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Burkard von Mullenheim-Rechberg
| Burkard von Mullenheim-Rechberg (deceased) Burkard von Mullenheim-Rechberg is a former German naval officer, lawyer, and ambassador. Born in Spandau into a family where the profession of arms was an established tradition, he entered the navy of the Weimar Republic in 1929. After service in a variety of ships and as assistant naval attache at the German Embassy in London, he was assigned to the Bismarck in May 1940. A year later he became the senior officer to survive her sinking. In 1952, after spending time as a prisoner of war and earning a law degree, the baron joined the diplomatic service of the Federal Republic of Germany. He served as consul general in Toronto and as ambassador to the West Indies, Zaire and Tanzania. Born in Prussia into a family with an established military tradition, Burkard Baron Mullenheim-Rechberg entered the Navy of the Weimar Republic in 1929. Burkard, like many Prussian officers, was critical of Hitler and his National Socialist Party. However, the regime did not accept criticism, and Burkard was forced to react with impotence or face the difficult fate awaiting dissenters. During his naval career Burkard served as an instructor at the Murwick Naval School, and as an assistant to the naval attachC, at the German Embassy in London. He had plenty of sea duty including time on both cruisers and destroyers. In May of 1940 Lieutenant-Captain Burkard was assigned to the Bismarck. He served as adjutant to Captain Ernst Lindemann, the Bismarck's commanding officer. Lindemann was an experienced gunnery expert, and given the Bismarck's enormous firepower, this background was deemed an asset. Captain Lindemann informed Burkard that the Bismarck would henceforth be referred to as a 'he' instead of the traditional 'she.' In addition to being an ideal duty assignment, serving as the adjutant to Captain Lindemann, provided Burkard insights, into Lindemann's character. The Bismarck was commissioned on August 24, 1940, but was unable to go to sea for several months because a sunken ship blocked the channel. At the time of the Bismarck's demise on May 27,1941, Burkard was Fourth Gunnery Officer, and he was the highest ranking officer to survive the great ship's sinking. He became a prisoner of war, and spent much of the remainder of the war in Canadian prisoner camps. Burkhard earned a law degree after the war and joined the German diplomatic service in 1952. His first assignment was in Iceland followed by posting to Oslo Norway where he was head of the consular section on the German Embassy. He served in a variety of posts. He was Consul General in Toronto, and Ambassador to the West Indies, Tanzania, and Zaire. Burkhard retired from the diplomatic service in 1975. Since that time he has lived with his wife in upper Bavaria. He has authored two books on the Bismarck, and has served as a consultant to movie producers and other WW II authors. In addition to being one of the world's foremost authorities on the Bismarck, and its demise, Burkard has written extensively regarding his reflections on the political nature of the Nazi regime and its criminal misdeeds. Many officers which served their country during the war were unaware of the crimes and atrocities of the Nazis, where others with some knowledge were torn between their loyalty to their country and their opposition to Hitler's misdeeds. He died 1st June 2003. |
Items Signed by Burkard von Mullenheim-Rechberg (deceased) |
| Clipped Signature - Burkard von Mullenheim-Rechberg. Price : £55.00 | A German naval officer from 1929, he served on cruisers and destroyers before he joined the Bismarck in May 1940. One year later he was the highest ranking officer to survive the sinking, and spent most of the war as a prisoner in Canada. Post-war...... | |
| Battleship Bismarck by Robert Taylor SOLD OUT | The pride of the German Navy, this magnificent battleship attracted the full wrath of the Royal Navy when, by brilliant gunnery, she sank the Hood. Within three days she was herself sunk by the Home Fleet with the loss of all but 110 of her crew. ...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| KMS Bismarck Returns Fire, May 24th, 1941 by Marii Chernev. SOLD OUT | A tribute by artist Marii Chernev, to the men of the Kriegsmarines most famous ship, the battleship KMS Bismarck and all the navy veterans who fought in the cold waters of the North Atlantic during World War II. The Bismarcks excellent gunnery, impr...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| KMS Bismarck Returns Fire, May 24th, 1941 by Marii Chernev (AP) SOLD OUT | A tribute by artist Marii Chernev, to the men of the Kriegsmarines most famous ship, the battleship KMS Bismarck and all the navy veterans who fought in the cold waters of the North Atlantic during World War II. The Bismarcks excellent gunnery, impr...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| Sink the Bismarck by Stan Stokes. (B) Price : £120.00 | Commissioned on August 24, 1940, the German battleship Bismarck was the epitome of naval power. The great ship was 823 feet in length, had a beam of 118 feet, and a displacement of 50,000 tons. After nine months of sea trials the Bismarck embarked o...... |
| Sink the Bismarck by Stan Stokes. (C) Price : £100.00 | Commissioned on August 24, 1940, the German battleship Bismarck was the epitome of naval power. The great ship was 823 feet in length, had a beam of 118 feet, and a displacement of 50,000 tons. After nine months of sea trials the Bismarck embarked o...... |
Packs with at least one item featuring the signature of Burkard von Mullenheim-Rechberg (deceased) |
Swordfish Attack on the Bismarck Signed Naval Art Prints by Stan Stokes and Geoff Lea. Pack Price : £195.00 Saving : £130 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Sink the Bismarck by Stan Stokes. (B) Sink the Bismarck by Geoff Lea (B) | ||
Swordfish Attack on the Bismarck Naval Art Prints by Stan Stokes and Ivan Berryman. Pack Price : £195.00 Saving : £95 | Naval Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Sink the Bismarck by Stan Stokes. (B) Bismarck by Ivan Berryman (B) |
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