Hans - Ekkehard Bob Hans Ekkehard Bob ( 24 January 1917 – 12 August 2013 ) was a German fighter pilot , serving with the Luftwaffe . During World War II , Bob flew approximately 700 combat missions , and claimed 60 victories ; 37 of which were on the eastern front . Early Luftwaffe . Bob joined the Luftwaffe in 1936 , at the rank of a " Fahnenjunker " ( officer candidate ) , and began his Flight training 1 June 1937 . In 1938 , he attended the officers academy , and was transferred to the Jagdfliegergruppe 133 in Wiesbaden . During the occupation of the Sudetenland , he flew his first missions , primarily escorting bombers and transport aircraft , piloting an Arado Ar 68 biplane . Later , Bob was transferred to JG 334 in Gablingen , where he also received a promotion to the rank of " Leutnant " . JG 334 was a heavy fighter Geschwader , equipped with the Messerschmitt Me 110 . World War II . In 1939 , prior to the Invasion of Poland , Bob was transferred to the newly formed 3 . / Jagdgeschwader 21 ( JG 21 ) ( later known as the " Devils Squadron " ) , which was redesignated on 6 June 1940 into 9 . / Jagdgeschwader 54 ( JG 54 ) . It was equipped with the Bf 109 fighter , an aircraft Bob would become very familiar with over the years – flying every model except the " Kurfürst " . During the French campaign on 10 May 1940 , Bob claimed his first victory when he shot down a Gloster Gladiator over Tongeren in Belgium . That August he was promoted to the rank of " Oberleutnant " . On 10 October 1940 he was appointed " Staffelkapitän " of 7 . / JG 54 for a short period ; he was soon appointed " Staffelkapitän " of 9 . / JG 54 . During the Battle of Britain 9 . / JG 54 was activated as a Jabo unit , targeting shipping vessels . By November 1940 , Bob had recorded 19 kills , and was awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes " ) by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring on 7 March 1941 . On 21 March 1941 Bob survived , unhurt , a ditching into Cherbourg harbour with his Bü 131 training aircraft , which had suffered engine failure . After the Battle of Britain , he participated in the Balkan campaign , where he recorded his 20th and 21st victories . JG 54 was re - equipped with the new Me 109F , and relocated to airfields in Prussia , in preparation for the invasion of Russia . On 23 June 1941 , during Operation Barbarossa ( Invasion of Russia ) , Hans Ekkehard Bob recorded his first victory in Russian airspace – a Tupolev SB twin - engined bomber . During this combat action his Me 109F2 was hit by return fire , resulting in a forced landing behind enemy lines . He evaded capture and returned to his unit 2 days later . Between 13 July and 30 October 1941 Bob made three more emergency landings due to aircraft combat damage behind enemy lines , but in each case returned to his unit . On 29 September 1942 , Bob had his 50th victory , and was promoted to " Hauptmann " later that year . Flying on the Eastern front ended for Hans Ekkehard Bob and his III . / JG 54 in February 1943 , after he received orders from " General der Jagdflieger " Adolf Galland to change positions with elements of the then French - based JG 26 . This order was later cancelled , but III . Gruppe stayed on the Western front , separated from the rest of the ' Greenhearts ' , serving initially in Northern Germany with Jagdgeschwader 1 . On 17 April 1943 Bob recorded his 57th Victory ; the ramming of a USAAF Boeing B - 17 bomber near Bremen with his Bf 109 G - 6 . He bailed out and survived the crash without injury . On 1 August , Bob was promoted to the rank of Major and was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of IV . / JG 54 . He returned to the Eastern front , where he scored a further two victories . By May 1944 , Bob was back at the Western front as Gruppenkommandeur of II . / Jagdgeschwader 3 ( JG 3 ) ; based in the Normandy invasion front corridor , flying " Reichsverteidigung " ( Defense of the Reich ) duties . In August he was transferred to " Erprobungskommando 262 " where he learned to fly the Me 262 . In early 1945 , his experience led to his becoming a member of Generalmajor Josef Kammhuber ' s staff . Bob was responsible for allocating newly built Me - 262 ' s to operational units . Later he took command of I . and II . / EJG 2 and was responsible for practice and training former bomber pilots in flying the Me - 262 . Bob was one of the aces chosen to fly as a member of the jet fighter unit JV 44 , led by Adolf Galland . In the final days of World War II , Bob was responsible for building a longer runway at Innsbruck airfield for the Me - 262 Jets . At the capitulation on 8 May 1945 Bob was in Kappl , a small village near Salzburg . From Kappl he walked more than in 6 weeks to return to his home in Celle . After the war . Bob returned to civilian life working as a farm labourer . In 1946 , he founded his own transport company . Around this time he met Waldemar Wübke , an old JV 44 comrade , and a friend from his time in JG 54 . Bob always told Wübke ' s history with a smile on his face . Wübke still wore his old uniform and officer cap as he was questioned by a British officer . " Why are you wearing this old stuff " ? Wübke replied : " Do I ask you if your grandma has hemorrhoids " ? He never met Wübke again , and Wübke later died in the early 1950s in Argentina , the result of injuries sustained in an airliner crash . In 1956 , Bob founded his own company , " BOMAG " , specializing in drilling equipment and doing business in over 120 countries around the world as well as establishing the Celle Flying Club . From 30 September to 1 October 2000 , Bob also was among the historical figures at the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in Santa Monica , California . Bob had been married to his wife Christa for over 50 years . They had three children : Roland , Elmar Bob and Delia . He also had three other children from his first wife . He died on 12 August 2013 .