LW pilot Gottfied Dulias

[Biber]

A few quotes from the From the 12 O'clock high forum thread on him may point to where to start:

"If Mr. Dulias has pictures or documents it can be possible to verify his story. Maybe also not of these pic's show him as only a Flieger or Gefreiter. Finally, his story can be easily verified through the WASt. If he give shis permission his Personelfile can be obtained."

"So - we cannot really know without pulling his file at Aachen (or are they in Freiburg yet??), which should exist since he claims he was a Lt."

"If he is genuine the answer is in Aachen or Berlin."

"Again, the answer is probably in Berlin (WASt)."

Hope this helps.

B

[Biber]

In re-reading the 12 O'Clock high forum thread on Dulias I noticed the following reference:

"If you go to www.authorhouse.com (there is a UK site too) and search for key words Gottfried Dulias you will find purchase details for the book and a short excerpt regarding GD's capture and how he had to hand over his Luger and get rid of a photo of himself in civvies wearing a Party badge."

Anybody have an party records that may list him? Interesting twist or is it a fabrication?

B

[pzrwest]

Looks like Gottfried Dulias will be appearing again here is a posting on http://ww2reenactors.proboards35.com

We have a late addition to the Reenactor Fest, Gettysburg program that is VERY exciting!
We will be joined by Luftwaffe pilot Gottfried Dulias. He was an ME-109 pilot on the Russian Front and is going to be giving a talk about his experiences in WW2! The same day we have US Army Air Corps veteran Col. Robert A. Shawn (a P-51 pilot) giving a talk as well, so it's WW2 warbird warrior heaven! It's November 29 - Dec 2nd at the Eisenhower Hotel in Gettysburg, PA.
Less than 4 weeks! Can't wait!
www.reenactorfest.com
MB

[Mike Bollow]

Thank you Pzwest for bringing this to my attention.

Herr Dulias contaced me about speaking at my military history convention, Reenactor Fest. I had seen him at SOS and knew he is a fixture at East Coast WW2 events, so I assumed he was credible. I have also never heard of a WW2 vet fabricating his career and then publishing it as fact, so why be suspicious?

My quandry is WHAT TO DO NOW?

After reading through most of this debate it seems that even those of you who are out for this man's blood agree that he is:

1) a Luftwaffe vet. Most likely NCO.
2) a trained pilot.
3) a Russian Front vet, and later Russian POW.

If any of the above is wrong, I know you'll be quick to correct me. So he is a real vet with a good chance that he has a fabricated story. I know that people like meeting him and hearing him talk. He isn't harming anything by selling his book, and no one can say for certain he is a fraud.

I am not sure if the right course is to call him up and crush him by telling him "people on the internet have called you a fraud, so I am cancelling you." or if I should just let the old fellow feel special for 48 hours.

Militaria shows allow known fakers to set up and rip people off with fake $5,000 helmets every weekend. I think that is worse than letting a little old man tell you a tall tale.

Some will agree, some of you want him strung up. My gut tells me to be kind, though I have removed his name as a featured guest. It doesn't cost people one more cent to meet him or hear him speak, nor am I making one cent by having him there. It's a total freebie, so if you come out to enjoy the Fest, just walk past him if you don't like him.

Mike (ps - I sent him a letter this morning asking him not to wear any medals or rank that were not awarded to him prior to May 1945. As a reenactor, I know that "our kind" get obsessed with vets and shower them with gifts and awards all the time. While I see that the intentions are good, I think it's just silly and inappropriate.)

[Mike Bollow]

Now I feel ill...

I got my reply from Herr Dulias regarding his uniform and medals. He said that if I wish for him to wear civilian clothes, that is fine BUT on his military uniform he wears his reenactor given promotion to Oberleutnant, the reenactor given retired pilots badge, and an eagle award worn around the neck that he got in June at the Maxwell AF Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

I have a longtime German veteran friend who was a panzer comander and Leutnant for REAL on the Russian Front. He would never in a million years take a promotion or award from an American kid playing war (ie: a reenactor). I have another veteran friend that was in FJR 19 at the end of the war, and he is the same way. Both attend events regularly... in CIVILIAN clothes.

I am going to ask Herr Dulias to wear civilian clothes and keep this silliness down to a minimum.

AND ANOTHER THING....

Does anybody here realize what an honor it was to come up through the ranks and be promotied to an officer?? Even my Panzer Leutnant friend on the EASTERN FRONT made sure in 1944 (make note of that year people) to get an officer uniform, complete with schirrmutze and have portrait photos taken for his family. It's very odd that the only photo Her Dulias has "im dienst" is as a private.

I need another beer....

Mike

[TMurray]

After reading through most of this debate it seems that even those of you who are out for this man's blood agree that he is:

1) a Luftwaffe vet. Most likely NCO.
2) a trained pilot.
3) a Russian Front vet, and later Russian POW.

If any of the above is wrong, I know you'll be quick to correct me.

1). Yes, likely served in the Luftwaffe, in what role/capacity is unknown.
2). No, we only have his word for this.
3). No, we only have his word for this.

He is a fabrication, end of story.

[Mike Bollow]

I am starting to think TMurray is right on the money here, and the plot thickens...

I was also contaced by a friend of Mr. Dulias, a "Col." Robert A Shawn who says he was a P-51 pilot in WW2. He also wanted to come speak, so I was naturally very pleased about this. Mr. Dulias forwarded him my note about uniforms and rank, and I got this reply this morning:

"Hi Mike, Does that mean I must be a 1st Lt again?? That was my rank during WWII. - Col. Bob"

Is this another fraud, or is it common among airshow reenactors to promote the veterans they know? Again, I find myself asking "what vet would wear rank he wasn't given??"

This whole thing is getting niuts.

MB

[CWP]

WWII GI vets often stayed in the service and were promoted, sometimes as reservists or in the National Guard.

[Mike Bollow]

I cancelled Herr Dubious (er, Dulias). What a sad state of affairs that he'd stoop to this. In truth, if he was to go around as HIMSELF, a mechanic, people would still love to hear him talk.

A shame...

[Okrach]

... this thread will run forever be he an ace or be he not.

True.

So long he is the last and only one descendant of the only one true LW geschwader (Geschwader Dulias) with remarkable Gulag story supported with a single but another bowl of kapusta (read bs) this story will have no end.

As LW fan I regard him as imposer and I did, am keeping, and will keep my mind.

He would not dare to act like he does in Europe... no chances

[Mike Bollow]

Here is his reply:

"Here we go again, as you can see, the damage that was done to me and my reputation by the "forum" of "armchair historians" earlier this year is still following me like a curse and therefore precludes my attending the re-enactor-fest in Gettysburg. It is a dog-gone shame, that those no name hecklers have still the power to do harm despite the fact, that the USAF's investigation of my records proved to show a different picture and enabled me to become an Eagle.

Well, that's life and I have to take what comes my way; I didn't think, that this new event would have been for me a successful opportunity to propagate and sell my book anyway, it's just a small gathering of WW II re-enactors, by far
nothing to be compared to the Reading WW II weekend or Geneseo and Minneapolis Air Expo or the Show of Shows in Luisville, Kentucky etc., where my book sales were always a great success.
But still, those "know-it-alls" don't want to give up and have their dirty hands involved everywhere and spit their poison around wherever they can. Just because I can't prove that I am who I claim to be, due to unfortunate circumstances and turmoil in late WW II, they proclaim me as an imposter and deem me guilty without irrefutable proof."

It is HYSTERICAL that he thinks WE have to prove what he isn't!! I think he has mental problems though, and that in his mind he really believes this fantasy of his. Sad. Sad. Sad.

MB

[Okrach]

Here is his reply:

I think he has mental problems though, and that in his mind he really believes this fantasy of his. Sad. Sad. Sad.

MB

He spent some time in Gulag and this changed his personality entirely.

I believe he was imprisoned among true aces and war heroes and being none he imposed to be one - he CREATED himself.

His Gulag story is the only one real piece of story he put together to create his myth. Poor guy living his dream hehehehe America.. the place where dreams come true

I just wonder how easily some people beieve what they are told. Just told - it is RARE that many have heard of pilots having 1 or 2 air victories but NOONE has ever heard of an ´ace´...

I think it is far enough what has been said about this guy. I am bailing out

[SprogCollector]

It's Back!!

I was wondering if/when the Dulias matter would surface again.

I traded correspondence with Dr. Prien a few months ago and he's provided me with a solid plan for attempting to track down info on Mr. Dulias. It's been extremely slow going although not surprising. I expect that most avenues will turn out to be dead ends due to my belief that Mr. Dulias was likely never what he claims.

I would certainly welcome any assistance in this project. As has been pointed out, there's lots of raised eyebrows about the Dulias claims but not really much being done to either prove/disprove his story.

My reasons for pursuing this:
If (repeat IF) Dulias has fabricated part or all of his story I want his name removed from the Gathering of Eagles. The vetting done by USAF has been, IMO, nonexistent. If (again IF) the Dulias story is untrue, his presence taints the reputations of those Eagles who deserve to be so honored.

If the Dulias story is true, then it should also come out and this controversey put to bed once and for while the man is still alive.

[Mike Bollow]

I'd love to see this resolved myself, now that I got dragged into it. I can put you in touch with two Luftwaffe vets. One was a bomb crewman in the battle of Britain and later was a flak gunner in Russia. He lives near me in the Chicago suburbs. The other was in FJR 19 at the end of the war, and he lives in Michigan. He began his Luftwaffe career in pilot training and then they closed the school and dumped everybody into the FJ's.

What is important here is that BOTH men have photos, documents, and all kinds of things to prove who they were and what they did. They could sit down with Herr Dubious and know in TWO MINUTES if he was full of **** or not.

Mike

[Bobwirtz]

I agree with the above. I found it very disturbing that Mr. Dulias was invited and participated in the Gathering of Eagles. I think it did a world of harm to their credibility and that of the USAF if he really is an imposter. There is another man who also pretends to be not only a fighter ace, but a Knight's Cross winner to boot. If you run across this man, goes by Gerhard von Friedrich, he is an imposter. His story is that he was in NJG-4 and NJG-6 and had 30 night victories and won the Knight's Cross. He was then training in single seat fighters and assigned to North Afrika where he scored another 19 victories. He told me about his escape in a captured allied aircraft, his coming to the States and that his past was kept from his wife and family for years. The truth is he is impersonating Major Gerhard Friedrich, NJG-4, NJG-6 with 30 night victories. He won his Knight's Cross on 15 March 1945 and was killed in action the next night when his cannon shells hit the bomb load of an RAF bomber. It exploded and took Friedrich's aircraft and crew with it. These guys are out there. They study many things but there are always small details that will eventually trip them up. I have protested several times and had 'von Friedrich' uninvited to events including the WWII Weekend in Reading. Mr. Dulias was there last year but not on the official guest list because this information was presented to MAAM. However, it was too late to keep him from The Gathering of Eagles. They can delete him as an Eagle; however, he is already on the annual print along with his signature. The damage has already been done. Hopefully, the Gathering will be more careful in the future to ensure this kind of thing doesn't happen again. All it did was give Mr. Dulias credibility, which he doesn't deserve.

Bob