Hans Baur

Johannes 'Hans ' Baur (19 June 1897 – 17 February 1993) was Adolf Hitler's pilot during the political campaigns of the early 1930s. He began his aviation career as a flying ace in World War I. He later became Hitler's personal pilot and leader of the Reichsregierung squadron. Apprehended by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II in Europe, he was imprisoned in the Soviet Union for ten years. He died in Herrsching, Bavaria, in February 1993.

World War I and interwar period Baur was born in Ampfing, Kingdom of Bavaria. He was called up to the Bavarian Army in 1915, and trained in field artillery. He then joined the Luftstreitkräfte (air force) as an artillery spotter. In 1918, Baur served in FA 295 as an Unteroffizier pilot of two-seater Hannover CL.III ground attack aircraft. His observer was Leutnant Georg Ritter von Hengl. Baur was credited with six confirmed and three unconfirmed victories against French aircraft beginning 17 July 1918. Vizefeldwebel Baur was awarded the Iron Cross First Class and the Bavarian Silver Bravery Medal for attacking a French formation of seven and downing two of the SPADs that day. Baur would score his last victories on 29 October 1918.

After the war, he joined the Freikorps under Franz von Epp. He went on to become a courier flier for the Bavarian airmail service. Beginning in 1922, he was a pilot for Bayrische Luftlloyd, and then Junkers. In 1926, Baur became a pilot of Deutsche Luft Hansa. In the same year, he also became a member of the Nazi Party (No. 48,113). On 1 April 1931, he flew the opening flight of the Berlin-Munich-Rome route, known as the Alpine flight, whose passengers included Nuntius Eugenio Pacelli, Arturo Toscanini and Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria.

Hitler's personal pilot Hitler was the first politician to campaign by air travel, deciding that travel by plane was more efficient than travel by railway. Baur first served as his pilot during the 1932 General Election. On 10 March 1943, Hitler flew in to Army Group South's HQ at Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Erich von Manstein is greeting Hitler; on the right are Wolfram von Richthofen and Baur.

Führerbunker and imprisonment On 31 January 1944, Baur was promoted to SS-Brigadeführer (brigadier general) and major general of the police; and on 24 February 1945, he became an SS-Gruppenführer (major general) and Generalleutnant of the Police.

Book and later life

After ten years of imprisonment, Baur was released from Soviet custody on 10 October 1955.

Remaining in West Germany, in 1957 Baur wrote his autobiography Ich flog die Mächtigen der Erde (literally "I flew the mighty of the Earth"). Later, a lengthened version was published as Mit Mächtigen zwischen Himmel und Erde ("Between Heaven and Earth with the Mighty"). The French translation is titled J'étais pilote de Hitler: Le sort du monde était entre mes mains ("I was Hitler's pilot: The fate of the world was in my hands"). The book was released in English with the title I Was Hitler's Pilot.

The book is a collection of Baur's eyewitness accounts of Hitler's daily activities and conversations. Baur, as Hitler's private pilot and personal friend, was in his presence most days from 1933 to 1945. The book also includes an account of the events surrounding Hitler's arrest of Ernst Röhm on 30 June 1934 at Bad Wiessee, in which Baur took part. The book tells of Baur's dislike for Göring (whom Baur describes as a "thick-headed glutton"). Baur was one of the few people who was close to Hitler and was one of the last people to see him alive in the Führerbunker.

Baur died in Germany on 17 February 1993.

Personal life Hans Baur married Elfriede Baur in 1923. Their only daughter, Ingeborg, was born the following year. After Elfriede Baur's death from cancer in 1935, Baur married again, with Hitler as his best man. His second wife, Maria, by whom he had two daughters, died while he was in captivity in the Soviet Union. His third wife, Cresentia, survived him.

Decorations and awards 1914 Iron Cross 2nd Class 1914 Iron Cross 1st Class Military Merit Cross (Bavaria) 3rd Class with Crown and Swords Ehrenbecher für den Sieger im Luftkampf wiki Germany Bavarian Military Merit Medal in Silver, July 1918 Pilot/Observer Badge SA Sports Badge in Bronze, 1 December 1937 Degen (SS), 1 December 1937 Anschluss Medal Sudetenland Medal Danzig Cross 2nd Class, 24 October 1939 Golden Party Badge SS Ehrendolch Honour Chevron for the Old Guard Order of the Crown (Romania), April 1942 Order of the Crown of King Zvonimir, 1943