The story of Hanna Reitsch became a legend before World War Two, during the war period, and after the war ended. She was one of the most celebrated women of the Third Reich. During the Second World War Reitsch became the first female test pilot in the Word. As a decorated test pilot for the Luftwaffe and a protege of Hitler, she was one of a handful of women who achieved personal success by breaking from the traditionally defined role of wife and mother in Nazi Germany. Her skills and accomplishments ultimately earned her an Iron Cross and celebrity status.
Her achievements as a test pilot made her a celebrity in Nazi Germany, earned her the friendship of Adolf Hitler, and her being decorated with Iron Cross. Reitsch was one of the few women to gain the admiration of Adolf Hitler. As a friend of the Fuehrer, she became an eyewitness to the fall of the Third Reich. For her lover, Luftwaffe General Robert Ritter von Greim and her were invited to join Hitler in his bunker. Fortunately they left. The rest is history! She test flew new types of gliders and powered planes throughout the 1930s and made aviation history by proving the success of dive brakes. She continued to set numerous distance and altitude records and flew in glider races and exhibitions in Germany, South America, Portugal, Finland, Hungary, Libya, Yugoslavia, and the United States. By now she had become a national heroine.
She had an idea for a Nazi kamikaze squad that just might salvage the German war effort, and planned to share it with her führer whether he liked it or not. Hitler rejected her idea of having pilots train for suicide missions in planes designed like missiles, preferring to rely on a jet-fighter program that Reitsch knew was a long way from fruition. The impatient Hanna Reitsch, risking all, cut him off in mid-sentence, practically screaming. “Mein führer, you are speaking of the grandchild of an embryo!” A “painful silence” followed. Not only did she escape the meeting unscathed, but she received permission from the Nazi leader to develop the programme, known as Operation Self-Sacrifice.
The little girl from Hirschberg in Silesia just wanted to fly but the events simply a few days in 1945 meant that her name was to be forever linked to the brutal Nazi regime and caused a stain which her talents and achievements could never quite erase.
The question arises, did Hanna deserve her reputation?
Researcher and committee member of Friends of Metheringham Airfield, Jeff Williams, has looked into the life and career of Hanna and will be presenting an illustrating talk called THE LIFE OF HANNA REITSCH - A GERMAN TEST PILOT. It will be up to the audience to decide!
The talk will take place in the WW2 gymnasium called the Peter Scoley Hall at the Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre, on Wednesday, 27th September 2017 beginning at 7.30pm
Admission is £5.00 to include refreshments: entry is free for members of Friends of Metheringham Airfield and to 106 Squadron veterans who served at RAF Metheringham.
For further information please telephone 07486 947 095
John Shipton
Friends of Metheringham Airfield
Lincoln
War time home to 106 Squadron
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THE LIFE OF HANNA REITSCH - A GERMAN TEST PILOT...
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