WWI German Pilots who Joined Nazi Party

Rittersbach · 13 April 2006, 03:37 PM

I am trying to find information on the number of and the names of German pilots in WWI who survived the war and went on to join Hitler's Nazi Party. I know of Herman Göring,

Robert Ritter von Greim, and

Ernst Udet. I know there are more, I was hoping someone could list them.

thanks

ritt

Rick · 13 April 2006, 04:26 PM

This is not a game I wish to play, nor am I very knowlegeable about, but one must not forget Rudolf Hess (Jasta 35b) and

Johann Baur (FA 295(A)b) - Hitler's personal pilot during WWII. I also think one may have to differentiate between Luftwaffe and Nazi. A rather large difference me thinks! R.

Rittersbach · 13 April 2006, 05:27 PM

Greetings Rick,

Thanks for the fast reply. I hope I didnt hit upon a delicate subject, but I might have. I dont mean harm or to offend anyone.

ritt

rammjaeger · 14 April 2006, 12:52 AM

Even after year-long research nobody will be able to answer this question comprehensive. The answer requires a complete list of some thousand surviving German WWI pilots. Then it is necessary to research all with the intend to find the members of the NSDAP. Or you are doing that the other way around - look at the files with millions of members of the NSDAP and try to find all aviators or pilots. This research can fill some years - or lifes?

An easier approach is to list a sample like the holders of the Pour le Mérite.
Who was a pilot? Who did survive? Who is known to be a member of the NSDAP?

And this can be very misleading - because human beings are very different, as well as the motives to join the party. I know enough cases if non-members were worse Nazis than members of the NSDAP.
In general many former pilots joined because they hoped for a revenge after WWI and the reconquest of the lost territory.

paule · 14 April 2006, 09:20 AM

Julius Buckler is another ace who definitely was a Nazi. He joined the SA flying corps and was pretty loyal to the fuehrer.
He also wrote a book "Malaula" about his experiences in WW1 (a terrible book btw.

)

frontflieger · 14 April 2006, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paule

Julius Bueckler is another ace who definitely was a Nazi. He joined the SA flying corps and was pretty loyal to the fuehrer.
He also wrote a book "Malaula" about his experiences in WW1 (a terrible book btw.

)

Hello,

what is so bad about Buckler's book - I mean in general? He honores his enemys in a couple of sentences/ paragraphes!!

Nazi-Party? ...

Karl Thom seems to have been a pure party member and a local manager of the party... he died in march 1945 in East Prussia.

Thorsten

paule · 14 April 2006, 09:59 AM

the book is (in my opinion) badly written. On the other hand ... he definetely didn't have a ghostwriter

- that deserves some respect.
I don't say the book isn't interessting at all but it left a bad taste in my mouth. He is constandly moralizing.
The epilogue and especially the scene with the jewish money lender are very very strange.

Dan_San_Abbott · 15 April 2006, 09:55 PM

Rittersbach:
Another is

Eduard Ritter von Schleich.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

Rittersbach · 16 April 2006, 08:03 AM

Dan-San,

Some have stated that

Eduard Ritter von Schleich's personality, temperment, and actions were used to help create the Bruno Stachel role in the film The Blue Max. I dont know.

Thanks!
ritt

VtwinVince · 19 April 2006, 06:42 PM

My uncle joined the party in 1933, but I think this was to facilitate his career as a judge. Also, he was a reserve officer, so this was allowed.