Hauptmann
Emil Clade
Emil Clade joined the Luftwaffe in
April 1937. At the outbreak of war he was with 1 Staffel JG-27
and took part in the Battle of France, the fighting over Dunkirk
and then in 1940, based in the Pas de Calais, in the Battle
of Britain, where he scored his first victory flying the Me109E.
In early 1941 Emil was posted with JG-27 to North Africa where
he flew continually until the German forces were eventually
defeated at the end of 1942. By the end of the war he had
survived 6 bail-outs and scored 26 air victories. He was awarded
the German Gold Cross, and Iron Cross 1st Class.
Group Captain Billy
Drake DSO DFC*
Joining the RAF in 1936, Billy Drake
flew Hurricanes in France at the outbreak of war, seeing action
during the spring of 1940, and scoring his first victory in
May. After being wounded he was soon back in the fray with
421 Flight and by the end of 1940 his tally had reached 4.
Posted to the Western Desert in early 1942, he took command
of 112 Squadron flying P-40 Kittyhawks and led the squadron
through a period of great success. He later served in Malta,
and then as Wing Leader of 20 Wing, 2nd TAF flying Typhoons
in the lead up to the Normandy Invasion. Billy Drake scored
24 ½ victories and in addition, another 13 aircraft
destroyed on the ground. He retired from the RAF in 1963. |
|
Squadron
Leader Neville Duke
DSO DFC*
Neville Duke joined the RAF in June
1940. Posted to 92 Squadron at Biggin Hill in April 1941,
he flew a Spitfire as wingman to 'Sailor' Malan. In November
he was posted to 112 Squadron in the Middle East, and survived
being shot down twice by pilots of JG-27. His own tally, however,
was rising fast and by early February 1942 his victories had
risen to 8 confirmed and 3 probables. After a second tour
in the desert with 92 Squadron, flying Spitfire Vs, he flew
a third tour flying Spitfire VIIIs with 145 Squadron in Italy
- scoring his final victory in September 1944 to become the
top scoring Allied Ace in the Mediterranean theater. He flew
over 486 sorties, and achieved 28 victories. After the war
Neville joined Hawkers as a test pilot, becoming Chief Test
Pilot in 1951. On 7 September 1953 he captured the World Air
Speed record flying a Hunter at 727.63 mph.
Oberst Eduard
Neumann
A veteran of the Spanish Campaign,
Eduard Neumann, at the start of the war, was leading 4./JG-26
in France later promoted Adjutant of I./JG-27. He took part
in the Balkan Campaign before moving in 1941 to North Africa,
where I./JG-27 was the only German fighter unit for the first
nine months. In 1942 he became Kommodore of JG-27, a position
which he held throughout the remainder of the Desert Campaign.
He was credited with molding the careers of many outstanding
pilots, the best known being the young Hauptmann Marseille.
Following the defeat of Rommel's Afrika Corps at El Alamein,
JG-27 covered their retreat back to Tunisia. When his wing
left the desert, 'Edu' Neumann was transferred to the Staff
of General of the Fighter Arm, where he remained until 1944.
Promoted to Oberst in the autumn of that year, he took over
as Fighter Commander of Northern Italy. Edu Neumann ended
the war as one of the Luftwaffe's most highly respected Commanders.
|
