Ofhr. Ruthart von Richthofen

[Brian Bines]

The above pilot was reported shot down and killed on 13-7-1944 in Fw190A8 730909 of 10/JG2 at Argentan. Is the circumstances of his death known, one version was he baled out and was killed after a safe descent by parachute. Was he related to Manfred von Richthofen, possibly a nephew.

[lilsis]

Hi,

yep its a part of the big family v. Richthofen, Bolko (his bros) died in 1943 - parents: Bolko Freiherr v. Richthofen
1887 - 1960 and Ruth v. Richthofen , geb Gräfin v. Rothkirch u. Trach (1890 - 1974)


Nachtrag: R. and B. v. Richthofen come from "Groß Rosener Haus"
M. and L. v. Richthofen come from Gäbersdorf-Romberger Haus"
W. v. Richthofen come from Barzdorfer Haus






LG "Sis

[Doug Stankey]

We have nothing about this fellow in our files due to his low rank, but the Kraker Archive has:

Richthofen, Ruthard von - Ofhr. - JG-105 (12/43 Chartres Fr.), 10./JG-2Bf 109GFighter Operational ClaspKIA 13 July, 1944 in aerial combat at the invasion front. He was a distant relative to the "Red Baron" himself. He was one of at least three young members of the von Richthofen family to be KIA in WWII. Johannes KIA in 1941, the other was an Fw 190 Ground Attack pilot, FhjFw Wolfram von Richthofen, on the Eastern Front, who was posted MIA just a month before. Ruthard may have achieved the rank of Lt..

That's all we can find about this chap.

HLdZ
DGS

[Brian Bines]

Thanks Doug and LG "Sis, the only other info. I had was that he (b. 1924) was shot down by a P-51 and that following baling out was shot on the ground by civilians. Sometimes these local stories are true sometimes just rumour. Does he have a known grave, I am afraid I have not mastered the Grabersuche site,

Thanks

Brian Bines

[FrankieS]

Hi Brian !

Zum Gedenken B1024938
Nachname: Freiherr von Richthofen
Vorname: Ruthard
Dienstgrad: Leutnant
Geburtsdatum: 13.02.1924
Geburtsort: Riemberg
Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 13.07.1944
Ruthard Freiherr von Richthofen ruht auf der Kriegsgräberstätte in Champigny-St. Andre (Frankreich) .
Endgrablage: Block 13 Reihe 25 Grab 1446

[Laurent Rizzotti]

"one version was he baled out and was killed after a safe descent by parachute"

Do you know by who he was killed in this version ?

At the time, Argentan was still in German months, and will remain for one month.

[Brian Bines]

Hi Frankie, thanks very much for looking this up for me.

Laurent, I am afraid I cannot add much more. A few years ago a Newsletter from an aviation group reported on this saying following a visit to the crash site local information was that Ruthart v Richthofen, the nephew of the Red Baron, was shot down by a P-51, baled out and was shot on landing by French civilians being buried near the crash site (unmarked grave?).
From the answers it is now established he was not a nephew, and that he has a known grave. The JG2 loss list I have just says gefallen by Argentan which as you say was still in German hands, one would have thought it unwise to kill a German pilot in these circumstances but such things did happen. The JG3 loss list I have has several pilots noted as 'am Boden ersschossen' following crash landings in the April to Oct 1944 period, I assume these being strafed from the air.
Ruthart may well have perished in the crash and the shooting story could just be a local myth, or he could have been strafed. I was hoping they may have been a definite answer to his fate,

Regards and thanks,

Brian Bines

[Laurent Rizzotti]

In areas so close of the frontline, there were enough German troops so that the French Resistance usually kept a low profile until the Americans get close.

Then all that is needed is a man with a gun at the "right" place and time.

One may find a trace in the story of the local resistance if it exists, but I have no such data for this area.

[Teresa Maria]

It's a pity that so little is known about Ruthard. I have also read that he was killed while hanging in his parachute (I've only got a scan, so I'm not sure of the title of the book). Poor Ruthard, however he died, whether in the parachute or being shot on the ground, it was murder, as he was most probably defenceless at that time... May he rest in peace.

[Brian Bines]

T.M. thanks for this additional information,

Regards
Brian Bines