This 109E-3 has an interesting story attached to the markings. Major von Cramon-Taubadel was married to a Jewish wife, a fact which came to the attention of Hermann Goering during the Battle of France. As a result he ordered that the whole of JG 53 must remove their famous Ace of Spades badge and paint a red band around the noses of their aircraft as a mark of shame. In the Autumn of 1940 von Cramon-Taubadel was removed as Geschwader Kommodore and Goering told them they could reinstate their “Pik-As” badge; this they did but at the same time, as a mark of protest, all the pilots of JG 53 had the Swastikas painted over on their aircraft. Thus it is easy to recognise JG 53 109’s late in the Battle of Britain as they have no Swastikas on them.
I got this from http://ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2000/02/stuff_eng_profile_bf109.htm
but other than finding one or two other entries that appear to confirm the above story, nothing beyond this. Does anybody have any further info on von Cramon-Taubadel? Did he make it through the war?
By: N.Wotherspoon - 3rd January 2008 at 09:34
This story has really caught my interest, so started a quick net search – Wonder what became of Mrs von Cramon-Taubadel too? – He reappears later in Finland:
Kommandierender General der Deutschen Luftwaffe in Finnland – Chief of Staff
– 11.43 – 18.12.44 – Oberst Hans-Jürgen von Cramon-Taubadel (from: http://www.geocities.com/finnmilpge/fmpg_lwcommands.html)
Does this mean he got the classic “sent to the Russian front” treatment?
Plenty of refs to “von Cramon-Taubadel”s today – surely not a common name? – decendents?
By: wieesso - 3rd January 2008 at 09:08
‘Did he make it through the war?’
… no real answer…
http://aufhimmelzuhause.com/id108.htm
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January 3, 2008 at 6:38 am