A Photograph Of Rudolf Von Ribbentrop & Luftwaffe Ace Friedrich Geißhardt

A period photograph of Rudolf von Ribbentrop and Friedrich Geißhardt during a conversation; the reverse is marked with two stamps; one of the German Labour Front, and pencil markings; measuring 182 mm x 130 mm; extremely fine condition.

Footnote: Rudolf von Ribbentrop was a Waffen-SS Captain and son of German diplomat and Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop. On September 1, 1939, Ribbentrop joined as a recruit in the SS-Infantry Regiment Deutschland where he served during the Western Campaign and during Operation Barbarossa. In February 1943 he was assigned to the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler where he saw action during the Third Battle of Kharkov. Ribbentrop saw action when he was transferred to the12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend as a training officer and company commander during the battles of Normandy. He surrendered to the US Army on May 8, 1945. Friedrich “Fritz”Geißhardt (January 22, 1919 - April 6, 1943) was a Flying Ace, credited with 102 victories in 642 combat missions, including 37 close air support missions. Geißhardt joined the Luftwaffe in 1937 where he first saw action during the opening phase of the German invasion of Poland of the 1st Fighter Group. He claimed his first aerial victory on July 1, 1939. The following day, flying his Messerschmitt Bf 109, Greißhardt was forced to initiate an emergency landing behind Polish lines, where he was captured. He escaped shortly thereafter during confusion caused by a German Stuka attack, He served during the Battle of britain, the Balkan Campaign, the Invasion of Crete, Sicily, Malta, the North African Campaign. Hauptmann Greißhardt was flying a Fw 190 A-4 (Factory Number 7051) when he was wounded in combat with a United States Army Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress of the 306th Bomb Group on April 5, 1943. He was hit by in the abdomen by the defencive fire from the bombers, and was forced to land in the airfield at Sint-Denijs-Westrem, Belgium. He died from his injuries the next morning on April 6, 1943. List of Awards: Iron Cross 1939 (2nd Class - September 17, 1939) - (1st Class - July 10, 1940), Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for fighter pilots, Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (July 13, 1941), German Cross in Gold on April 24, 1942 as lieutenant in the Jagdgeschwader 77, Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Knight’s Cross on August 30, 1941, as Lieutenant and pilot of the Jagdgeschwader 77) - (101st Oak Leaves on June 23, 1942 as Oberleutnant and adjutant of the Jagdgeschwader 77).