Everything about Elly Beinhorn totally explained
Elly Beinhorn-Rosemeyer (
May 30,
1907 –
November 28,
2007) was a
German pilot.
Early life
She was born in
Hanover,
Germany on
30 May 1907.
In 1928, she attended a lecture by famed aviator
Hermann Köhl, who had recently completed a historic East-West
Atlantic crossing. This lecture is described as the spark that ignited her interest in aviation.
At just 21 years old, she'd a little money from an inheritance and against the wishes of her parents moved to
Spandau in
Berlin and learnt to fly at
Berlin-Staaken airport under the tutelage of instructor Otto Thomsen. She had soon learnt to fly solo in a small
Klemm KL-20, but her money was running out, so it was suggested she give aerobatic displays at weekends; financially rewarding, but personally unsatisfying.
Long-distance flight
Long distance flying was her real passion and in 1931 she seized the opportunity to fly to Portuguese Guinea (now
Guinea-Bissau)
West Africa on a scientific expedition. On the return journey, engine failure resulted in a crash-landing in the
Sahara. With the help of nomadic
Tuareg tribesmen, Elly joined a camel caravan to
Timbuktu. She subsequently returned to the crash site to recover parts of the plane. Word of her plight reached the French authorities and they sent a military two-seater plane to collect her.
In April 1931, fully recovered, she was able to fly herself back to Berlin to a warm reception from the crowds.
Soon after this, she embarked on another flight, her Klemm monoplane developing mechanical problems near Bushire, Persia. She found Moye Stephens, another pilot, in Bushire, who helped her fix the problem on her Klemm. Stephens and travel-adventure writer Richard Halliburton were flying around the world in a
Stearman C-3B biplane, The
Flying Carpet. She accompanied them on part of their flight, including the trip to
Mount Everest. In her book Flying Girl (1935), the foreword is written by
Richard Halliburton, and she's a picture of
Moye Stephens repairing her plane. She flew on to
Bali - and eventually
Australia. In the process, she became only the second woman to fly solo from
Europe to Australia, after
Amy Johnson.
Having landed in
Darwin,
North Australia, she headed down to
Sydney, arriving in March 1932. Her plane was dismantled and shipped to
New Zealand, then
Panama where it was reassembled. Elly resumed flying, following the western coast of
South America. She was presented with a medal in
Peru. An ill-advised trip across the
Andes followed. The plane was dismantled once more in
Brazil and shipped to Germany. Elly arrived in Berlin in June 1932.
Now famous but in debt to the tune of 15,000 marks or more, she was pleasantly surprised to be awarded the
Hindenburg Cup, 10,000 marks and several other monetary awards from the German aeronautical industry which enabled her to continue her career. She also continued to write articles and sell photographs of her travels to raise funds.
Free of debt, she took off for
Africa, flying down the east coast, then back up the west coast.
The following year, Elly shipped the plane to Panama, then flew through
Mexico and
California before crossing the
United States to
Washington DC and
Miami. Elly and the plane returned to Germany by ship, arriving in January 1935. She was now a true German heroine.
Bernd Rosemeyer
On 29 September 1935, Elly attended the Masaryk Grand Prix,
Czechoslovakia, at the invitation of
Auto Union. She happened to be in the country on a lecture tour; by now a regular source of income. She congratulated the winner,
Bernd Rosemeyer. He seemed smitten with her. They danced together that night and were married on
13 July 1936. A true celebrity couple, the adventurous aviatrix and the fearless racing driver, they were the toast of
Nazi Germany.
Heinrich Himmler commanded a reluctant Bernd to become a member of the
SS.
Elly had a son, Bernd Jr., in November
1937. Just ten weeks later her husband was killed attempting a speed record in his
Auto Union Streamliner. As a national hero, he was mourned by much of Germany. Elly received condolences from prominent Nazis, including
Adolf Hitler, but requested a non-political, simple funeral ceremony. These wishes were ignored and several Nazis gave speeches at the graveside. Some accounts suggest that Elly walked off in protest at the Nazis claiming Bernd as their own and taking over what was a personal occasion.
Second marriage & post-war life
In
1941 Elly married Dr. Karl Wittman and they'd a daughter, Stephanie.
After
World War II she briefly took up gliding due to the ban on powered flight in Germany. But she soon moved to
Switzerland to continue flying planes.
In 1979, at the age of 72, she gave back her pilots licence.
Later years and death
In her later years, Rosemeyer lived in Ottobrunn, Bavaria, near Munich. Her son, Dr. Bernd Rosemeyer, lives in the same area and has enjoyed a successful career as an orthopaedist.
She died on
28 November 2007, at the age of 100.
Publications
- Chris Nixon & Elly Beinhorn-Rosemeyer: "Rosemeyer!", Transport Bookman Publications 1989, ISBN 0851840469
Further Information
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