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| PERSONALIA |
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| Name: |
Galland, Adolf |
| Date of birth: | March 19th, 1912 (Westerholt/Western Phalia, Germany)
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| Date of death: |
February 9th, 1996 (Oberwinter/Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany)
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| Nationality: |
German |
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BIOGRAPHY:
Adolf Galland was born on March 19th 1912 and started his flying the same way as many other German pilots of that time in a glider. His flying career he began with Lufthansa, but when he had to join the army he was appointed to the 10.Infantry Regiment in Dresden. Soon Galland stepped over to the Luftwaffe and on March 12th 1935 he was appointed as a Lieutenant to the 1st Fighter Unit at Doberitz.
He got his combat experience in the Spanish Civil War, where he arrived on May 8th 1937 as commander of 3./JG 33 at El Ferrol. This unit flew with the Heinkel He-51. During the Spanish Civil War he flew a total of 280 missions.
Just after the start of the Polish Campaign, Galland was promoted to Captain on October 1st 1939. The Polish Campaign itself he flew in a Henschell Hs-123 with a ground support unit. During the Campaign in the West (Fall Gelb) he joined JG27 (27th Fighter Squadron) and in hid Messerchmitt Bf-109 he shot his first two enemy planes on May 12th 1940, who were soon to be followed with another 10. June 10th 1940 he was appointed commander of III./JG 26, where he was promoted Major on July 18th. During the Battle of Britain Adolf Galland became one of the top aces with 57 enemies shot down. His leading capacities were not unnoticed and he became commander of JG 26 on August 22nd. After the death of Oberst Mölders on November 22nd 1941, Galland succeeded him as General of the German Fighter arm. But he was not to become a real General until November 19th 1942, becoming the youngest General in the entire German army.
On May 22nd 1942 Galland was the first to make a flight with the prototype of the new Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter. After being promoted to General-Lieutenant (November 1944) he organized a meeting between Göring and the most important Fighter unit Commanders. They criticized the German Fighter policy which resulted in dismissing Galland as General of the Fighter arm. Under the influence of Adolf Hitler himself, Adolf Galland was appointed as commander of a new fighter unit flying the Me-262. He succeeded in recruiting most of the Knights-Cross fighter pilots, making it ht highest decorated German fighter unit. Galland flew his last wartime mission on April 26th 1945 where he shot down his last prey, a Martin B-26 Marauder.
After the war he had to withstand harsh interrogations for his role as General of the German Fighter Arm. This all resulted in not being able to fly again in 1948, after he found a job as a Forest Ranger. Soon however he was invited by the Argentine President Peron to become the Air Forces advisor for the Argentine Air Force. He returned to Germany in the summer of 1953 to be married Sylvinia Countess von Donhoff. The Argentine forces gave him a Royal farewell party on February 7th 1955 where he again was highly decorated. On a flying show on April 26th 1955, Galland gained special permission to fly an Italian Piaggio 149 a he won the 2nd prize. In the end of 1955 he was invited to work for the German Government once again and he became the Commanding Officer for the newly formed German Air Force. He left the Air Force in 1957 to start is own aeronautical advising company.
In the mean time becoming a widower, he remarried on February 10th 1984 with Heidi Horn. Adolf Galland died on February 9th 1996 and was buried Remagen-Oberwinter.
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EISERNES KREUZ 1. KLASSE
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Rank:
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Hauptmann (Captain)
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Unit:
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II. / Lehrgeschwader 2
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Awarded on:
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May 22nd, 1940
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Action:
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For his achievements as pilot in a Henschell Hs-123 during the Polish campaign.
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RITTERKREUZ DES EISERNEN KREUZES
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Rank:
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Major
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Unit:
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Kommandeur III. / Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (Squadron Leader III. / Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter")
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Awarded on:
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July 29th, 1940
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Details:
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96th Award.
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RITTERKREUZ MIT EICHENLAUB
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Rank:
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Major
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Unit:
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Kommodore Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (Wing Commander Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter")
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Awarded on:
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September 24th, 1940
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Details:
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3rd Award.
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RITTERKREUZ MIT EICHENLAUB UND SCHWERTERN
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Rank:
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Oberstleutnant
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Unit:
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Kommodore Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (Wing Commander Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter")
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Awarded on:
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June 21st, 1941
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Details:
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1st Award.
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Provide alterations or additional information |
| Picture source: |
- Willi Schumacher Collection |
| Information source(s): |
- Kwasny A., Kwasny G., Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945 (CD), Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, Lage-Waddenhausen, 2001
- Fellgiebel W.P., Elite of the Third Reich, The recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-1945: A Reference, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003, ISBN 1-874622-46-9
- Held W., Adolf Galland, A Pilots life in War and Peace, Champlin Museum Press, Mesa Arizona, 1986
- Baker D., Adolf Galland the authorizedbiography, Windrow & Green Publishing, 1996
- Lexikon der Wehrmacht
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