Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp

Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp (19 November 1897 – 27 February 1976) was a German fighter pilot notable for being one of the few two-war aces in history. After scoring six victories in World War I, he became a Luftwaffe ace in World War II, with 12 additional victories. Also he was a member of the National Socialist Flyers Corps with the rank of NSFK-Obergruppenführer.

Early life and World War I Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp was a child of nobility, born in his family's castle in the village of Bothkamp in the Schleswig-Holstein Province of Germany. He began his military service with Saxon Hussar Regiment No. 18 when he was 17, before learning to fly in August 1916. In December 1916 he joined the German air service. He was one of three brothers (the others being Walter and Conrad) to serve in the Fliegertruppe during World War I. He first flew two-seaters with FFA 53, which became FA 272 (A), as a reconnaissance pilot directing artillery fire, before becoming a fighter pilot with Jasta 36, which was commanded by his brother Walter who fell on 6 January 1918.

During his time with Jasta 36, Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp shot down an Airco D.H.4 on 12 October 1917, followed by five additional enemy fighters. His last victory came on 21 July 1918, over Major R.H. Freeman, CO of 73 Squadron. His notable win was his fourth, over British 10-kill ace Captain Cecil Clark of 1 Squadron, who was wounded and taken prisoner.

Harry was discharged from the service by order of the Kaiser on 25 August 1918. Harry was the last survivor of four brothers; the oldest, Friedrich, was killed in 1914, Walter died in a dogfight at Ypres in January 1918, and Conrad died in a flying accident on 26 September 1918 while commanding part of the Aviation Battalion of the Finnish Air Force.

Harry had earned the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern and Iron Cross for his service.

Between the wars After World War I he returned to school (Gymnasium) receiving his Abitur and went to university studying agriculture. Together with Paul Bäumer he founded Bäumer Aero GMBH in Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel to produce airplanes. The company went bankrupt in 1930 in the course of the Great Depression.

He rejoined the German military aviation as a Hauptmann (Captain) in 1935, in the newly established Luftwaffe. The following year, he was promoted to major and assigned as the original commanding officer of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen", also known as JG II. In 1939, he became Inspector of the Nationalsozialitische Fliegerkorps, the Luftwaffe's civil reserve. Clasp to the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 22 August 1940 as Oberstleutnant of the Reserves and Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen"