World War II German Air Ace. Flying 621 combat missions in his Messerschmitt Bf 109, he shot-down 275 aircraft, then went on to command the post-war West German Air Force. Born in the Black Forest region, he was raised in Stuttgart from the age of three. After graduation from high school, he joined the army in 1936, intending a career in infantry; while at the War College in Dresden, however, a friend persuaded him to apply for flight training. Rall qualified as a pilot in 1938, and was assigned to fighter wing JG 52; on May 12, 1940, during the Battle of France, he saw his first combat, and recorded his first "kill". Rall later saw action in the Battle of Britain and the Balkan Campaign prior to his transfer to the Eastern Front, where he was to log his final 272 air victories. Shot down on November 12, 1941, he fractured his back in three places, and was told he would never walk again. However, he returned to duty in August, 1942, and was awarded the Knight's Cross on September 3 of that year. (He also married a doctor who had cared for him). On May 12, 1944, his left thumb was shot off, which ended his combat career. Rall spent the remaining months of the conflict as an instructor and test pilot. He made early flights in the jet ME 209; able to "try out" a full range of captured planes, he termed the American P-51 his favorite. Rall finished the war as a major, and spent a short time as prisoner-of-war at a Royal Air Force facility. Returing to Germany unable find work, he briefly ran a wood cutting business, then served as a representative for Siemans until 1953. Rall returned to uniform in the West German Luftwaffe in 1955 and oversaw aircraft development and modification. He was responsible for adapting the F-104 into the F-104G, making several safety improvements. Rall eventually rose to Luftwaffe Inspector and Chief of the Air Staff; his final assignment prior to retiring as Lieutenant General was atache to NATO. His memoir, "Mein Flugbuch", was published in 2004. Active to the end of his life with book and artwork signings, he died at his home in Bad Reichenall after suffering a heart attack. The General's awards include the Iron Cross, the Wound Badge, the German Cross, and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Of his wartime service, he said simply: "We fought for our country, and to stay alive".