Ernst UDET

[Shooter]

* By Aerodrome standards, this thread is still on track! *

I love it!

IIRC Udet had the post-war rep of being something of a ladies man and a playboy. Does anybody know if our relatively short, balding, and pleasant fighter jock was a player (or not)?

During a tour of the US, he was described as something of a party animal for his time.


Shooter sends

[Barker]

Shooter, everything I've read says exactly that. Sometimes, to his shame.

Herr(less) U. was a terror and a terrier, it would seem.

[Shooter]

I remember that his trip to the US was sponsored by someone--a government someone?--who made observations about how Udet could pound them down, loved bourbon whiskey, adored adoring ladies (American ladies found him charming, in would seem, as a foreign accent would get them weak in the knees and misty), and was amazed by the Navy Helldivers.

I have never heard of Udet doing anything dishonorable, Barker. *Shameful neither. *But when you get knee-walking, gutter-crawling shit-faced, anything is possible.


Shooter sends

PS: *I like Udet. *He's my kinda driver.

This is totally irrelevant but Udet was an enigma. Among other things he formed a friendship with the German Jewish dramatist Carl Zuckmeyer (who fled Germany and later Austria) during the Great War which lasted ("...until shortly before the Second World War we never lost touch with each other")
Make your model in the light that Zuckmeyer described Udet as "small, wiry, fidgety, peppery and exrtraordinarily wity" - Humbrol probably makes a colour to match.
One evening Udet suggested that the pair moon from a balcony on the assembled "Golden Pheasants" at an event. Zuckmeyer's excellent biography - covering his war, career as a dramatist and flight to the US - called "A part of Myself" has details. Zuckmeyer also based a play on Udet post WW2

[BobE]

Outside of what I have read here on the forum the only thing I can judge Udet on is his autobiography "Ace of the Iron Cross". In that, he comes across as a roll the dice and live life to the fullest type. A risk taker of the first order. Although he doesn't go into detail about wild parties and womanizing, you do get a "between the lines" sense that something like that is going on. I enjoyed the book a lot even though the space devoted to his WWI days was disappointingly short.
Assuming that it is a true story,he comes across at his most human in the chapter where he visits the room of his childhood chum who has just been killed.
My opinion? An interesting and likeable character as long as he doesn't want to marry your daughter.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Bob E

[Barker]

My opinion? An interesting and likeable character as long as he doesn't want to marry your daughter.

I have two sons, so I think Ernst rocks.

(that's not nice...)

You make an excellent point, sir.

However!
Fighter pilot is a predator, your point, then. 8)

which makes him all the more likable.

[StephenLawson]

For all Liebern von Udet

http://www.fd.cvut.cz/STUDENTI/Xhandl/zajimavosti.htm

[StephenLawson]

Here's a beauty

[Amy]

Since Stephen is posting Udet photos, I can't resist sharing my little piece of Udet.

Sad but true, I wasn't present in 1933 when he drew this caraciture of himself...

[StephenLawson]

Pretty accurate eh?