Rudel's Knight cross

[werner]

Hi guys,

Who can tell me what happened to the Knight Cross with oakleaves in gold ?
Destroyed, lost, stolen ???



Cheers
Werner

[tgn]

No, his medals survived the war. As far as I know, they are still possessed by the family,..Tom

[fknorr]

I think I saw a picture of Rudel in the new Skorzeny book w/his wife @ Skorzeny's funeral. I'd have rather had his wife as opposed to the KC...she was a looker!

Anyone have any photos of him with his (MUCHO) younger wife?

[DavidM]

Hello

Oberst Rudels medals did indeed survive the war and, as already stated, are in the possesion of his family.

The attached is scanned from Vern Bowens book 'The Prussian and German Iron Cross' and show Rudels medals, photographed after the war.

Regards
David

[Douglas Jr.]

Hi Werner,

Some biographies about Rudel available in the Internet are:

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/gen9.htm (in English)

http://www.pilotenbunker.de/Stuka/Rudel/rudel.htm (in German)

http://www.luftwaffe39-45.historia.n...ases/rudel.htm (in Portuguese)

They are plenty of pictures of him and his awards (basically, the same picture posted above...)

Douglas.

[werner]

Ok guys
Thanks for helping.

[Bill H.]

If you haven't read Stuka Pilot I urge you to do so. Its absolutely jaw dropping and an inspiration to read not only of this man's exploits but his dedication to duty even after loosing a leg. One part of the book describes how he deserted his hospital bed returning to his unit and getting his crew chief to rig up a way for him to work the controls with just one leg so he could get back in the fight. It goes on to describe how he would return from missions almost unconscious, his cockpit awash with blood, not from wounds from that mission but from his amputated leg that had not yet completely healed.

I'm told the book was chosen to be on the mandatory reading list for Air Force pilots in the US and I know it was on the USAF "project warrior" reading list because of Rudel's personification of the phrase "devotion to duty".

The book details the award of each medal and the meetings he had with Hitler as the awards became more and more exaulted. Its even more amazing when you consider that Rudel was not allowed to fly in his first duty assignment after flight school as he'd washed out of his first class. The instructor of his class commanded a Stuka squadron in Crete, Rudel's first assignment, and remembered Rudel as a poor pilot and wouldn't risk any of his aircraft to him. The instructor didn't realize how far Rudel had improved in his craft until he read Der Adler and saw Rudel getting the KC for putting an egg down the smokestack of the battleship Marat which had been pounding the beseiging Landsers at Leningrad.

They aught to make a movie about this guy! It'll never happen in Hollywood but some good stuff has been procuded in Europe lately....hint, hint!

Cheers, Bill Huber

[frank savage]

eichenlaub

Hi to all.
Hans Urlich in his biography, write that one of the golden eichenlaub (he recived three of that) was stolen after his surrender by amerivan soldier...

So, dear american fellow collectors....check in your garage..maybe that old jewel was not own by your grandma, but by a brave german pilot, called hans urlich rudel!!!

cheers, frank

[eindecker2]

Yes his awards were ripped off his neck when he landed in his FW190. During the night even his atificial leg was stolen. The next day after lodging a complaint to the commander everything was returned except I recall his wristwatch. The allies knew who he was and they wanted to make him happy so that this great pilot would help them after the war. Unfortunatly for Erich Hearthmann, the allies didnt find out who he was as he was not landing on an allied landing strip but was rather waliking with his unit. He was truned back over to the Russians - the allies regreted that later!
As for Rudel, accrding to his autobiography all examples of his awards survived the war and remian with the surviving family. Rumors had it that many years ago they were offered in the range of a million plus dollars to sell the awards - they refused the offer.

[werner]

So,
Then his awards are still in his family in south america ?

[patrice]

He went back to Germany in 1953 with his family.
Sadly enought though, he then became an active member of the Neo-Nazi German Reich Party which was eventually banned from any political arena.
Though a fantastic and courageous war warrior, he obvioulsy never learned form his past and never showed any remorse for what the Nazi did.
Even worst, he even wrote a book in the 50's, condemning those that didn't fight till the end for Hitler.
He died as an active Nazi supporter and believer and this is why there has never been a movie made on his life......... yet.

Pat

[FS154]

Here´s a better scann:

[werner]

[Tim Schreiner]

And to think no one will ever be awarded for such feets again. He will always be the most highly decorated pilot, or military man for that matter ever.

[Edgar Estrada]

He went back to Germany in 1953 with his family.
Sadly enought though, he then became an active member of the Neo-Nazi German Reich Party which was eventually banned from any political arena.
Though a fantastic and courageous war warrior, he obvioulsy never learned form his past and never showed any remorse for what the Nazi did.
Even worst, he even wrote a book in the 50's, condemning those that didn't fight till the end for Hitler.
He died as an active Nazi supporter and believer and this is why there has never been a movie made on his life......... yet.

Pat

I read that somewhere before but I do not remember where. He may be a very good pilot and hero, but a Nazi...pity. During WWII and before I can pass if someone felt to the nazi idiology, but after the war!!??? I read that even in Argentina he was an active nazi (but of course to be a Nazi do not make anyone automatically a criminal, but just knowing what happen because of the nazis I think is enough to say NO to it).

But yes, he was a brave soldier.

Edgar