
– scoring more multiple victories than any other fighter
pilot. This included 8 RAF aircraft in 32 minutes in December
1943, and 7 in 20 minutes a few days later. In Russia he shot
down 5 aircraft in only 4 minutes. He ended the war with 222
victories from over 1000 combat missions. He was awarded the
Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.
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Oberleutnant Günther Seeger
In February 1940 Günther Seeger was
an Unteroffizier with 3./JG2, scoring his first victory in the
early days of the Battle of Britain. He served on the Channel
Front until December 1942, including several months with the
Geschwaderstabsschawm. He transferred to the Mediterranean theatre
with 11./JG2, before joining 6./JG53. In February 1943 he joined
7./JG53, becoming Staffelkapitan in September 1944. Awarded the
Knight’s Cross, Günther Seeger flew over 500 combat
missions and scored 56 victories, all of them in the West.
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General Johannes Steinhoff
‘Macky’ Steinhoff’ commanded
4./JG52, and flew throughout the Battle of Britain. In June 1941
he transferred to the East and commanded 11./JG52. He later served
in Italy, moving to France after the Normandy invasion. In late
1944 he commanded the first Me262 unit, JG7, before joining Galland’s
JV44, where he scored 6 jet victories before being seriously
burned in a crash. He had scored 178 victories, and was awarded
the Knight’s Cross, with Oak Leaves, and Swords. After the
war he rejoined the German Air Force, and in 1966 became Chief
of Air Staff.
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Generalleutnant Günther Rall
Günther Rall was with III./JG52 at the
outbreak of war, and scored his first air victory early in the
Battle of Britain. By July 1940 he was leading 8./JG52. After
transfer to the East his victories quickly mounted, but a crash
hospitalised him. Within nine months he was back in action again.
Commanding III./JG52, he gained the Wings 500th victory. Günther
fought throughout the war to become the 3rd highest Ace in history,
with 275 victories. He was awarded the Knight’s Cross with
Oak Leaves and Swords. He too rejoined the German Air Force after
the war, and became Chief of Air Staff in 1974.
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