adolf galland: the pilot who loved mickey mouse
We want to tell the story of the pilot who drew pictures of Mickey Mouse on the side of the planes he flew. But we’re not sure just
how to tell the story. If we write about an attractive, lively pilot who dressed with great style, we run the risk of his attractiveness turning him into a sort of myth. And that could easily happen in this case. Because, in addition to the glamour of being a pilot, he had enough military medals and recognition to fill a museum. And a name. Adolf Galland. Galland’s appearance and name was perfect for him to have been a film star.
After the First World War, the Germans were banned from flying planes. Adolf Galland, along with his brother, built a balloon and used it in their adventures to conquer the skies. The young man, who loved going fast in any motor-driven aparatus, lost a percentage of his sight during an accident. A piece of glass cut his into retina. So how did he get his pilot’s licence? During the sight tests, one of his brothers would always go in before him, memorize the letters on the panel and then tell Adolf where each letter was; Adolf then memorized them and so managed to pass all the medical tests. What a charming conman! He loved a good evening out. He was always ready for adventures. A Mickey Mouse fan, he always drew the famous mouse on the side of his planes with one of his beloved cigars in the rodent’s mouth, a dagger and a pistol in each hand too.
As an airforce pilot, he took part in hundreds of operations and shot down 104 enemy planes. The enemy shot him down four times, but his skills got him out safely on each ocasion. Some people are just born lucky. Adolf Galland was one of them. As well as being successful, his character and many of the things that happened to him make you like him. And yet, even though he was so attractive, nobody has yet made a film based on his life. You hardly ever hear of him. Why not?
Because he fought on the wrong side.
In other words, on the losing side. Adolf Galland was a pilot for Nazi Germany. He wasn’t the only Nazi German pilot, obviously. Many had to fight –and have to fight– for their country even if that puts them on the wrong side. That wasn’t what happened to Adolf Galland. Before the Second World War, he was a pilot in the Condor squadron and took part in the war and the massacre that took place here. As a volunteer. How our point of view can change. Gallant doesn’t seem that gallant to us any more.
Adolf Galland was a war hero in Germany. He took part in the battles of Poland, Belgium, France and Britain. In fact, he lost the two brothers who had helped him with his medical tests in those battles. After the war, Galland’s good luck came back to help him. Along with the architect Speers, he was one of the few people to come out of the Nurenberg trials in good grace.
As he had learnt to speak Spanish, he went to Argentina and became a flying instructor there. Until he returned to Germany
in 1957. To Bonn. And he lived there for the last 40 years of his life. He worked in aircraft manufacture. He got married. And
divorced. And remarried. And had children. He used to drink beer in the pubs in Bonn. He retired. He went for walks on the
banks of the Rhine. He fell ill and was taken to hospital. And when he realised that he wasn’t going to manage to escape
from death, he asked to be taken back home, from where he could see the Rhine from his bedroom window and, accompanied
by his children and grandchildren, the pilot who loved Mickey Mouse died on the ninth of February, 1996.
how to tell the story. If we write about an attractive, lively pilot who dressed with great style, we run the risk of his attractiveness turning him into a sort of myth. And that could easily happen in this case. Because, in addition to the glamour of being a pilot, he had enough military medals and recognition to fill a museum. And a name. Adolf Galland. Galland’s appearance and name was perfect for him to have been a film star.
After the First World War, the Germans were banned from flying planes. Adolf Galland, along with his brother, built a balloon and used it in their adventures to conquer the skies. The young man, who loved going fast in any motor-driven aparatus, lost a percentage of his sight during an accident. A piece of glass cut his into retina. So how did he get his pilot’s licence? During the sight tests, one of his brothers would always go in before him, memorize the letters on the panel and then tell Adolf where each letter was; Adolf then memorized them and so managed to pass all the medical tests. What a charming conman! He loved a good evening out. He was always ready for adventures. A Mickey Mouse fan, he always drew the famous mouse on the side of his planes with one of his beloved cigars in the rodent’s mouth, a dagger and a pistol in each hand too.
As an airforce pilot, he took part in hundreds of operations and shot down 104 enemy planes. The enemy shot him down four times, but his skills got him out safely on each ocasion. Some people are just born lucky. Adolf Galland was one of them. As well as being successful, his character and many of the things that happened to him make you like him. And yet, even though he was so attractive, nobody has yet made a film based on his life. You hardly ever hear of him. Why not?
Because he fought on the wrong side.
In other words, on the losing side. Adolf Galland was a pilot for Nazi Germany. He wasn’t the only Nazi German pilot, obviously. Many had to fight –and have to fight– for their country even if that puts them on the wrong side. That wasn’t what happened to Adolf Galland. Before the Second World War, he was a pilot in the Condor squadron and took part in the war and the massacre that took place here. As a volunteer. How our point of view can change. Gallant doesn’t seem that gallant to us any more.
Adolf Galland was a war hero in Germany. He took part in the battles of Poland, Belgium, France and Britain. In fact, he lost the two brothers who had helped him with his medical tests in those battles. After the war, Galland’s good luck came back to help him. Along with the architect Speers, he was one of the few people to come out of the Nurenberg trials in good grace.
As he had learnt to speak Spanish, he went to Argentina and became a flying instructor there. Until he returned to Germany
in 1957. To Bonn. And he lived there for the last 40 years of his life. He worked in aircraft manufacture. He got married. And
divorced. And remarried. And had children. He used to drink beer in the pubs in Bonn. He retired. He went for walks on the
banks of the Rhine. He fell ill and was taken to hospital. And when he realised that he wasn’t going to manage to escape
from death, he asked to be taken back home, from where he could see the Rhine from his bedroom window and, accompanied
by his children and grandchildren, the pilot who loved Mickey Mouse died on the ninth of February, 1996.
