Personal Life of Walter Oesau & Other Questions

[Perseus71]

Hi FalkeEins, Doug,

Thanks for that Summary. Although I was aware of some of the pieces of information, that summary is really helpful. Also I was surprised to learn that there are versions of him surviving that crash. Or for that matter the aircraft cartwheeling. All I knew was that he was trying to belly land when the aircraft received a final burst in cockpit area.

I guess you learn something new everyday! Do we at all know what he used to do before joining Heer ? More importantly why was he called Gulle ? Is that related to the way he piloted his aircraft ?

Thanks once again.

Perseus

[Frank Olynyk]

Are you aware of the wartime biography published in 1944 by Hanns Arens Verlag. It is 48 pages long, soft cover, and was written by Friedrich Griese. Given that it was a wartime publication, I have no idea how accurate it is, and how much of it constitutes propaganda.

Frank.

[Red Baroness]

Oh my, I wasn't aware of that biography - All I know of is Fleigergeschite (sp? It's 6 am here. LOL) No. 85 - which is what I have (and is under glass at the moment)

I bet it is of the similar mold as the war-time Moelders biography and the Wick biography from the same era.

But it still would be an interesting read, nevertheless, as it would be a contemporary view of the man, and that is always an interest for me.

[lilsis]

Hi,

somthing about Gulle and Ille, 2 boys in a lil small town.

from the book: tell us of early, grandma

Quelle: http://books.google.de/books?id=ZYvP...um=2&ct=result

Page 170/171 ff.


"Sis

[Perseus71]

Hi Frank,

Yes I was aware of that biography. But like you said, it tends to be looked at on par with say Heydrich's "My Honor is Loyalty". So I was a bit concerned on quoting it.

Thanks Lilsis for that book. I will definitely go over that.

Cheers

Perseus

[Red Baroness]

Yes, thanks, lilsis - it will give me something to read over Sunday and Monday!

[Andy Saunders]

I have somewhere, I think, a paperback version of either the wartime book on Molders or Wick in which there is an advert for a book in the same series on Walter Oesau, although I have no idea if it was ever published. I have certainly never seen it in well over thirty years of collecting although that is not to say it doesn't exist - but I imagine it would have surfaced by now if it did.

[Perseus71]

Ah Well. I really hope there was a book written. But then again it would probably be leaning towards propaganda angle anyway. Nevertheless it would have been most valuable.

Quick question though. This ad on the back you mentioned, does it say anything else about the next book in series ? Say the title of the book perhaps ? Hopefully we might be able to look it up that way if it was ever published.

Cheers

Perseus

[Brian Armstrong]

The Wartime Book is part of the "Unsere Jagdflieger" series, 1943, Hanns Arens Verlag, Berlin-Herrlingen, 48 pages text with 23 B/W illustrations. Oesau was the second in this series. Yes, they were produced for wartime propoganda indeed but having details often not seen in other articles. Oesau pictured in his School Sports Team for instance, lying in state in the Meldorfer Dom and Galland giving a last salute. There are "personal" details but probably idealised views of the airman from the RLM rather than solid facts but there is a "life of Oesau" here which does seem to match with the tough but fair views seen elsewhere.

I have seen this book on e-bay for $15 and in the American Book Exchange (abe.com) for between $30 and $50 on three occasions in the last few years! If I see it soon. I have just loked on ABE, there are 2 for sale at $43.44 an $54...Simply serach on griese and Oesau on abe.com book search .Get in there perseus and Red Baroness...


Brian

[leonventer]

Originally Posted by Brian Armstrong

The Wartime Book is part of the "Unsere Jagdflieger" series, 1943, Hanns Arens Verlag, Berlin-Herrlingen, 48 pages text with 23 B/W illustrations.

The Oesau book in the series seems to have been printed in greater numbers than the others, because copies do show up fairly regularly, as pointed out by Brian.

It contains some details about his personal life: His childhood sweetheart's name was Lotte, and she later became his wife (no marriage date, however.) His dog was named Ajax.

There's also an interesting account of a fortuitous choice that Oesau made that saved his life. For his return trip to Germany from the Spanish Civil War, he was offered a seat on a courier plane for the 8-hour flight to Berlin, but he switched with someone else in order to travel by rail and steamer instead. After 36 hours on the train, just before departing on the steamer, he heard that the courier plane had crashed, with the loss of all aboard. After that twist of fate, Oesau says that he requested "einen guten Whisky".

(To Red Baroness: I recently obtained an extra copy of this book. I know you'll be able to put it to good use, so just send me your address via PM and I'll gladly mail it to you.)

Leon Venter