Melitta Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg

Melitta Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg (née Schiller; 3 January 1903 – 8 April 1945 ) was a German aviator who served as a test pilot in the Luftwaffe before and during World War II.

She was the second German woman to be awarded the honorary title of Flugkapitän and also flew over 2,500 test flights in dive bombers, the second most of any Luftwaffe test pilot. Von Stauffenberg was awarded the Iron Cross Second Class and the Gold Front Flying Clasp for Bombers with diamonds, for performing over 1,500 test flights in dive bomber aircraft.

In 1944 she was arrested with other Stauffenberg family members on suspicion of conspiring with her brothers-in-law to assassinate Adolf Hitler, but she was later released to continue her test-flight duties.

Countess von Stauffenberg died after being shot down by an American reconnaissance plane on 8 April 1945.

Early life and education Melitta was born in Krotoschin, Prussia. Her father was Michael Schiller, a Jewish man who converted to Christianity at the age of 18. Her mother was Margaret Eberstein. She had four siblings: Marie-Luise, Otto, Jutta and Klara.

With the end of World War I Krotoschin became part of Poland. In October 1919 Melitta began attending boarding school across the border in Hirschberg, Silesia. She crash-landed the aircraft and was conscious when civilians arrived to help. She asked for assistance to get out of the aircraft, and was extracted from the aircraft alive. The civilians reported her most serious injury appeared to be a broken leg.

A local doctor, Hans Siegl from Straßkirchen, arrived at the scene, but as a Luftwaffe doctor and other military were on scene, his services were not needed; she was taken off in an ambulance. Von Stauffenberg's injuries did not appear life-threatening, but she died two hours later. Her remains were taken to the hospital in Straubing, where the town mortuary book noted as the cause of death "...skull base fracture, tearing of the left thigh, fracture of the right ankle." Her husband learned of her death a few days later.

She was buried on 13 April in St Michaels Cemetery, arranged by Staubing airbase commander's assistant. In September 1945 Alexander arranged to have her exhumed and transported to the Stauffenberg estate at Lautlingen where she was interred in the family crypt on 8 September 1945.

Awards Iron Cross Second Class Gold Front Flying Clasp for Bombers with Diamonds