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Siegfried Bethke Print and Clipped Signature Pack.
PCK2820. Siegfried Bethke Print and Clipped Signature Pack. Clipped Signature and Print Pack.
Items in this pack :
Item #1 - Click to view individual item
DP0169AP. First Combat by David Pentland. Franco-German border, 22md November 1939. While flying a routine border Frei Jagd for some reconnaissance Dorniers, eight Me109s of 3./JG2 were engaged by fourteen French Curtiss Hawks of GC II/4. During the ensuing dogfight, the first combat for the Richthofen Geschwader since WW1, two of the French fighters were shot down. The first by Lt Helmut Wick, was flown by the French ace Adjutant Camille Plubeau (14 victories) the other by Ofw Erwin Kley. Wick was to go on to become one of the great aces of the Battle of Britain, achieving 56 victories before his death in November 1940. Signed by Major Erich Rudorffer (deceased). Limited edition of 20 artist proofs. Image size 12 inches x 8 inches (31cm x 21cm)
Item #2 - Click to view individual item
CLP0255. Clipped Signature - Siegfried Bethke. A Luftwaffe Ace and Me109 pilot who flew during the Battle of France and Battle of Britain. Clipped signatures are usually obtained from prints or publications that have been signed in person. Often, signatures have been rescued - or clipped - from prints that have been damaged in another area. Clipped Signature.
Website Price: £ 130.00
To purchase these prints individually at their normal retail price would cost £155.00 . By buying them together in this special pack, you save £25
All prices are displayed in British Pounds Sterling
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| Signatures on this item | | *The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare. | | Name | Info | 
Major Erich Rudorffer (deceased)
*Signature Value : £65 (matted)
| Erich Rudorffer was born on November 1st 1917 in the town of Zwickau in Saxony. Erich Rudorffer joined the Luftwaffes I./JG2 Richthofen in November 1939, and was soon flying combat patrols in January 1940 and was assigned to I/JG 2 Richthofen with the rank of Oberfeldwebel. He took part in the Battle of France, scoring the first of his many victories over a French Hawk 75 on May 14th, 1940. He went on to score eight additional victories during the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. Rudorffer recalled an incident in August 1940 when he escorted a badly damaged Hurricane across the Channel - ditching in the English Channel was greatly feared by pilots on both sides. As fate often does, Rudorffer found the roles reversed two weeks later, when he was escorted by an RAF fighter after receiving battle damage. By May 1st 1941 Rudorffer had achieved 19 victories, which led to the award of the Knights Cross. In June 1941 Rodorffer became an Adjutant of II./JG2. In 1942 Rudorffer participated in Operation Cerberus (known as the Channel Dash) and flew over the Allied landings at Dieppe. Erich Rudorffer along with JG2 was transferred to North Africa in December 1942. It was in North Africa that Rudorffer showed his propensity for multiple-victory sorties. He shot down eight British aircraft in 32 minutes on February 9th 1943 and seven more in 20 minutes six days later. After scoring a total of 26 victories in Tunisia, Rudorffer returned to France in April 1943 and was posted to command II./JG54 in Russia, after Hauptmann Heinrich Jung, its Kommodore, failed to return from a mission on July 30th 1943. On August 24th 1943 he shot down 5 Russian aircraft on the first mission of the day and followed that up with three more victories on the second mission. He scored seven victories in seven minutes on October 11th but his finest achievement occurred on November 6th when in the course of 17 minutes, he shot down thirteen Russian aircraft. Rudorffer became known to Russian pilots as the fighter of Libau. On October 28th 1944 while about to land, Rudorffer spotted a large formation of Il-2 Sturmoviks. He quickly aborted the landing and moved to engage the Russian aircraft. In under ten minutes, nine of the of the II-2 Sturmoviks were shot down causing the rest to disperse. Rudorffer would later that day go on and shoot down a further two Russian aircraft. These victories took his total to 113 and he was awarded the Oak Leaves on April 11th 1944. Rudorffer would on the 26th January 1945 on his 210th victory receive the addition of the Swords. In February 1945 Rudorffer took command of I./JG7 flying the Me262. He was one of the first jet fighter aces of the war, scoring 12 victories in the Me262. He shot down ten 4-engine bombers during the 'Defense of the Reich missions'. He was the master of multiple scoring - achieving more multiple victories than any other pilot. Erich Rudorffer never took leave, was shot down 16 times having to bail out 9 times, and ended the war with 222 victories from over 1000 missions. He was awarded the Knights Cross, with Oak Leaves and Swords. Erich Rudorffer died on 8th April 2016. |
| Signatures on item 2 | | *The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare. | | Name | Info | 
Oberleutnant Siegfried Bethke (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45 (matted)
| Siegfried Bethke joined the Luftwaffe in 1935 and was posted to II./JG2 shortly before the Battle of France. During the Battle of Britain he was Staffelkapitan of 2. Staffel JG2, and by the end of 1940 his tally had reached 10. He flew on the Channel Dash but later a serious accident halted his flying career. Awarded the Iron Cross I and II Class, he had a total of 14 victories. |
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